davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
One Hundred and Twenty Dwelling Houses
Carried Into the River and Swept Away
"A Terrible Scene of Ruin.
Lawrenceburg Not Badly Damaged by
Tuesday Nights Wind-StOrm.
A Gloomy Outlook for New Albany, Jeffer-
sOnville, and Points Below-GenerOuS
Relief Measures at Various Places.
LATEST BULLETINS.
Seventy Feet Six Inches and a Half at Mid
night.

Seventy Feet Six Inches and Half at Mid
night.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
CINCINNATI, Feb. IA, 1890 A. NAT midnight
the river was seventy feet six and one-half
inches, and rising an inch an hour At o'clock
the river was falling slowly at Maysville, sixty
two miles above here, and at points above. 1t is
now turning cold and blowing hard, which ac-
counts for part of the rise.
A Aflatroofed farm house foated past to-day
with the father, mother, and three children com
fOrtably seated on the roof, sailing toward Cairo
Efforts to rescue them failed.
1:30 A. M.-The air is becoming chilly since
midnight. The river has been rising an inch an
hour, except from till IL o'clock, when the rise
was greater. At 1 A. NJ it reached seventy feet
seven and one-half inches
"a M-River 70 feet 12 inches. Weather
growing colder.
Covington, Ky, by the water crossing the
Lexington pike, is now an island, and market
wagons have stopped entering the city
Ironton is two thirds under water and the de-
struction is beyond all estimate. More than half
the people are homeless and out of food.
Greenup, KY, is completely submerged, and
there is great suffering among the poor. Pro
visions are especially needed Contributions sent
to F. Powers, Grayson, will be properly distrib-
uted
Up-river dispatches tonight show the river
falling in the region of Gallipols and stationary
at Huntington.
At Gallipolis the river is still falling an inch
an hour, total fall of six feet.
At Catlettsburg many streets are blocked
with houses which hoated from their founda-
tions. The mental strain has been great, but
the crisis of danger is passed without any serious
accident, except to property The Chesapeake
& Ohio has given box-cars for provision depot
and by the aid of boats relief is distributed
Big Sandy river is falling.
At Huntington, W. Va, the welcome
news was received this morning that the Kanaw-
ha was falling
At Charleston, W. Va, the Kanawha is fall
ing. A heavy rain fell early this morning.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
LAwRENCEBURG AND AURORA.
Tuesday Nights wind-Storm Not So Bad as
Expected


Expected.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
AURORA, Feb. 13-House after house has
foated away and toppled over to-day, both here
and at Lawrenceburg, and the loss OF property is
hourly increasing. The great losses last year
will fade into insignicauce as com
pared with this and the worst is
yet to come. The water is now more
than two feet higher than last year, and more is
coming 1t will be at least three feet higher
than last year 1t has been raining hard all day
but has now stopped, and the river is rising
rapidly. There are hundreds here now who
have to be fed, but the city, so far, has minis
tered to their needs There will be much suffer
ing here unless aid is received from abroad
There is great danger of all railroad communica-
ton being cut off tonight.
Last nights wind-storm at Lawrenceburg had
no specially disastrous effect, though last
night and to-day have been period of great
anxiety. The river rose, last night, twelve to
fourteen inches. Houses still continue to float
from their foundations. Governor Porter's visit
to-day was cheering Provisions are arriving
hourly, and are gladly received.
The propeller Western Wave was sunk yester-
day afternoon, opposite Lawrenceburg. by the
steamer City of Madison. The Wave was lying
at the Lawrenceburg wharf as the Madison
reached that city on her way to Cincinnati The
Wave hailed her. having about fifteen passen-
gers who desired to board her for Cincinnati
The Madison halted in the middle of the river
until the Wave came alongside to discharge her
passengers. The passengers We're all safely
loaded on the Madison, and the Wave started
to back out the strong current and the suction
caused the Wave to dip water, whereupon she
shot under in less than five seconds. The men
propelling her barely escaped to the Madison
with their lives The Western Wave was owned
jointly by Eli Alden and August Thomas, of
Petersburg. Boone county, KY. and was valued
at about s., 900. There is no insurance on the
Wave.
Hardentown, a small village north of Law
renceburg, is inundated. Destruction and ruin
is all that can be seen. Mrs. Lowe, widow
has about four thousand bushels of corn covered
with water, and many more that had crbbed
their corn in the bottoms are submerged. There
must be nearly twenty thousand bushels under
water at present. and if it continues to rise two
days more as it has the past two days there is
about twenty thousand bushels more that will
60 The water is over all the track of the Big
Four road between Lawrenceburg and Eliza
bethtown, o.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
JEFFERSONVILLE.
The City Completely at the Mercy of the
Rushing River.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
New ALBANY, Feb 13-The situation at JEFF
fersonville is as desperate as possible, and its
horrors are increasing hourly The city is now
entirely at the mercy of the raging river, which
sweeps through its streets with a fearful current
There is a small portion of the town, a narrow
strip on Front street which is yet out of the
water, but everywhere else the focd is master.
This calamity to the city can hardly be exagger
ated in the suffering and loss it will bring. Not
even loaf of bread can be bought in the city.
Every kind of business is suspended The fur
naces of the plate glass works are under water
and are believed to be ruined If they are, the
loss will be over $4,000. 1t is doubtful
whether the works will be repaired
in the event of such heavy loss
The Howards have large st. Louis Anchor
Line steamer on the ways, in course of construc-
ton which will probably be swept away and
wrecked Such disaster would cause loss of
$75O 900, and it is imminent
The Council has appointed Hon. Jonas G..
Howard and W. II. Fogg committee to 90 to
Washington and urge Congress to vote an ap-
preparation to levee the city. The Council also
took action in favor Of immediate relief to the
sufferers. 1t now lacks but six inches of the
rise of last February, and the river is rising at
the rate of an inch an hour. 1t has rained heav-
lily here to-day and is still raining The rise
will considerably exceed that of 1888
Tonight Prosecuting Attorney Frank B.
Burke and Miss Mary McCann, daughter of
NJ V. McCann, an old and wealthy citizen,
were married. The groom and attendants and
invited guests had to go to the house in boats.
Many tender offers of assistance to our suf-
ferers are being voluntarily made from the people
or other towns The action of the Indianapolis
Board of Trade relief committee in our behalf
is highly appreciated by our suffering citizens
There will be immense loss in the city, and it
will be quite as severely felt as last year Times
have been hard here through the winter, and
employment searce, ard the working people are
i'll prepared for the calamity upon them The
situation here could hardly be worse.
At Utica, Ind, eighteen miles above here
twelve houses of lime burners are under water.
AL the people are in one church, and are almost
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14

tirely suspended at Catlettsburg. No mails
have been received for six days. The Catletts-
burg National Bank is under ten feet of water
The money and books were all brought to the
Ashland National Bank for safety. tits thought
the Catlettsburg bank may be able to reopen in
three days.
The Commercial Gazettes steamer, Kate
Waters, returned at o'clock, tonight, from a
trip to Ripley, with relief supplies. Messrs
Bishop and Collins, who went with the
steamer, say the hills on the opposite sides
of the river form its banks. People ask
first for news, next for ropes to anchor their
houses, lastly for cooked provisions. None
want clothing Houses everywhere are swept
away or floating on their foundations,
Rural and Augusta, KY, wrecks
The water is running behind Augusta, making
an island of it,
Dover, KY, is in twelve feet of water, in the
shallowest part, and New Richmond, o., is still
worse off
In Point Pleasant, Gen. Grants birthplace,
only two houses are out of water.
are gone. Neville is wreck, and Shiloh is worse
than Neville. Lavonia is badly submerged.
Ripley is in terrible condition. One side of
the Derrick House fell in to-day, and others
weakening. The people soy farmers from
the country are helping them wherever the roads
and floods permit access. The misery, desUruc-
ton and distress cannot be overdrawn.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
THE LOWER OHIO.
A Number of Small Towns Submerged-Fears
for the Safety of Shawneetown.

A Number of Small Towns Submerged-Fears
for the Safety of ShawneetOwn.
EVANSVILLE, Feb. 13-At 3 o'clock the river
was forty six feet three inches, and rising. A
light rain has been falling all day No damage
additional to that already reported in this neigh
borhood. Henderson, twelve miles below and
Mount Vernon, forty miles below, are high and
dry and above danger. The embankments at
Shawneetown are intact, and large force of
men is at work Strengthening them, but the
water is steadily encroaching, and escape is
deemed next to impossible. Cave in Rock,
Elzabethtown, Carrsvil4e, Parkinson, Golconda,
Bay City, Paducah and Metropolis are still above
the food are only partially submerged.
Uniontown is under water and the citizens are
leaving second stories of houses Above here,
Newberg, Owensboro, and Rockport. are above
the water line. Owensboro is threatened but
the other towns are in no danger. Grand View,
Enterprise, Garrison's Landing, and several
but as yet there is very little distress. The loss
by farmers this year must be less than last for
all have had their families removed and stock
taken to places of safety and most of them saved
a greater part of their corn. Harbor boats are
still removing much corn, much of it damaged,
but those cribs placed high enough are in good
shape.
Still there is no confirmation of the report of
the drowning of thirteen persons in front of
the city yesterday, and it is not generally cred
ited
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
Interruption to Tratfic.

CINCINNATI Feb. 13-The stoppage of freight
trains, except the Cincinnati Northern, which is
a narrow gauge road, throws an unusual amount
of business on the express companies. Light
freight, which must come through, is sent as ex-
press matter The offices and wagons are taxed
to their utmost to meet the increased business
The Ohio & Mississippi express, unable to reach
steamers by wagon, have had boat built special
ly to carry express freight to and from steam
ers. Among other troubles caused by the flood
is that of procuring supply of beef cattle
None can come by rail or river, except
by the Cincinnati Northern, and that is unable
to meet the demand. Butchers are securing ad-
jacent country for such stock as they pro
cure The canal will be used tomorrow to as
sist in carrying express goods and passengers out
to point where transfer can be made to the c.,
Fl. & D. trains
Telephone lines have been practically destroyed
along the river front from New Richmond. o..
to Aurora, Ind In many cases the poles have
been washed out. AT the foot of Freeman street
where steamers have been trying to land, many
poles have been broken off and the wires broken
The two telephone exchanges in the city are in
the submerged part, and the operators are taken
into the Office by boats
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
PORrsMoUTH,s PLIGHT.
Dwelling Houses Swept Away and Wrecked
by the Hundred.

by the Hundred.
PORTSMOUTH, Feb 13.-The entire city is un-
der water, three-fourths of it to the house tops.
All of the merchants lose heavily from mum
dated stocks. One-half of our citizens lose all
their household goods. The river commenced
falling slowly last night, and has dropped two
inches, and our people are breathing free again.
Happily, supplies are coming in from the sur
rounding country and abroad, and famine is
being averted. The relief boat has to-day gone
TO Slocum's station, on the branch of the c., w.
& B. railway, to obtain several carloads of
supplies and camp equipments sent from Colum-
bus. The Courthouse, school buildings,
and many of the churches that have second
stories are sheltering one half the people; the re-
mainder are scattered in attcs and the upper
part of tall houses. The horses and cattle have
all been rescued, and are stabbed on huge deck
barges that are moored in the streets in the
center of the city. One hundred and twenty
dwelling houses have been carried out irto the
river, and over 500 more have been swept from
their sites and piled in indescribable wrecks
against Instructions.
1t is estimated that there are provisions
enough on hand to last forty-eight hours.
\ telegraph wire will be stretched to-day which
will give US communication with the outside
world, We have had no mails since Friday.
Since the great fire of last Sunday no casualties
have occurred Mayor Mcfarland, the city mar
shal and DR.. Davidson, of the relief committee,
have organized the city completely for the work
of relief, and our people are being fed like vast
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
GLOOM AT NEW ALBANY.
One Hundred Additional Families Driven
from Home, and More to Follow.

Special to the indianapolis journal.
New ALBANY, Feb, 13.-Another day of gloom
and anxiety has passed, another night of danger
is upon the city, and still the flood rises and the
rain pours down. The mighty food now marks
channel depth of seventy one feet six inches,
lacking but six inches of the highest point
reached by the overflow of last year, and still
the rise continues at the rate of one inch an
hour Fully one hundred more families were
driven from their houses to-day, and many who
had taken refuge in second stories We're com
PEELED to leave them.
Your correspondent can give no adequate de-
scrption of the flood here that will convey to the
readers of the Journal Il proper conception of the
condition of things in the Hooded district, 1t is
simply appalling, and 1t view Of the scenes of des-
olation that the vast waste of water makes on
the south and north side of the
ity, over which the food spreads, is
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
STEUBENVILLE.
Damage in the City and in Towns in the
NeighborhOOd.

Damage in the City and in Towns in the
NeighborhoOd.
STEUBENvILLE, o., Feb. l3.-The damage at
Steubenville is confined principally to the Sixth
ward, and will not exceed $1,000 but the suf
ferers are generally poor employees of the iron
mills and mines. Nearly the whole of the towns
of Brilliant, Mingo Warrenton, and McCoys, in
this county. were flooded and epany people are
in great destitution. Alekenna and Minevale,
suburbs of Steubenville, occupied by poor people,
suffered severely. The damage to private property
in jefferson county is about $250,000, and the
number of sufferers fully two thousand. Brilliant
a village of one thousand inhabitants and War
renton, of three hundred, suffer most The re-
lief committee have been doing excellent work,
but new cases are presented every hour. Con
tinued rains interfere with the progress of clean
ing and repairs. Nearly 1000 sufferers at Steu-
benville, Mingo and Alekenna have been cared
for to date, but they will require further aid,
which it is expected can be furnished there. The
supplies most needed are bedding and warm un
der-clothing, but anything is acceptable. Food
and clothing supplies for the smaller towns can
be sent through the relief committee of Steuben-
VILE
Wellsburg, W. Va. which is in an awful con-
dition, can be supplied the same way. Steuben-
vile needs no outside aid for itself
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
DESTRUCTION AT WHEELING.
The Work of Relief Progressing FavorabIy,
but More Help Needed.

WHEELING, Feb. 13-At Wellsburg, twenty
miles above, the people are destitute and suffer
ing A dispatch was sent from here to Congress
man Goff, this afternoon, asking him to have
81, 900 sent there by the War Department at
once. The work of relieving the suffering pro
crosses favorably, but still there is great need.
The home fund for relief reached $4,000 in
cash and as much in goods, but this and dona-
tions from abroad disappear as fast as received.
Among the contributions received are John w.
Garrett, Baltimore, $500; S. J. Tilden, New
York, $3.50; James Keene, New York. $780,
Wheeling & Belmont Bridge Company $1,OO0
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
The wabash sleaaily Rising.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
VINcENNEs, Feb. l3.-The Wabash at this
point is beginning to rise faster than for u week
The gauge shows nineteen feet, and the prairie is
covered from three feet to six feet The Board
of Trade and prominent citizens meet at P. NJ
to take steps toward raising a fund for the relief
of the flood sufferers, both in this vicinity and
along the Ohio All Of our wealthy citizens are
doing their best to guarantee large crowd, and
a handsome subscription is expected
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
FLOOD NOTES.
Where LOw-Water Mark Is Located. and
How Measurements Are Made

Where LOwWater Mark Is Located, and
How Measurements Are Made.
There is good deal of inquiry as to the mean
ing of the figures giving the stage of water in
the Ohio On solid ground accurate levels are
obtained and permanently fixed by surveys
made at the sea level and carried west to other
points With the river, conditions are different
as from the very nature of It's bed, with its sur
face undergoing changes by current, there must
be variation to a greater or less degree. To OBJ
tain figures for Cincinnati, zero is located on
the surface of -Four mile bar short distance
above the city, and at Rising Sun bar, abreast
of the south Indiana State line. 1t is situated
on these usually shoal places for the better in,
formation of river pilots who, by an advance
knowledge of the waters depth at these points,
run their boats with greater safety The pub
lished depth, therefore, is not a true guide to
measurements in front of Cincinnati, as when
there is twenty three inches on Fourmile bar
there is fifteen feet in the channel near the
pumping house of the water works II thirteen
feet is added to the Published statement it will
closely approximate the channel depth in front
of the city.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS.
Measures Adopted by the Secretary of War
to Render Assistance.

WAsuNGToN Feb. 13.-Secretary Lincoln has
ordered four officers from the Columbus (Ol
Barracks to Cincinnati, to assist in distributing
supplies to the sufferers from the flood under the
direction of General Beckwith Captain S. II.
Cushing of the subsistence department., has been
ordered to Pittsburg to oversee the purchase and
distribution of supplies there. Two other officers
have been ordered at that point to accompany
the boats which will carry relief to the sufferers
from that city. The Secretary has also tele-
graphed the mayors OF Il number Of towns in
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
All Quiet at Cairo.

CAIRO, Feb. I3-6 p. M.-The river is Il feet
inches and rising very nearly half an inch an
hour. Rain and sleet fell this afternoon It is
turning colder now, with prospects of freeze
Everything is quiet here, and many think it will
hardly equal the rise of last year.
12M.-River orty-eightfeet, and freezing now
Rose inches in the last twenty four hours
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14

Charleston, w. Va, Town Council, s., OOO Ma
sons desiring to contribute can send drafts to
the Masonic relief committee, VIM. Hastings.
chairman. The State Fair Association losses
500, 900. It was in its infancy and already
heavily in debt, and this blow ruins it. There
will be no fair in September.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14

SHAwNEETowN, Ill, Feb 13-After a hard
fight against the rising waters this place has sue
cumbed and the streets are now five to fifteen
feet under water A great deal of damage will be
done before the flood reaches its height. A
great many persons are going away to visit
friends until it subsidies.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
WHEN

Whatever they have give in this shape, and will
see that their contributions promptly forwarded
10 their destination In cases where residents of this
city, who desire to contribute in this way find it in
con, enent to deliver their offerings at the WHEN,
we will take pleasure in sending for their contribu-
tions upon receipt Of their address.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
Startling Phenomenon

Wheeling Special.
A gentleman who has just arrived by boat
from Powhatan, o., reports a startling food
phenomenon at that point. Yesterday after.
noon the inmates of the house of Aaron Ramsey,
of whom there We're about sixty, all flood ref
ugees, We're startled by a loud report up Captina
creek On looking in the direction from whence
the noise came they saw, about 300 yards dis
tant what appeared to be column of smoke is
suing from the ground A party at once pro
ceeded to the spot and found to their amaze
ment, Tat a dense mass of sand, gravel and
mud was issuing from a hole about two feet in
diameter and rising to a height of ffty or sixty
feet and often, by sudden pulsations forty or
fifty feet higher, accompanied by terrific roar.
The party looked on in awe for time, but were
soon put to flight by another geyser breaking
through the ground just in their midst and COW
erng them with mud. which it disgorged to
greater height than the first. The discharge
was at first thought to be occasioned by natural
gas but all efforts to detect its presence by fire
or otherwise were futile. Hundreds of curious
people have already visited the spot
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14

The appended table shows the height reached
by great floods i'll the Ohio at Cincinnati from
1892 to the present:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14
WHEN INDICATIONS.
THURsDAY.-Colder, clearing
eUeather, preceded By local rains
or light snoaO.

Those who desire to contribute articles of Clothing
for the relief of the sufferers in the inundated dis
trcts along the Ohio river make their philanthropy
effective by leaving at the