Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-02-16
THE RECOIeD ECLIPSED.

The FLOOD at Cincinnati n tOOt ADOse tio
Record of 1Ss3-Rain Still Falling and
the Volume of Water Swelling-AccOunts
From Various Points in the Track of the
Res,stless sCurrent-Railroad Travel Seri-
ously Impeded and business Largely
Suspended.
CINCINNATI, o., Feb. 1l-6 p. NJ
The day has been one of the greatest ex-
citement since the food began. The stage
of high water of last year was passed at 1
O'Clock p. m. A steady and hard rain DUR
ing the greater part of the day together
with reports of general rains in every place
where it would run into the Ohio, made 1t
certain still more dangerous flood will bc
upon the already unfortunate people of tie
Oclo Valley. The experience of last year
maize the people bold in confronting the
dangers they had once met and overcome,
but when now a new element of terror
comes in the form of heightened food,
new series of calamitcs begin to appear.
Gas was lost yesterday. The water supply
ceases to accumulate to-day. There are
five days supply in the reservoir with care
full use, but one big fire would make serious
inroad on that. Worst ofal, nobody knows
when the limit of the food will be reached.
The rising waters above and in all side
tributaries render it certain the river must
continue to rise for some time. The rate
increa Sed this afternoon to an inch an hour
and during the hour from five to six the rise
was three fourths of an inch. It is hardly
possible to give an idea of the situation.
The mass of people cannot see the great
body of the river. Approach to the banks
is cut off on ali streets running to the river
at Pearl street or near it. Strangers in the
city may gain an idea of it's extent when it
is sta ed the water is now little more than
COO feet from the Burnet House. From there
RI ST he
tween three and four squares. All that can
he seen is the street inundated and boats
gliding in all directions. The suspension
bridge, 100 feet above low-water mark,
makes a low arch above the muddy flood.
The Newport 81 Southern Railroad bridges
look Ike they are almost touching the
Ter.
The view from Princes Hill, on the west
ern par' of the city, gives the only compre-
henslve outline of the f1ood-covered portion
OF the city. AT the fcO- of the hill on the
west side Of the city, Mil Creek spreads to
an average of a mile ex1'anse of water and
reach north out or sight. Back water
runs beyond Spring, Grove Cemetery, n
distance of seven miles up the river. Gin
cinnati, COviugton and Newport houses
can b. seen peering out of the water, while
down tie river, almost from hill tO.hill the
valley is covered. Up to this time, great
l. the danger is, there has been no great
disaster. the cry of distress is, however,
beginning to grow louder. Manu- fact Ories
are stopping and men are thrown out o.
employment. In Newport it is estima ed
that five 20 six thousand l,eoi 10 are home
less and their supplies were exhausted at
noon. Many go without supper to night
because the supplies OF the relief committee
are exhausted. Relief work in Cincinnati
is beginning to press. LawrenGeburg to-
day sent a request here for help, but Presi-
dent Urner was compelled to refuse for
lack of funds, Contributions have not
been as generous as last year, but will
probably come faster tomorrow.
Eighth street and Railroad avenue, be-
tween the city and Princes Hill, were
overflowed to-day, and access to that SUI
burb by street cars is cut of One OF the
largest establishments of Mill Creek al
ley, the American Oak Leather Company,
have been battling to keep the flood out.
They shave built up barriers entirely sur
rounding the whole structure, are now
eighteen inches above the water and can
keep safe until seventy feet is reached.
The engines of the Cincinnati, Hamilton q
Dayton trains run through the water, ana
may have to stop further out tomorrow.
The Panhandle has no traffic between here
and Lovelanl, but takes freight from that
place and has no i'll eruption to PlttS-
hIrgh. AT seven p. M, the water was SIX
ty-six feet eleven inches. Inc w ater-
Works Office reports one engine still work.
ines and will continue to go till the hres are
pus out. which will he when the stage
reaches four inches more. Consumption
viii be stopped tomorrow, except for do
nlcStic purposes.
I2:3D a. m-With the river n foot higher
tonight than a year ago and rising at mid
night an inch hour, the situation be-
r0:ues more and more serious. u to to-
night the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton
able to reach its depot. 1t will be In-
able to get trains ont in the morning. This
leaves the Cincinnati Northern the only
road able TO take its trains from Its depot
l. carries passengers for the Cincinnati,
Washington & Baltimore, and for the Pan
Hlnil-. ont to tie junction with the Cincln-
natl, Washington & Baltimore Road. which
road is used by the Pan-iiandle to
Low land. Trains on the Cle.cland. Co
lumhus, Cincinnati & indianapolis Road
are obliged to stay at Chester Iark, seven
miles ont. The Ohio and Mississippi boats
can no longer land at the stairs of the sta
tion and viii use a wberrv to convey pas
sengcrs to and from the boats. The Gin
cinnati southern is arranging for ferry to
reach the DEPOT at Gest street. The Ken
tucly Central & Chesapeake & ONO have
no watcf to trouble them.
Confusion rcigns tonight. No one can
tell what the general situa ion is: Every
one i too busy getting out OF the way of
the food or viewing the appalling rise of
tine waters to think of anything not in
sight.
Everybody is removing first floor goods
higher. In this work there is no excite
ment and no needless hurry. From Pearl
street to Third the rise in the ground is
moderate, from Third to Fourth it is rapid.
The sights in the streets on side of the
flooded districts, with lanterns hanging
from windows and lanterns flashing along
the sidewalks, make the spectacle a very
strange one. On the waters the glare of
gliding lanterns, rising and falling with
the boats and sending, their Spear-Shaped
reflections deep into the floods, would make
the picture attractive by its briillancv were
it not for the terror 'nicpLrtble from 1t.
All the shores OF the river are atiaSh with
lights coal fleets and barSeS, on river
steamers and on house fronts, ike two
armies Of flame arrayed against each other
on the opposite sides of the river. Com
mencing up river, at the eastern extremity
OF the CITY, Just outside of Columbia, the
eXpanSe OF water Is so great as to resemble
vast lake ten miles long and nowhere less
than two miles broad. 1t is only by the
line of hills i'll Kentucky, by the tops of
trees pro:ruding above the waters, and by
the chmneys and roofs of houses that the
river channel can be guessed The very
outlines of the real river are oblittrated by
the grea' rolling food, and the hills on the
two sides are its banks. Coming down
stream two miles. we pass hundreds of
houses, little frame bu ldings among them,
ready to leave their foundations. This Il
OH the Ohio side.
Ia. m.-Rivcr 81 feet, 81 inches
"a. m.-j1 feet, Ga inches. There mas
been rain since dark.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Feb; IL.
The river has been rising nearly mar an
inch an hour since nine o'clo k last nlgnt,
and at six "A. m. was Al feet IncueS, or .
feet inches below the marks of lSS3- Inc
Signal Service predicts that tire Hood VIII
go above the record of 1883 all along ,he
OHIO. It las already accomplished tnat
feat al Cincinnati, but it Is doubtful IL the
same result will be reached here. The boat
situation is unchanged. false but thrill
ing rumor prevailed this morning that the
food-a.ates had burst and JefiersonvilIe
was inundated. 1t has been raining mere
since Sunday at eleven a. m, only ceasing
temporarily at two p. IN. to-day. Inc cap
tain of the Ariadue reports a disheartenlnS
condition OF affairs at the river towns be-
tween here and Evansville. Both the
j,.E