The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-11
GLOOMY REPORTS.
The River Still Rising at Ports
mouth. Ohio.
Great Destitution PrevaiIing-....-The
Mayors Statement.

| PORTSMOUTH, O., Feb. 10.-The city is al
most entirely under water, and all commune
cation with other points ia shut off. The wa
ter is higher than ever known before, and is
still rising. Half of those who moved into
| the second stories are now moving from their
houses altogether, and all the frame houses are
deserted. Many houses are floating away, and
great suffering is already experienced, and
worse is expected.
| During the early morning fire broke out in
| Green's feed store, in the very midst of the
business portion of the city, caused by slack
| ing lime submerged in the rising water. The
fire was discovered early but owing to the fact
that hose could not be laid on account of the
distance of the building from any land, the
flames spread considerably before the fremen
boats and on houses, amid great danger and
| exposure to themselves, with such manly and
| courageous action that they succeeded in con-
timing the fire TO six buildings. These were
burned to the waters edge, and all the walls
fell in. The churches are all under water. All
the engine houses and school houses available
are filled with our drowned out pOpulati So
far the most that could be done has been to
keep the people supplied with food Rations
are being issued daily to families, supplied BY
windows. The river tonight is rising over an
inch III a half hour, and hard rain is falling,
The people have not heard from any place
for threesdays, and no papers or other mail has
been received during that time. Our people
are IN great dlstress
(Signed), j. j. McFARDIN,
WHEELING, w. Va, Feb. 1O-The disap.
pearauce of the water only reveals the extent
OF the flood. Hundreds of houses and barns
are gathered at points where the surface of the
water was obstructed by trees. Fifty houses
are Jammed upon and against each other at
the 8 und end of the CITY,
The Baltimore & Ohio track between here
and Benwood, was covered with buildings and
driftwood, which had TO be pulled to pieces by
an engine TO clear the road. The first mail
since Wednesday, four tons, has arrived BY
boat. Ten trains are running. All the blau-
kets that could be proc1r5d have been dis rib
uted among the homeless sufferers. There is a
great scarcity of clothes, aud the country peo-
ple on both sides of the river are doing their
utmost to supply the needy with provisions
There are probably 10000 persons to be fed
and clothed from Wellsburg to Moundsvile.
aud 1t IS reported that some sufferers ON the
south side have been reduced to the extremity
OF cutting meats from cows found dead. The
Ohio River ra lroad is believed to be- entirely
ruined, and section after section of trestle
work bridges and Cars have been washed away
CINCINNATI, Feb. 10.-The flood of 1882 was
surpassed at O'Clock this morning, and the
river has been rising almost constantly all day
The people have lost confidence in the prog
nostications of the signal service Twice tue
fla. has been raised to denote a cold wave
coming. The first time the tenn per ature rose
Instead OF falling, and the second time there
was slight fall, followed now by rain. The
prediction that the river would reach its maxi
mum today is also false. The gas Company
managed to keep the gas supply up until to-
night, but now the street lamps are unlighled,