St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-02-16
The Western Floods.
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY AT
CINCINNATI.

a L
CINCINNATI.
Heavy rains in the west, with the
consequent melting of snow. caused an
overflow of the Ohio river at Cincin-
natl on Sunday afternoon. At seven
o'clock, the dispatches state, water
stood at II feet 3 inches, and was ris-
ing nearly two inches hourly. Thou
sands ofpeople crowded all the bridges,
watching the floods. All the transfer
wagons in the city We're employed re-
moving goods from danger. The sus-
pension bridge is lined with wagons
taking leaf tobacco over to Covington.
The water through which they pass in
going to the suspension bridge is over
the aXles. Steam, ferry, and street
railroad communication between Gin
cinnati and the Kentucky side of the
river is cut off entirely. Nearly two
square miles of the city are under
water, and people were taking coal and
provisions i'll boats to the inhabitants
and delivering through second and
third-stOry windows. All the houses
and factories along the entire river
front in Covington are flooded and
water is in the second stories of some.
Nearly ten miles of the river front OF
Cincinnati is under water. Along the
landing the flood is up to the second
and third stories in many buildings.
Th roof of the big wharf boat, as
viewed from the suspension bridge,
looks nearly as high as the roofs OF
tive-stOry houses on the public land
ing. All railway freight business and
nearly all express business west and
north is stopped.
AT nine o'clock the gas-wOrks were
flooded and only enough gas was left
to last through the night. The pres
sure is so weak that the gas will rot
burn now in many places. The water
supply is also in danger, and but one
engine at the pumping is able
to work. Its capacity at the last trial
was ten million gallons per day, while
the daily consumption is sixteen mil
lions. 1t will require II rise. of fouI
feet more to disable this one engine.
The coal fleets are believed to be safe
to render assistance if the lines part,
but if the wind rises it is not thought
that any can be saved. The weather
is still warm and the snow melting,
with occasional light rains.
At eleven o'clock Monday night the
flood had reached "a feet 81 inches, a
half inch above the flood of 1892. A
relief committee was appointed by the
chamber of commerce, composed of
the most active and responsible citizens
and it has already taken prompt meas
ures, supported by subscriptions
amounting to $4,000. In view of the
exposed condition of property and the
lnadequacy of the police force to prop
erly guard the flooded districts it was
determined to call for the help of the
militia. A river patrol has been or
ganlzed<t Is watch the flooded districts
and give relief when needed. There
being no gas the police have been or
dered to arrest all suspicious persons
on the streets at night. Father Cusack
pastor of the Catholic church on Third
street, opened the building last night
for the homeless and 300 took advan-
tage of it. The station-houses have
been filled with beds for the accOmmO-
datiOn of persons driven from their
homes. Lights were improvised every
where, coal oil and candles in stores.
dwellings, and newspaper and tele-
graph offices, and electric lights in the
theaters and some of the hotels. Three
hundred head of cattle were drowned
at Gerke Il Lippelman's distillery.
The river at Louisville passed the
highest point of the food of February,
1889, Monday and was still slowly ris-
ing. great tide of water was coming
i'll also from the Kentucky river. 1t is
estimated that at Shipping Port and
Portland 1900 persons are homeless.
Most of them are poor and there is
great suffering among them. The loss
es reach $4,000. In the city proper
heavy damage has been done by the
stOppage of work in the factories and
1000 men have been thrown out of en-
ployment.
The Ohio river is rising at all points
in Indiana. At New Albany the water
is ten inches higher than in the flood
of 1881. Three -fOurths of the factories
are Hooded, and, if the rise continues,
it is thought every furnace in the glass
works will be under water. The loss
there alone will be 100000. Five
hundred houses are flooded in the low
er part of the city, and 1000 or 1000
employees are idle. Between Evans
vile and Henderson the telegraph poles
are covered with water and wires are
strung on the tops of trees. Lawrence
burg is completely surrounded by
water and the people are virtually
helpless, lacking food and unable to
procure any. The telegraph and tele-
phone lines are down and there are no
means of communication.
The troops at Newport barracks, KY,
have been driven from their quarters
by the floods and compelled to fly to
the hills for safety.