Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-17

preston that the water works figures are
wrong, from the fact that the marks have
been Whitewashed over. Assuming the
boat store figures to be correct there was
81 feet inches of water in the channel at
the highest point reached. This conclusion
the waters came to q stand. Capt.
Dillon dropped Q sixty foot tape line
from the crown of the suspension
bridge arch TO the surface ofSthe
water, and found there was 40 feet inches
clesr space under the bridge. Now, when
The bridge was erected by Captain Elliott
be was compelled by act Of Congress to
leave 90 feet of clear space above low water
mark, which he did, and no more. Sab
| tracing the 40 feet 8 inches Captain Dill
| ION found from 90 feet feet gives 81 feet
inches as the depth OF water in the channel.
This is two or three feet less than most
| ,s;imaIes made, but as they were based
Ciiogether on guess work, they amount to
othing, and 81 feet 3 inches may be taken
~ being as near the truth as il is posi-
BE- 10 get.
On the gas post at the centre of the stoue
| bTiCge over the creek. the water rose to the
| levi of the cross arms Immediately below
he glass, 4Sinches above the '52 mark on
| the body of the post.
At the Intelligencer office the water was
feet inches deep In the counting room
! floor.
ATM. & J Polio ck's Pacifi, Mill, the
water was feet inches deep on the foo;
| in the office.
On Twelfth street the water run up the
gutter feet east of the gas post at the
Bank of the the Ohio Valley, and lacked
but inches of coming on the floor OF I.
| C. Moffat & Co.'S merchant tailoring estab-
| lishment, just across the stredt
In the Baltimore L Ohio passenger depot
| the water was 8 feet 2 inches deep at the
ticket office window.
At Neill & Eiiipgham's wholesale grocery
OF the southeast corner OF Main and Four
tenth streets, the va yer was feet inches
deep on the floor, and feet inches above
the sidewalk.
at the postoffice there wasl9H inches OF
water on the floor at the door IN the south.
east corner.
In the alley in the rear of TIE RsGIsrER
office the water was IA iRches deep:
Atthe corner OF Main and Twelfth streets
the water lacked but an inch OF coming 10
on the floor of the Exchange Bank, whlle
it was 8 inches deep on the floor OF the
Nsrionsl Rank of West Virginia.
At Bridgeport the water came within a
few inches Of reaching the second floor OF
the Sherman House.
-
Among the old citizens 10 whom talked
this week was Mr. T. w. Bliss. Mr.. Bliss
is d genial, pleasant gentleman, and gladly
contributed from bis rich store OF reminis-
cences. In answer to question regarding
the flood of - be said: January, 1882,
was very cold. i was then at Somerset,
Somerset county, Pa. Snow fell two or
three times during the month to such
depth as to blockade the stage coaches and
delay the mails. distinctly remember
one coach that came up to the tavern
where the horses were changed, The team
msde their way laboriOusly to the
der and stopped, but the driver
did not move from the box. S1ne
one went up 10 see what was the mat
ter, and found that he had frozen Still,
still sitting upright and retaining his hold
on the lines. There was considerable more
| snow that year than We had last month,
but can not give the exact depth. WheD
| tie thaw came, it rained steadily for sew
eral days, probably five in all, and then
! cs me the flood. l did not come 10 Waee,.
| ing until the 9th Of May following, an
therefore can not give any facts regarding
the flood from my personal observations,
but its height was still fresh in the minds
| OF the citizens, and got a good idea OF it.
| The damage inflicted on Wheeling then
bears no comparison to that of this year.
In '32 there was hardly house below what
is now Twelfth street. and il | remember
rightly, but two on the Issnd-the old Zane
homestead, opposite the residence OF Cap.
tain John Mcclure, and the brick portion OF
what is now the Berger mansion. Below
the creek was large cornfeld. | cannot
recall house in that part OF the city"
"Do you remember the so tiood?"
Very distinctly. The water this year
|. was nearly three feet higher than 1t Was
then. At the Exchange Bank cornerit was
about foot deep. for remember climbing
on the stone portico on Twelfth street,
crossing over and jumping down on the
Main street side next to Peterson's insur'
anCe Office"
Meeting Capt. John Grub yesterday
morning, asked him for comparison OF
this flood with the historical freshets Of -
and 90. He said;
I'm 1872 was living on what is now
Market street, opposite the present City
Building. was about IS years old, and
remember the flood very well. There were
but few houses below Twelfth street, and,
think, none at all on the south side OF
the creek, the ground over there being
largely occupied by a corntield. On the
Island there were but four houses namely,
the Old Zane homestead portion OF the
present. Berger mansion, an old house on
the northern part of the Island, and what
was called the ferry house, on the back
river bank. After the water subsidized
there Wes one additional house on the
Island-a large warehouse filled with Hour,
stranding on the north end. 1t came from
Warren, Ohio, and belonged to Joseph
Large"
WAS there any more snow that year
than this?"
mo. l think the rainfall was about the
same as doing January of this year. The
weather was intensely cold. and the ice
WAS very heavy. When the thaw cam, il
February there was several days rain 10
getLer, and the highest water was p:0Da
sboutithe 10Th of the month. raert
was q pretty big rise IN the river a at ?
week before the big rise, but the wi,ei
went down sgain, and then clMe up VIA
rush."
What do you remember OF lSj2!'
ain 1852 was living in Bridgeport, aud
,aw little of the damage in Wheeling. Ac.
,ordipg to a mark / made on a post at
ofter the water went down, the food OF 1884
Was feet Tx inches higher than that OF
1852 We estimated then that there was
Is feet IL inches in the channel, which
would give 81 feet lOA inches as the
depth last week. The water in so rose
very rapidly, coming up for several hours
at the rate of Is inches per hour. think
there was II inches OF water at the tx.
change Bank corner
Commenting on the distress about Wheel
ing, and the firing on the relief boats, the
New York Times says editorially:
The case is most urgent Toe cry for
relief comes from people who are home
less and houseIess. In Wheeling, which
may be taken as The n ost aggravated illus
tration OF the power AID destructiveness
Of the floods, Peep are sustained on rations
provided by the charitable. 1t cannot be
possible for these unfUrtunates to be pro.
vided with comforts. They are simply
kept alive. For them there is neither
warmth nor shelter. They can only be
given food and drink. How great are their
necessities tolerably active Imagination
NAV Dicture The relief boats sent ont