The Indianapolis journal., 1884-02-15
AROUND THE FALLS.
JeffersOnville in Deplorable Condition, and
Help Badly Needed.

JeffersOnville in Deplorable Condition, and
Help Badly Needed.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
New ALBANY, Feb 14.-At Jeffersonville the
situation could hardly be worse. Spring street
in its entire length has disappeared under the
flood. There is a cave in the river bank at Ohio
avenue and First street, which carried into the
river a part of the street. The school-houses
are filled with refugees, and many families who
had taken refuge in second stories had to move
out last night and to-day There are not over
four blocks IN the city out of the flood. The
Anchor Line steamer on the ways at Howards
shipyards is still safe The damage at the glass
works is the heaviest that will be sustained by
any firm in the city, the works are badly dam
aged. The shipyards have so far succeeded in
saving most of their property. The losses at
Sweeney's foundry will be heavy. The river is
still rising, and is now thirteen inches above the
food of 1883. There is a great deal of destitu-
ton in the city. A small amount of government
aid has been received through General Saxton, in
command of the Quartermasters department
here, but it will not go very far in relieving the
great suffering. Bloomington has made a tender
of help, and the American Order of United
But few other donations have been received.
Persons were moving to higher ground yester
day evening from their second-story quarters
fearing they would not be safe Persons who do
not live here can readily imagine what conster-
nation this condition of affairs creates. Prison
Hill is crowded beyond the limited number it
should contain. Rose Hill school-house is full
almost to suffocation there being nearly two
hundred persons in the different rooms. The
Chestnut-street school has about twenty families
and will have many more to-day. The gallery
of the Presbyterian Church is occupied by mem
bers of the church who have been crowded out
of their homes. The Catholic school houses are
also filed, but as the water is three feet deep in
both churches no flood sufferer occupies them.
The city physicians visit all the relief places
in town and give medical attention where it is
needed There is considerable sickness, but no
contagious diseases The relief committee
and Mr.. Stealey, the township trustee,
saw that those who wanted aid were supplied,
not in abundance, but in quantities to afford re-
lief from hunger The supplies consisted mostly
of bread and crackers, the meat rations being
short for the present This relief was only
afforded to INDECENT persons who have been hard
up even before the flood came up The de
mands for aid were very numerous, and the re
lief committee report that all the applicants
were deserving persons in actual distress. Of
course, the demand for something to eat is not
so great as it will be in few days when the
supply of provisions already laid in will give out
The relief committee has not as yet received
many assurances of relief from abroad although
Columbus Seymour and other towns telegraph
that they will send help.
At Utica, six miles above this city, there is a
loud call for help. The town is badly flooded
and wrecked, and the people very destitute. The
Clarksville sufferers are seeking aid in this city
This indicates the situation in the city and vi
cinity. 1t is impossible to estimate the losses
here.