Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-15
TIE NEWS IN BRIEF.


Inc uOOuA WnlCu were reported 10 De
rising in Ohio and Pennsylvania week ago
steadily increased in volume until, at the be-
ginning Of this week they far exceeded the
extraordinary rise of water of year ago
The following summary of the weeks des-
patches give some idea of the magnitude Of
the freshet and Of the amount of damage
done.
Sundays dispatches. The scene at Wheel
ing, w. Va, is indescribable As the waters
subside, the amount Of destruction to be seen
isappalling. Houses are on their sides wash
ed to some distance from their sites or entire
ly carried away. Barns and stables are col
locted in great masses wherever any barrier
interposes to hold them. The water reaches
from hill to bill at the south end, and in ma
NY places near the city the river forms lake
from one to three miles wide There il no
railroad traffic within a distance of 10 miles
from the city. People are camped on the
hill-tops beside those accommodated in
churches, schools and private stores. The
Baltimore md Ohio engne-shops have been
carried away. The town is in danger of fam
inc, nearly all the bakeries and many of the
grocery stores being under water. The wa
ter has fallen to As feet, but the suffering Is
hourly growing greater With all the voun-
teors who can be employed, the relief com.
mittees are not able TO feed the homeless and
destitute. The points that suffer worse are
above Wheeling, especially Wellsburg. As
far as known no lives have been lost The
estimated property loss ia Sc, OOO, 900.
The ice in the Conodoquinot creek, on the
opposite side of the Susquehanna river from
Harrisburg, Pa, broke yesterday and caused
tremendous flood. Three dams were wash
ed out, and the mills connected with them SO
badly damaged as TO prevent their running
until repaired. The freshet is the worst ev-
er known in the Cumberland valley.
A thousand hams and 2OOO pounds of corn
ed beef, cooked, and five or six thousand
loaves of bread were distributed at Cincin-
natl yesterday, besides free meals given at
the Market house to all who applied. Two
thousand persons slept last night in the
school-houses. Relief boats piled through
the Hooded districts distributing food and
bedding. The gas gave out and the militia
was called out to help the police patrol the
city.
The loss by the flood at Ripley, o., will be
fully equal to last year. Many houses have
been swept from their foundations and 200
families are homeless
The situation at Catlettsburg, Ky, is de-
plorablo. Only one hotel and one grocery
store are open. People are occupying the
courthouse and school-house.
IUesddys dispatches The people of Port.
land Ohio, are in great distress. The city
was almost entirely under water last evening,
and all communication with other points was
shut off. The water was higher than ever
known before and was still rising. One-hali
of those who had moved into their second
stories were leaving their houses altogether,
and all the frame houses were deserted Ma
ny houses were floating away Great suffer.
ing has already been experienced and worse
is expected. At daylight yesterday morning
fire broke out in Greene's foed store in the
midst of the business portion, caused by the
stacking of lime. Hose could not be laid on
account of the distance of the building from
dry land, but the fremen worked in boats
and on house-tops amid great danger and ex-
posure to themselves, and confined the fire to
six buildings, which were burned to the wa.
ter's edge, and all the walls fell in. The
churches are all under water.
Hundreds of houses and barns are iammed
together at different points in Wheeling, W.
Va. Fifty houses are pilod upon and against
each other at the south end of the city A
few trains are running. All the blankets that
can be procured have been distributed among
the homeless sufferers. There is great scare
ity of bed clothes. The country people on
both sides of the river are doing their utmost
to supply the needy with provisions. There
are probably 10000 people to DO fed and
clothed from Wellsburg to Moundsvie The
Ohio River railroad is believed to be entirely
ruined.
The flood of 1882 was surpassed at Cincin-
natl at l o'clock yesterday (Monday) morn
ing, and the river rose almost constantly al
day. vast lake is formed 10 miles long and
at least two miles wide. People have los
confidence in the representations of the civ
il service. Twice the flag has been raised tC
denote cold wave coming. The first time
| the temperature rose instead of falling The
second time there was a slight fall followed
by rain. The prediction that the river would
reach the maximum yesterday was also false
| Miss Clara Barton, president of the Amer
lean national association of the Red Cross
accompanied by Dr. Hubbell, the special field
| agent of the association, has left Washington
| They will go first to Pittsbnrg and will follow
the Ohio river down from Wheeling w. Va,
visiting such places as have suffered.
The water was still rising at Aurora Ind.
last night, and was at the door of the Aurorf
national bank. Only one drug store ROMAN
ed out OF water.
Not vestige is left of Cochranville. al
| Ohio village in Monroe county
Point Pleasant, o., is completely submerg
cd, and the inhabitants have gone to high
ground. Other small towns are suffering il
the same way.
Many houses at Ripley, o.. that stood
through the flood of last year have beer
wrecked and some swept entirely away. The
water is 22 inches higher than last year.
Five hundred persons at Lawrenceburg,
Ind, are quartered in public buildings and
halls. The township trustee buys all sup
plies and issues food by a regular system.
Dispatches on Tuesday evening stated thai
the situation was more gloomy than ever
The water was foot higher than year age
and still rising. The Freemasons of Cincin
natl issued an appeal saying that "a calamity
greater than ever known before is now upon
the Ohio valley for hundreds of miles moi
masons in great numbers, but thousands oil
men, women and children are homeless, cold
and hungry" Generous contributions from
the Masonic body of the country is asked
| for.
At Point Pleasant, a town of 5000 inhab
itants, there is not a foot of ground which il
not at least six feet under water. Fully 100
houses have been washed away, and the PEG
| pie are living on the decks of barges, in the
court house, and in fact wherever they car
| get shelter.
Covington, Ky, has neither gas nor water
Nine-tenths of the buildings at Pomeroy,
Ohio, are in the water. About 100 were
moved from their foundations, of which one.
sixth foated of down the river.
The situation grows worse and worse al
LawrenGeburg, Ind. More houses have been
| lifted from their foundations. The current
is so swift that boating is dangerous
At Jacksonville all the stores are closed
and many persons are without provisions.
Business is entirely suspended.
Serious floods are reported at and near Lit
| tie Rock, Ark
| Thursdays dispatches. The water at Gin.
cinnat reached 10 feet % inches Wednesday.
| The signal service flag denoting the coming
of cold weather was raised for the third time
since the food began. With cold weather
the imprisoned people in all the towns and
| cities along the Ohio would suffer terribly for
lsek of fuel. Few realize the difficulty OF
getting supplies delivered. There are no
landings for steamers, and the damage done
to buildings by the waves caused by passing
steamers has been so great as TO cause the oc.
cupsuts of flooded houses to fire on the steam
ers bringing them relief.
Four-hfths of Jacksonville, Ind. is under
water, and over 5000 people are homeless
there. Twenty or more houses were washed
away at Newport Ky, yesterday and three
streets there are completely blocked by
houses removed from their foundations. II
is estimated that 80 900 persons along the
river within distance of 25 miles from Gal
hpolis, o., will have to be fed on charity for
two weeks. There is great suffering at Wells
burg, 20 miles below Wheeling. The water
at Portsmouth, o., is five feet higher than
ever before known there. Only SO houses
are ont Of water in that oity ~ / 4 OnO ,a,,1.