Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-02-22
RIVER OF RUIN.
The Flood Hangs Like Heavy PEI
on the Fertile Valleys Of
tho ohio.
sunerings of the Homeless and Destitute
~ fortsmouF.i, Pomcroy and other
Polnfs-Gcncrous Aid For
the Victims,
SEVENTY FEET roup INCHES

SEVENTY FEET FOUR INCHES,
CINCINNATI. Feb. 14.--Iialn by fits and
starts last night rnin by spells all day,
many clouds overhunging, and over seventy
feet four inches Of water In n. river where
fifty marks the danger line, show something
of the condition OF things. General Hagcn
promised heavy fall In tho tcmpetas
ture today, but 1t has not come
yet The river roso seventeen inches
ia the last twenty-fonr hours.
That means more destruction than yester-
uay, moie people homeless, more demands
for charity, a longer period of darkness and
without water, with little coal to be had,
few mails, little travelling, 10 freight NOV
ing TO and from great trade CENTER
mo business, higher prices In provt,
ssons, not much of anything but wet
ness and n great deal too much
Df that, with great waste of yellow, rush
ing waters environing the city, and the con-
seriousness that besides our own thousands
of houseless people and our own discom-
forts and suffering, It will be within n few
hours repeated MANIFOLD on scores of
smaller towns below us.
Cincinnati is big and rich and generous,
She will care for her own people, and do II
well, but even her big hands will be full
with homework. The calls for aid and
their generous responses all over the
country are not too many. There
Is enough and for all the charity
and good will of the whole people to
do along this great valley. In places where
rs yet little or nothing is known of the sit
uation the cries of thousands for help will
reach only the ear of Infinite Mercy before
1t does that of the American people. They
may prepare now for what Is sure to come.
Tho Nyotar 10 nm, Daurl ctr 4,
heaviest retail street In the city--running
like mill-race along this mart of trade
four squares back from the Suspension
Bridge.
The Signal Service flag denoting coming
cold weather floats to-day for the third
time since the flood began. Hitherto its
presence was welcomed, now 1t brings the
worst apprehensions. Cold weather now
could have no substantial effect on the wa
ter disaster. That has about done Its worst,
but with cold weather the suffer-
fng of imprisoned people In all
towns and cities along the Ohio will
Zoe terrible for lack 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 occupants of flooded
houses to fire on steamers bringing
them relief. Relief steamers to be of
real service has to be equippedwith life-sav-
ling crews and boats, it can readily be seen
lhow slow would be the work of carrying
any considerable quantity of fuel in such
places as Lawrenceburg Ind, New Rich
imond, o., that are entirely submerged and
surrounded with water. No relief
boat yet sent out from here. General Beck
with, of St Louis, is expected here this
evening to take charge of the work of relief
under the objection of the Secretary of War.
He will charter relief boats, and four
United States officers have been ordered
here from Columbus to take charge of diff
fereps steamers. Nothing has been done on
'Chsnge except receive subscriptions.
FLED TO THE HILL TOPS.
PoMERoY, o., Feb. 13.-Pomeroy look.
indeed fearful, with the water eleven fee
deep on Second Street. The people livinl
on Front Street all had to move. Those liy
ing in low two-story houses on Second
Street, also along Monkey Run, consisting
of small dwellings are all flooded witt
water. Thousands have fled to the hill tops
The water is nine feet eleven inches highe
than last year. OF the salt works, O
which we have thirteen, rolling mills ant
other factories, only the chimneys are to b,
seen. One-half Of our merchants have los
about everything they had.
Two old residents, Conrad Steif and Nj
Renter, lost their stores and dwellings an,
only sST-ed what they were wearing at tn
Eme Of the sweep. The current is very
strong; therefore no exact number o
Ehink 1t will number twenty-five
Many thanks to our neighboI
ing city, Gallipolis where we obtained thre
steamboats, loaded with provisions. Where
ever u balSeoven Is found bread is bake
for the poor. Without any floods on
nity has some two hundred poor, ant
NOW the condition is pitiful. We have ha
-four floods in five years, but never aI
pealed to the outside world for assistance
butwe are compelled to do it now. Their
has been no mail nor telegraph conmuni
cations since Wednesday last. Our relic
committee supplies the needy ones in ou
bend, a distance of ten miles.
at Ravenswood, w. Va, thirty-fou
houses are said to have foated away. N,
lives have been lost at Pomeroy yet. TIL,
Eiyer commenced falling to-day, and fel
about two feet. Hundreds of skiffs are a
work bringing Furniture back to such house.
as are fit to be occupied. Pomeroy's loss
will be half million. Our first mail was
Eeeeived to-day.
PORTSMOUTH IN RUINS.
PORTSMOUTH, o., Feb. 14.-The entir,
city is under water, three-fourths of it Il
the house-tops. All of the merchants LOSE
heavily from inundated stock. 0ne-half OF
our citizens lose all their household
goods. The river commenced fall
ing slowly last night and has dropped
two inches, and our people ART
breathing free again. Happily supplies are
coming in from the surrounding country
and abroad, and famine is being averted
The relief boat has to-day gone to Slocum's
station, on the branch of the Cincinnati
Washington g. Baltimore Railroad to obtain
several carloads of supplies and camp
equlpages sent from Columbus The court
house, school buildings and many of the
schurches that have second stories are shelf
sering one-half the people. The balance are
scattered around in attics and in the upper
part of tall factories The horses and cat
tie have all been rescued and are stabbed ON
huge deck barges that are mo0red in the
streets in the centre of the city.
One hundred and twenty dwelling houses
have been carried out into the river. Over
500 more have been swept from their sites
and piled in an indescribable wreck against
Obstructions. 1t is estimated that there are
provisions enough on hand to last forty-eight
hours. A telegraph wire will be stretched
with the outside world. We have had no
mails since Friday. Since the great fire of
last Sunday no casualties have occurred.
Mayor Mcfarland, City Marshal, Marshal
Lewis and DIR. Davidson, chairman of the
relief committee, have organized the city
completely for the work of relief, and our
people are being fed like vast army.
In the fire Sunday Spry's mot Shay's)
block, Green's feed store and the Arcade
burned. A hundred sacks of mail also
burned. The telephone exchange was de-
stroyed.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED PERSONS DESTITUTE.
MARIETTA, o., Feb. 13.--The Ohio Val
ley from Wheeling TO Parkersburg presents
q sorry picture OF desolation and woe. The
spectacle makes the beholder sick at heart
Your correspondent has just made a trip in
q small river boat between the two cities
named. Everywhere the situation is much
the same. Wheeling Island was wholly
submerged.
New Martinsyille is in a deplorable con
dition. The people fled to the hill and