Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-02-21

BTduus 1ludlcobiSdlll o"ihA - wiz
impression it made? Then what is
there left in the vocabulary TO say oi
this? Look up the course of Mill
Creek. Away, far away extends the
flood, beyond points that the eye fails
to identify, and still beyond until the
broad expanse forms its own horizon.
The objects below are the same that
were seen from the Bellevue; but now
from a nearer point and with clearer
vision. Here and there are the great
factories, the moving industries of the
great city, readily identified, but now
silent and deserted of all things ami
mate and yet not vacant, for they are
occupied by force that laps their
walls and operates their mighty ma
chinery with more damaging effect
than does the friction of the busy
work. day life. The industries that
they maintain are divested of their an
imation; the thousands of laborers
that they employ are left without the
reward they yield and the relief rooms
at Fourth and Race streets give a
further recital Their smokeless stacks
tell tale of disaster and destitution,
the final chapter of which is yet to be
read. Then lift the eye from these
tokens of need and look to the east
ward, along the course of the Ohio.
There the turgid waters roll and tum'
BILE on their way "to the sea, not only
in its natural channel, but through the
streets of the city, through the win
dows and doors of inundated dwell.
lings, over the roofs of houses, bear.
ing on its crest the fragments it has
gathered on its way, torn from the
habitations of man, snatched from his
warehouses and stores, foated from
his lumber,yards and docks Away
in the distance, looking beyond the
Southern Railway Bridge, with its
moving train, isthe Suspension Bridge,
spanning, with the stride of a Colos-
sus, the madly rushing tide. Even at
that distance are seen the long vistas
of streets turned into water ways
thronged with craft plying--where
not tor AND over on the other side is
plainly seen West Covington, upon
which the waters have encroached
scarcely less ruthlessly than upon our
city. Such is the general view of the
flood from the summit Of Price Hill,
in which is presented broader ex-
paDse of watery waste than from any
other point surrounding the city, un-
less, indo ed, one goes to the summit
of the hills above Columbia, miles to
the eastward, where, at one glance,
you take in the Ohio and the Little
Miami Rivers at their confluence.
From Mt. Adams the view Is scarce.
ly less extensive, but more desolate,
From here one looks across to inun-
dated Newport, that lies desolate and
wasting in the flood of waters. The
dwellings that stand deep in water,
their roofs alone projecting above its
are plainly seen, while there
are other houses that the water has
covered. and are unseen.
There are ten thousand homeless peo-
pie, and the merciless waters are rising
IN inch an hour, and each inch marks
further destitution, desolation and
nomelessness. From Mt. Adams one
also looks to see the beautiful fawnlike
meadow strip lying between Newport
and Bellevue But there is only
further waste of water, except that
here and there the branches Of tree
project, looking like stubby brush
wood; or small house is seen moored
and floating, while boats are plying
over The route from which the "hob-
tall car is routed. Northward be-
yond Bellevue IS had glimpse OF
lhe food between there and Dayton,
but an intervening hill closes the
view. AT the foot of Mt. Adams are
the water works, smokeess and the
silent. The elegant new
depot of the Pennsylvania
road is flooded, and the water extends
ar up Eggleston avenue. Tie river
'front.' is beyond, and its thoughfares
ire waterways like those seen at
greater distance from Price Hill.
Descend now and take skff for the
,oot of Walnut. 1t glides through the
,ross streets that were looked down
upon from the hilltop and out into
Second Street. The current is quite
strong, although, a square back from
,he river. The sSiff glldes quite rap
dly without propeling but oarsmen
ire busy now, and they make the lit
lie craft glide more rapidly with pro-
,elling. The water here is fifteen feet
leep, and all the first floor, and some
If the second are deserted. Yet here
ire found people living in spite of the
1ood, some taking things cheerily, and
others with evident melancholy.
Dampness rushes out from the water
illed buildings, and the people inhab-
ting them have a chilled aguey look.
Occasionally business man IS seen
occupying an upstairs Office, but gen.
orally all the way from Kilgour to
W alnut the buildings are deserted ex.
,ept by the few destitute families wko
till cling with sort of selfish pride to
heir desolate homes in the upper stor-
es of the business houses. Along the