The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-22

once telegraphed for and came from the shops
wafer and insecurity of the tracks, could not
proceed beyond Washington street.
Almost every cellar and first floor in this sec
ton of the city was flooded Several family res
licences along South New Jersey street had from
one to three feet of water in their parlors, ana,
while pianos AOsted about in hopeless confusion
with other unWieldy articles of furniture, the
inmates either perched about on trunks ana
packing boxes or fed precipitately to the upper
stories. Freight cars stood switches In the
yards and about the freight depOts wheel deep
in water and beyond the reach OF engines
LEFT IN DARKNESS.
The electric-hght works, on South Pennsylva-
MIA street, were among the greatest sufferers.
AS the water rose the doors were damned and al
leakages stopped as far as possible, but early IN
the evening the water rose above the level of the
ebstructions and poured intOthe machine-room,
covering the "shoe" and fire-boxes TO the engine,
extinguishing the lights all over the city. The
machinery is considerably damaged, but
everything will probably be in working
order this evening. The grain-eevators were
sufferers to a considerable extent, and the coal
yards were damaged not a little. Frank DelPs
yard had AS much as four or five feet of water IN
1t, and the adjacent streets were Hooded CORE
spondingly In this BeighboFhoOd the current
in the streets was so strong asto render them al
most impossible Journal reporter, ensconsed
in pair of hip boots. attempted TO cross Penn
sylvania street below Georgia, and got in so
deeply that had it not been for his light head,
would have sunk out OF sight.
ALONG SOUTH MERIDIAN STREET.
The merchants along South Meridian street,
having in mind their disastrous experience of
year ago, early began the work of Terrifying
against the promised flood. Byram Cornelius &c
Co., Murphy, Hibben & Co., Johnston, Erwin q
Co., and other firms in the vicinity of Meridian
and Georgia streets, Joined forces in the con-
struction of dam across the alleys in the rear
and the streets alongside their places of bust
ness, and but for these rudely improvised ievees
the Dasemen tsOf the places of business of almost
every firm along the street would
have been flooded. Goods were moved
cut of cellars and every preeautIon
eral of the houses spread midnight lunches for
their employees, who were kept on baud in readi-
ness to renew their exeFtiOns in CASE OF neees-
sity. Snker, Davis u Co., ]. P. Evans a. CO.,
Cobb, Branham & Co., Frank M. Dell d Co,
Elfctric.lIght Company, and all the merchants
along South Pennsylvania street as far north as
the alley south OF Maryland street suffered seri-
ously, and IL is not at all improbable that the
losses in this section alone will aggregate
$3O,OOO. Owing to the 1ateness OF
the hour when most of the damage
was inflicted reporters were unable to find the
heads Ofhouses to ascertain figures and it is pre-
sumable that even proprietOrs themselves could
the extent of their injury. 1t is impossible to
particularlze, but 1t is no exaggeration to say
that probably every firm and family along Me-
ridlan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Alabama, New
Jersey East, Liberty, Noble and intermediate
streets south of the alley south of Maryland and
loss, except, perhaps, those merchants along
Meridian north of Georgia street
AT midnight Byram, Cornelius Il Co. reported
that their loss would amount TO $4,000.