The daily gazette., 1883-02-13
FLOODED CINCINNATI.
THE RIVER HIGHER THAN
EVER BEFORE.
RAILROAD TRAVEL INTERRUPTED
The Rush of Water In OhiO's Metropolis
incidents of the OccasiOn-Entire
Towns Submerged.

CINCINNATI, Feb. 12.-The Ohio river Al
O'Clock tonight showed depth of 64 feet
inches by the water-works gauge. This
exceeds by eight inches the memorable food
| OF December, 1647, and equals that of Feb
ruary, 1882. The water is still rising and
is likely to continue to rise for several hours.
1t is now almost certain that the water will
| go loot higher than ever before in the his
| tory of the city. A district seven miles in
| length and from two to eight squares in
width is completely inundated. This does
not include at least three square miles within
the city limits which are flooded by Mill creek.
All the manufacturing portion Of the city is
under water. The graiL elevators are all
| surrounded. Several squares of commits
| sion houses, all the tobacco warehouses.
several wholesale groceries and a great
variety OF business houses are submerged to
the second stories. OF the % railroads
entering the city but two were able to get
trains out to-day. No steamboats, can leave
or arrive. The suspension bridge leading
to Covington can only be reached by long
and dangerous skiH ride. The Newport
bridge is reached in the same way.
Half the street railways are blockaded.
The water in front of the heart of the city is
up almost to Pearl street. Water, Front
and Second streets, which are lined with
warehouses and business blocks, are raging.
torrents. big coal barge was floated
along Second street to-day. The damage to
property in this region is enormous. Much
was removed, but great amount of sugar,
salt, tobacco, produce and miscellaneous
goods has been destroyed. The aggregate
damage is much greater than people dare to
think. There are miles of freight cars some
of them loaded, with only their roofs out of
water. In the new Union depot, which was
supposed to be far above the flood limit, there
is TWO feet Of water.
Several thousand families have been
driven to the second stories of their houses
or have been compelled to desert them alto
gether. Those who are surrounded by
water are unable to get food or fuel. Those
who have abandoned their houses are hud-
died together in the police stations, school
houses and churches. The Chamber of
Commerce voted 81, 900 for their relief to-
day and $4,000 more was subscribed within
a few minutes. All the benevolent organi-
cations are coming to the rescue.
The associated charities have been en-
gagged in distributing provisions and fuel in
boats all day. The gas works were flooded
yesterday and last night the supply was very
meagre. Tonight there is no gas at all.
Candles and lamps are in use in the hotels,
newspaper Offices, telegraph offices and In
private residences in cases where the people
were able to supply themselves. There is
no light in the streets and the houses show
but here and there dim light A promi-
nent dealer in oil said tonight that there is
not oil enough in the city to last twenty-four
hours longer. AS the railroads are blockaded
the outlook is very dark in more respects
than one.
The militia have been ordered out and to-
night are doing police duty. The great
.1,ar 81 -&.l 1. -
renders depredations by thieves an easy
matter. Fire companies No. and No. 3
are driven from their houses at Race and
Commerce and Second and Rose, and the
former moved up to the Gifts and the latter
found quarters with the Fourteens. Com
pany 30, in Cumminsville, is surrounded
and unable to get out. This morning Chief
Bunker commenced the construction Of
large iat-boat. on which will be placed
an engine and reel, to run up and down the
river, near the shore. On Elm and Plum
the water reaches above Pearl. At Central
avenue 1t crosses Pearl. Stone and Mill
streets. Persons owning property in the
lower parts of houses along the line of tho
encroaching flood were hurTying all day to
move perishable articles to higher points.
Excited crowds were standing at all access
ible points viewing the unusual sight.
The flooded streets are full of people, row
ing about on boards, RATS and slxiffs. MANY
merchants tried to keep the water from
their cellars by pumps, without success. A
manufacturer of steam pumps on Central
avenue near Second, built a dyke all
around his buildings last night only to see
1t swept away this morning and s.. 900 worth
of property destroyed. The Marietta and
Cincinnati Railroad freight and Ohio and
Mississippi passenger depets are inundated.
The freight depot has foot of water on the
floor, but the freight has been all saved. The
railroad track from Plum street depot is
under several feet OF water and the current
is very swift. Cumminsville, popular su-
burb lying north of Cincinnati, in the Mill
Creek Valley, is one vast lake. Over 500
families here have been driven out of their
houses and the greater proportion of the re-
mainder are living on the second floor.
Newport, on the opposite side of the river,
has 200 dwelling houses under water. The
scenes over there to-day were indescribable
The sick in many instances, who were re-
moved to the second story, had to be taken
out to-day and lowered on boats.
The Mayor of Newport has called upon
the Mayor of Cincinnati for shelter for a
large number of people who have been
flooded out. Dayton, Kentucky, above
Newport, of 5000 inhabitants, is half under
water Covington has suffered less, but the
water works are stopped and, as the city is
supplied by the Holly system, the water
supply ceased as soon as the pumps refused
longer to work.