South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-02-15
South ayaneh jlntsili9snter.
Tho Flood in tho Ohio River.
WHEELING. Feb. IL. 1881.

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cent great food in Tic valley 81 the Ohio
AS witnessed by one OF your subscribers.
i krow M thing Of tho nool either above
or he'ow this poin', further than what. is
g'venthrough flying rumor,. newspaper
reports and tic like, but here in Wheel
ins the ravages OF the mighty water vas
tarrife. The ,ar.h had been covered
with an extraordinary Goa. OF snow. AMI
Oh Tuesday the 5'h ins'.. rain commcn-
ced falling fls'. melting the snou aud
causing tie water to Aow In great guam
Titles. By Wednesday The river lad a.
risen TO quite ali alarming extent, and
tie inhabitants OF the ISLAND AMI a I The
low grounds began preparing for a
mighty flood. by moving their eifac TO
their second stories and hauling some Of
them to high grounds. The ri.er corr
tinue rising throughou; tho day, creep.
ing Up over tie island and oyer Go VIM
much Of its surface causing many or the
Inhabitants to seek safety by crossing
over to this side OF tho riveS, something
they had not thought OF doing before for
years. During the night the. situation
oil those WHO remained on the island be-
came perious IN the extreme, and many
were the cries sent across the ray NO wa
tiers TO THE side for helr, which owing 10
the dense fog AMI the great danger con
scqnert upon al attempt 10 relieve the
hffIig' ted people could not be heede,l.
n any great measure. yet scmo hsrdy
boroe', and heroes indcel they were
veItured across ana rescued many dur
ing tho right by rowing them in skffs
from their dwellings 10 the west enl Of
the suspension bria-o anal from thence
they made their vay To this sle in safe.
~. Ry Thursday morning the entire
island wa, submerged and many Of The
houses were in water to their second
n1ors, and ONE were entirely covered.
As soon as it vas sufficiently light. ITO
steamers one commanded By Capt. Wn,.
Pine. the other By Capt. Thoa. Bal, =
mere youth, rallied forth AID Z, scued
many from their second story windows,
end during ell this time many b:ayc men
were doing all they could in rcnin. tho
poor unfortunates in their skin, 20 tho
bridge, the only means OF oSress from.
the island except by thu steamers. Bv
Thursday night nearly all Of the island
people had been h, uaht to this side of
the river. The rivar by 10 o'clock
Thursday night hal reached ia maxi
mun heig' t, about % fee. as nearly ss
could be arpsoximated. The sonth emf
OF the city Jared fall as bad and perhap.
worao Than the ISLAM. That portion Of
the city was hGit on very low ground
and was composed principa'ly OF small
houses occupied by day l,borers, many
OF the houses were torn from their foun-
da,ions and carried avey, anil those tlat
were LETT were in me7sure ruined. The
Island. together With the villages Of Mar
tins Ferry, E.nayilie, Bridgeport and
West Wheeling. jus. across The river
and nearly all of South Whesliag and
great part OF East Wheeling suffered
terribly. All the small dwellings on The
low parts Of tie island aro gone as we'll
as ell the stables, Other out buildings
AMI fences. And so it is in South and
East Wheeling. About $4,000 people
were driven from their bones, many Of
whom are still quarterei in tho church,
ca, school-souses and other buildings
which have been placed o The use Oft
suifi ere.
Areiici committee has been otganiz-
ell who have worked very encrgetically,
and who have rendered good service in
Che way OF feeding and clothing the nee
dy Many Of our generous-hea ted citi-
zens have contributed quite literally 10
the relief fund. Many offers OF all have
been rnato from abroad aud lhanhfl.ly
accepted. Every thing is being done to
properly caro- for and feed tho suffc fsfs.
Our noole-bearied mayor II. J. a. Mis-
LEn, has left no ezertion untried on lis
part to alleviate tue wants II Ito dis.
;ressed people. IIo has laborod almost
necessarily day and night, through rain
md mud, sometimes IN water up to his
knees rcscuins persons from rlaccs Of
danger. Many others have followed HE
example, and by them many liycs were
sayo', that otherwise would have been
lost. The inundated portions Of the cit,
now present desolaic spectacle The
floors and walls OF The buildings we're
left covered with mud, which the people
arc now trying 10 clean up ~ best they
can. The fire engines and dcpattnert
have hooa kept busy sinco Saturday
plmping tho water from cellars and
washing The mud from The sfraets with