Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-02-27

river rose at the rate of foot an hour
until 6 p. NJ, when the gauges indicat-
ed Al feet 8 inches. The rise contin-
ued until Feb. 7, when 81 feet, the
highest point, was attained. In the
meantime. Wheeling island, with n
population of 1900, had been surren-
dered to the waters, and the people
were rescued by boats. Within a
radius of fifteen miles there were 90
900 homeless people, whose losses ag-
gregate many millions of dollars.
Some of the places were wholly under
water, and in West Wheeling not a
house could be inhabited. The river
had swollen from 600 feet to a mile
and quarter. In Wheeling many
streets containing the finest residences
could be navigated by steamboats,,
and through them coursed a constant
flow of driftwood at the rate Of five
miles an hour. -Four days after the
disasters at Pittsburg and Wheeling
the river attained "a feet, its highest
point, at Parkersburg.
In the meantime constant rainfall
was melting the snow throughout the
Ohio valley and sending torrents of
water into the tributary streams, so
that the river at Cincinnati had risen
on Feb. 6 to 81 feet and was still COM
ing up at the rate of four inches an
hour. The levee was submerged and
then the water-line began to creep up
the hill. Business men in the lower
streets carried their goods to the high
stories of their buildings and the peo-
pie who live between I'd street and
the river piled their household goods
on high ground. On Feb. 7, the rain
had ceased and river was stationary,
but it was flowing through that part
of the city below I'd street and at
points reached 9Th street, being with
in 600 feet Of the Burnet house. The
bridge was reached by
boats. On the morning of Feb. 8
the outlook was less hopeful. At
Pittsburg the river was falling, but it
was coming up from Parkersburg and
below ut the rate of half an inch an
hour. The waterworks were flooded |
and stopped with a supply of five
days for domestic use; relief boats
piled through the flooded parts, visit
ing those who were imprisoned in the
upper stories of their homes. On the
10th the flood of 1883 was surpassed,
and the gas went out. The climax
was attained when the gauges indicat-
ed upwards of ~ feet of water. The
river then came up to Pearl street on
Vine, and was running through the
second story of all the 1st street
houses.
The river towns that are suburban
10 Cincinnati have suffered a great
loss. Lawrenceburg, Ind, is one of
these. 1t stands at the base Of the
hills at the junction Of the Miami and
Ohio rivers. Its buildings are low
md are built on ground of about one
evel. The water in the river rose as
t did at Cincinnati. The people be-
gan to move out of the houses closest
% the river, on Feb. 5, and few fam
lies located in the upper stories of
.he Court House, where they found
shelter last year, and were cared for
by boats which rowed to the second
tory windows. On Feb. 6, the streets
we're ahoat. The waters were higher
han in the flood of 1888. On Feb.
the Miami levee broke and the river
urged through the city, washing away
many houses.
Louisville, Ky, and Jacksonville
md New Albany, Ind, are in close
proximity. On Feb. 5, after a rain
all of several hours, the river showed
| remarkable tendency to rise, and the
inhabitants of the low districts moved
,ack into the safe portions of the
titles. On Feb. 6 the river was near
Y forty feet over the high water mark,
md was raising at the rate of 4 inches
IN hour. In Louisville the river
rom Sd to 14th steets was sub
merged and the houses were entirely
hidden between the point and Ship
,ingsport, 400 families being driven
rom their homes. On Feb. 7, the
anal cutoff gave way and the cur
ent ran across the point at a depth
If 20 feet. In New Albany and JEFF
ersonville the current can do no
iarm, but back-water is undermining
'ailroads, bridge approaches, and
houses. The streets are navigable in
I'll the lower districts. The river has
continued to rise until the greatest
height ever known-46 feet-has been
attained at Louisville.
The figures which Indicate the
height Of water in the Ohio are not a
MEASURE Of its volume. At Cincinna-
i, for instance, zero is located on the
urface of Four-Mile bar, north of
he city, and again at Rising Sun bar,
lbreast of the Indiana State line. 1t
S situated on these shoal places to
1--WE river pilots the advantage of a
greater average depth Of water In the
liver generally. The published depth
s inaccurate to the amount of the
lepth of the channel where the water
,auge is fixed. AT Cincinnati this
lepth is 10 feet, which, if added to
he published depth, makes the vol
inc sc feet.