Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-08
THE WESTERN FLOODS.
Scenes in Cities OF the Submerged Val.
ley Of the Ohio.
Hundreds OF Homeless PeOple-The
Water Falling at Last.
AT CINCINNATI.

NlnClunuu, repTumy q. awe ~. IL.
The river Is Oh feet 81 Inches, and still
rising. No change In the weather,
except, perhaps q little cooler, with
rain mt Intervals. Telegraph commu-
nication with up-river points Is almost
entirely cut of. No communication
with Portsmouth, Ironton, Hunting
ton, Marietta or Parkersburg this
morning. Gallipolis reports q rise of
three feet last night, aud still rising
three inches per hour. The levee on
the Miami river ut Lawrenceburg
broke at . o'clock this morning, but AZ
the town Ia already submerged with
water from the Ohio, not much daml-
age could be done.
The most assuring sign to be seen to-
day il the white flag with black CEN
ter floating from the top of Pixies
opera house building from the signal
service Office, denoting coming cold
weather. 1t Is the first time the sig
nal has been used, and could never
have been more welcome. So long as
the weather remained mild, the little
streams would continue feeding the
flood and prolong high water. A
freeze will put u check on the sources,
and hasten the fall. 1t is now thought
the river will continue to rise here I'M
til Saturday or sunday, and IL no more
rain comes will continue to fall rapid
~. The view from the suspension
bridge this morning Is not cheering.
Along the Covington front to tho
Licking river IL entirely submerged,
the water being In the second story OF
dwellings. Newport presents the APP
pearance of lake, with few dwell
ings peering out like small islands.
The bridge company tries to furnish
transportation across the water on the
Cincinnati side, but it's single boat Ia
entirely inadequate to the demand,
and large number OF private crafts
are engaged ferrying for five cents n
passenger, and earning rich reward.
The whole lower part OF this city from
Second street TO the rive front IL COW
cred with boats employed for patroll-
ing and relief. The common council
has decided to ask authority t. loan
800, 900 for the relief fund. Ten school
houses have been closed in the sub
merged, or nearly submerged, parts OF
the city. and placed at the disposal OF
the relief committee for accommoda-
ton of people driven from their houses.
In Covington to-day u relief commit
tee has. been organized, and the legis-
lature has been asked not to collect
this years taxes in the flooded district.
No loss OF life and no great destruction
to property has yet occurred. The
story of loss Of life ut Marietta, Ohio, In
not credited, but the wires are all
down to that point. The river IL still
rising, but slowly In thirteen hours
since midnight the rise has been only
| eight inches. The record ut y. m In
sixty.one feet eight inches Prepare
tioDs are made for doing without gas
Tonight, and 81 brisk trade In coal oil,
lamps and candles is going on. People
still contemplate even n greater rise
than last year, but without alarm. 1t
Is estimated that the losses from the
overflow will be not more than ten per
cent AS much as last year, owing to
better care to prevent loss.
AT PITTsBuRo.
Pittsburg. February The rivers
are receding here, and ut all points
along Allegheny, but rising slowly at
the head waters OF the Nonopgahela.
AT Il IA. III. the Monongahcla marks
indicated thirty-two feet, a fall of six
teen inches since midnight. The AL
'leghany Is declining less rapidly, with
thirty-three feet ten inches, u drop Of
eight inches from the highest point
reached. IL Is believed the worst IN
over, and that the water will rapidly
decline. Rain fell all night and the
indications this morning are for con-
tnued light rains through the day,
followed by colder and clearing wealth.
er. No accurate figures can yet be
given AZ TO the damage, but the most
conservative admit IL will amount into
millions. "A calm review of the sitlla-
ton this morning found between five
and six thousand buildings In the two
cities submerged, and the residences
OF twenty-five thousand peo pie,
ten thousand OF whom are not
able to occupy their houses.
Fifteen thousand men are temporarily
thrown out of employment by the stop
page of mills and factories. The food
ed districts last night presented vivid
picture. All night long the police pa
trolled the districts in boats, and all
skifla of which the occupants were I'M
able TO give good account OF them
selves were taken in. Is was feared
that thieves would take advantage OF
the deserted stores and dwellings 10
pillage them. No gas was burning on
the streets, and intense darkness pre-
vailed, which was relieved by the oc-
casional electric light. There were
plenty of deserted residences from
which the people had fed, but there
were just rs many who stayed. Few
slept, for while they declined TO seek
safety by removing. they had not the
courage TO sleep while danger was Inn
minent. The curtains were drawn
back, and ont Of the windows hung
the occupants, who personally inquir-
ed Of the police patrol as they passed
In boats what was the stage OF the
water, and II the rivers were still ris-
ing. The gratifying news that the
water was stationary ut midnight was
received on all sides with expressions
of Joy and thankfulness.
AT cLEvELANp.
Cleveland, February 1.-THE rains
have ceased and the waters are falling
in Northern Ohio. At Youngstown
the low lands are submerged eight
inches deeper st seven O'clock this
morning than previously known. The
manufactures have shut down. and
the people are rowing about In boats.
At loon the water had fallen two
inches and was receding. Abopt Ak
ron. the water has fallen three feet and
no further damage Is expected. Rail-
ways are resuming traffic. The vIein-
ity Of Canton reports a similar condi-
ton. At GarretIsville the water has
fallen two to thrae feet, and at Mead
vile the freshet u subsiding.
AT COLUMBUS.
Columbus, Ohio February THE
Sciolo river mt this point fell over Two