The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-02-13
FORMER FLOODS ouTDoNE.

-lz FORMER FLOODS oUTDoNE.
Gradually the murky flood encroached
upon the lower portions Of the city, steadily
the rain continued, and the little streams,
already much swollen, grew into angry
torrents.
by daylight there was stage Of thirty
five feot and the banks were widening
rapidly. There was no diminution OF the
ratio Of the increase, and the river seemed a
mighty sea whose tide was hurting itself
through wide ialet upon devoted land.
When the gravest approximations entertain
ed on Tuesday were fully realized, and
there was still no promise that the flood
would soon reach its highest point, many
people who lived in portions Of the city not
believed to be exposed to any food be-
came alarmed, and the work OF preparing
Tor flight was begun in many household
which twenty-four hours before watched
the raging waters in fanCied security.
BY Wednesday eveningthe flood had in
vaded q large portion OF the city, and the
news from headwaters indicated the com.
ing Of disastrous and unprecedented
riso, lar exceeding that Of 1882. The watera
at dark met at the corner Of Market and
Twenty.,hird streets, and the prospect was
that by the morning the lower portion Of
Center Market Square would be q NINA
ture lake. Sixteenth stIeetto Market waa
almost submerged, and Market nearly to
the creek was half covered with back
water from South street, which was en-
tirely out Of sight, Fourteenth and
Twelfth streets were also under water 10
Main, and Water street was covered foot
deep. The Main street bridge over the
creek was covered, the Caldwell's run
bridge likewise, and all tho lower streets
Of East and South Wheeling we're more or
less invaded by the tide. m
Street car travel was suspended early in
the day, and later all the railroads aban.
doned any attempt to operate trains. The
telegraph Offices left their usual quarters
and sought safety in the second stories OF
the buildings they occupied. Postal bust
ness came TO staudstill, and other bust
ness was suspended in the submerged
quarters and interfered with and disor.
deled all over the city. Merchants were
still busy removing their goods to places
OF security, and families were fleeing 10
higher ground.
Sill the rain fell, and still the river rose.
TIE FLOOD AT ITS HEIGHT.
The water reached lis highest stage at 10
=. NJ. on Thursday, February 7, at which
time there was depth in the channel Of
So feet, over four feet greater than the
historical flood Of 1882, and FIVE feet above
that OF 1852. Vastly larger areas Of the
city's surface were submerged. There VICE
not a spot on the Island above the water,
nor q house which the flood had not inuu.
dated. More than half hehouseB had water
in the second stories, and at some points
skitIs rode freely over the cottage ,eofa,
The Eighth ward suffered as severely, and
there was little dry land in the Sixth, while
the First, Third and Fourth had large areas
inundated, and even the Second did not
entirely escape.
When the flood was at its height, the
water reached on Main street above the
foot Of the hill; on Market street to the
alley above the City Bank; on Fourteenth
to point some distance east Of Market:
on Twelfth to the Msitung Office, and on
Sixteenth east Of the Lutheran Church,
Houses on Market street, south Of Four
teenth, had from five to seven feet OF water
on the first tloor, and the water was nearly
six feet deep in the INTILLlaEScgR count.
ing room. There was water to depth Of
% inches on the PostolIice floor, and both
the bridges over the creek were covered
over the bslus.radcs. skiffs navigated
East Wheeling, where the waters from the
creek bed spread out into q lagoon, north
to Seventeenth street. Centre Market
Square was flooded, the waters meeting al
Market and Twenty second streets, and
Twenty-third street was beneath tho water
nearly to the alley east OF Market. :"
A comparison between the flood OF 1854,
which will pass into history as without q
parallel, and the former floods OF the CEN
fury, may bs made by the aid Of the follow
ing table showing the highest stage Of
water ut Wheeling at each considerable
rise since 1900: "a