St. Landry democrat., 1884-02-16
HATEFUL FLOODS.

Wheeling, Louisville and Other Point
Similarly Visited-Millions of Dollar
Damage, Many Lives Lost, and Trafi
Very Largely Suspended
PITTSBURGH, PA, Feb. 6.
This has been q day of terror to the resi-
idents of tsis city, Allegheny and sur
rounding towns. What the night will brins
forth no one can say. The streets and
majority of the houses in both cities are il
complete darkness, the gas-works having
been submerged early in the day. Com
munication between the cities is difficult
and dangerous, and thousands of families
are homeless, while other thousands are i'm.
prisoned on the second and third floors of
their homes without food or fire. The flood
is the greatest in the history Of the city
with the exception of that in the spring of
1892, when the rivers reached thirty-1ive
feet from its headwaters to the point The
Monongahela River has overfowed its
banks. Manufacturers of every descrip-
ton We're compelled to suspend operations
early in the day, and their machinery is
now covered from six to eight feet.
In this city everything within a quarter
OF a mile of the wharves has been flooded.
This morning the scene in all that portion
~
were of the most distressing character.
The water had driven all the occupants of
dwellings to the upper floors, and the only
communication between the houses and the
dry land was by means of skiffS or rudely
constructed RATS, upon which men, women
and children, with curious aggregation
of food, fuel and household goods, foated
about seemingly without intent or purpose.
AT the Duquesne Depot hundreds of teams
were engaged in removing goods which had
been stored there, while men on floats re-
covered valuable property from train of
freight cars which had been left on siding
on Water street. The water at the foot Of
Penn street early in the day reached such
depth that it was impossible for the West
End and Union Line cars to reach the
bridges, and at noon they were compelled
to suspend operations. In many places
the water for squares is six and eight feet
deep. All the 1ulnber-yards and saw-milIs
along the river banks have been swept
away. In the center of the city no neon
venience was experienced until late this
afternoon. Then the water commenced to
enter cellars, and the majority were food
ed. The morning newspapers are great
sufferers.
In Allegheny the scene beggars descrip.
ion. The Exposition grounds are the bot
tom Of river, and South avenue is swift
running stream of water that can not be
distinguished from the river itself, and
barges, RATS and boats are moored to the
second-story windows of the buildings that
line It's west side The water made its way
through Isabella, Robinson and Laycock
streets, and was only stopped by the en-
bankment of the West Pennsylvania Road, |
where it rose to a height of fully six feet.
Federal street, being higher than the others,
kept the food back to the alley between |
Robinson and Laycock, but on Morgan and |
al al aaJolnlng thorougnIafesi3lG rusnea eIear
W W ene tLack, pu1Tyihs Iutiy ole7laiI sne
10y. as. - "a ~ e.l secslon -
Comm Sunels Sae nlosei 50 Lar as eAeens o.
sIouna coyeIea goes pGe Gne Wnole I m,
pia.5at ~ ~ ene tisy - a'el Ma.9i ie
q 10 aLe que Li3s0 9tG aie
Ine rlTSb1 FOuFGns olAGny flIln ana hlSnbn.