The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-07
SCENES IN LAwRENCEBURG.
The Town Submerged, but the Damage
Much Less than Last Year.

Much Less than Last Year.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 6.-Your correspondent has
just returned by steamer from Lawrenceburg
where he has spent the day Contrary to gen
eral expectations the levee has withstood the
heavy PRESSURE and delayed the flood one day,
thus giving the people all the time required to
make preparations. AT noon to-day all were
prepared for the worst and were simply waiting
for the water to come. They did not have long
to wait, however for about l o'clock the water
began to slowly dribble over High street, and
the stream kept increasing until it was rushing
over in torrents for the distance of couple of
squares. AT o'clock the Ohio river was as high
as it was in 1892 but the town had not yet filed
in at 8 o'clock it was thought
that every house in town would be submerged
to the depth of from two to twenty feet by day
light but the narrowing scenes of last year and
the year before will be averted, because the
water this time is coming in from the front,
gently, and every one is prepared, while hereto
fore it came in with a rush from the back,
through broken levee. The preparations have
been complete. All stock has been taken to the
country, pianos, organs, and valuable furniture
and goods safely stored in the third and
fourth stories of houses. Those who are able
have laid in supplies of food and fuel, and every
house not entirely vacated has boat of
some kind securely tied to the front
door knob. All the one-story houses
in town have been vacated, and all of the
first floors, and many of the second.
Third and fourth floors are at a premium
Hundreds of the poorer classes have taken up
their abode in the public buildings, and they are
disposed to get up as high as possible. They are
huddled up like so many sheep, and many of
them have brought nothing to eat and some of
them not much a blanket to sleep on.
There will be much suffering. from the fact that
the people in better circumstances have all they
can do to take care of themselves, so heavy have
been their losses for the past three years 1t is
thought, however, that there will be no such sui
fering for bread as there was last year.
Last night the people worked all night in the
hardest of rain, to be prepared in of break
in the levee, but tonight they will retire above
high-water line, and get a longneeded rest. Five
hundred to eight hundred people have left town.
Mayor Roberts is everywhere, administering to
the wants of those most distressed. 1t is thought
the food of last year will be equaled if not
surpassed. All telegrapbic, telephone and rail
road connection is cut off from Lawrenceburg.
Passengers on the o. & NJ. are transferred from
Aurora to Cincinnati by boat
BREAKING OF THE LEvEE.
A. MA special just received from Law
renceburg states thate the levee broke there at
midnight, and now the whole town is under
water.
An Aurora dispatch says;
Intense excitement was caused here at 10
o'clock to night, when the alarm bells at Law
renceburg four miles away, were distinctly
heard. The levee above that town has given
way, and no doubt the place is being subjected
to rushing flood"