The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-16
SUBMERGED NEW ALBANY.
Not Less than One Thousand Homes In
| Vaded by the Water.

vaded by the Water
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
New ALBANY, Feb. 15-At last the river has
come to a stand and tonight it will commence
falling, 1t reached the height of twenty-three
inches above the flood of 1SS3 and a channel
depth of seventy three feet eleven inches To
describe the destructive force of such an i'm
mense torrent so as to give the readers of the
Journal proper idea of the mighty food is i'm
possible. Only a sight of the vast volume of
rushing waters can do this. The food, it may
be said has been the most destructive that has
yet been recorded in the history of the United
States 1t has left destruction everywhere in
its path, touching heretofore beautiful homes
only to leave the blight of wreck and rui. upon
them. Nothing that was perishable has been
able to stand before the resistless current, and
tonight, at its fearful elimination, it covers
many of the most beautiful homes in this
beautiful part of the great valley it has swept.
The work of destruction has been going on at
a rapid rate in the last twenty-fou honrs. In a
distance of three squares west from the glass
works but two buildings are left on
their foundations and every stable, barn, fence
and clubhouse is moved off, and they are thrown
together in an indescribable mass of debris
Several of the buildings at the glass works have
been greatly damaged. In the six squares south
of Main street and west of East Sixth the scene
is one of wreck. From State street west south
of Main, to West Tenth, is succession of disas-
ters and only floating buildings, fences and
other property greet the eye, in many places
drifted together in great heaps. South and west
of West Tenth, to the extreme suburbs
is only wreck and ruin. In the northern
suburbs the view that greets one is little more
cheerful it is only a repetition of the work of
destruction. The flood invaded Spring street.
one of the principal thoroughfares of the city,
yesterday morning, and tonight the water is
over three feet deep in many parts Of this street,
west of Lafayette; east of this it crosses the
street and street railroad track at West Second.
Houses are flooded on the south side of Spring
street. between West Fourth and Sixth. From
West Tenth street the food covers Main
street to the Knobs, being eight feet deep
in some places. The flood extends into State,
Bank, and East Third streets on the north side
of the city into Oak and Elm, between East
Fourth and Fifth; it crosses Vincennes street in
the east end of the city, and extends west and
northwest great distance, flooding many
houses, and uniting the waters of Silver creek
and Falling run, leaving the city an island. In
the southeast part of the city ii extends east
from Gait street beyond the city limits.
Tonight fully 900 houses-some estimate the
number at !, ,200-are involved in the food to
greater or less extent. Not all the people occu-
pying these houses have been compelled to leave.
but fully twothirds have. Trains can no longer
start from the Louisville New Albany & Chi
cago depot-the only road now in operation
there being over four feet of water in the depot
The machine-shops of the company are also
flooded Only four factories in the city are run
ming
On the river bottom below the city the de
struction is appalling A number of residences
we're foated off last night and to-day
Some of the farmers have lost
houses, barns, outbuildings, fences and
farm mplemcnts-eyerything but household