Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-07
burned. The telephone exchange was de

burned. The telephone exchange was de-
stroyed.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED PERSONS DESTITUTE.
MARIETTA, o., Feb. 13.-The Ohio Val
ley from Wheeling to Parkersburg presents
a sorry picture of desolation and woe. The
spectacle makes the beholder sick at heart.
Your correspondent las just made a trip in
a small river boat between the two cities
named. Everywhere the situation is much
the same. Wheeling Island was wholly
submerged.
New Martinsville is in a dcplorabie con-
dition. The people fled to the hill and
mounted a cannon which was loaded and
fired into every steamer that passed.
Several pilots and a dozen or more harmless
passengers were seriously wounded. The
citizens claim that the waves of the boat
t0pple the houses from their foundations.
Cochransville is demolished. Three houses
alone remain to show where the pretty lit
tie town stood. The people, hungry and
weary, are on the hill tops.
Marietta has passed through the worst of
the flood. The falling water has left the
city in a distressing plight. Bridges,
fences, barns and houses are piled up OH the
streets. Hundreds Of people are looking
for their homes and finding nothing
but foundations. Fifteen hundred
people call on the relief committee each
day, for food supplies are low. The Secre-
tary of War has instructed the Mayor to
draw on him for S 1000. That will answe
for the present. The loss of property in
the county is very large. 1t is estimated at
So 900, 900.
The Ohio River Railroad, just completed
between Wheeling and Parkersburg, w.
Va, is wrecked by the flood. Long sec
lions of trestling are washed out and lodged
on the Ohio shore. Cars have drifted up
every hollow. Heavy land-slides have
buried great stretches of the road in places.
Three engines are in the water at Parkers-
burg. The road was built by Senator
Camden and a syndicate of Standard Oil
men.
A steamer loaded with provisions from
Parkersburg has just arrived. The people
of that city have been very liberal, and
their Kindness is heartily appreciated by
our less fortunate city.
EAR FOR LAwRENCEBURG.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 14.-TheA suspense
over the failure to hear definite news from
Lawrenceburg. Ind, grows painful, but it
is tempered by the belief that if serious
disaster involving loss of life had occurred,
some means would have been found to get
| MOlu llOll 1JdNlCllCCUulS e, " i11l Via, MiiClC
is the nearest telegraph office. The Times
Stars Aurora, Ind, special says: At ten a.
nj. no news had been received from Law
renceburg. Many houses were seen float
ing down this morning, and anxiety was
great. The water is now rising an inch
an hour, and more dwellings are topping
over.
INCREASED DAMAGE AT LOUISVILLE.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. 14.-The river is rising
an inch per hour, and is now forty-three
feet ten inches in the canal, Within eight
inches of the highest water mark of 1888.
A heavy wind has been blowing for the
past twelve hours, the waves doing con-
siderable damage to property. The Belle
of Shreveport, from New Orleans, ran into
a pier of the bridge this morning and was
damaged $1,000 and will lay up for repairs.
A boy named Galway was drowned by
the overturning of a skitf. There is little
suffering here, but news from Jeffersonville
is Of the most deplorable character, and of
a population of II, 900 about half have been
compelled to leave their homes and seek
higher grounds. Four-tifths of the city is
inundated, and the people are suffering and
begging contributions of food. The Ken
lucky River is falling at the headwaters, but
still rising at Frankfort an inch per hour.
FARMS COVERED WITH THIRTY FEET OF
WATER.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Feb. 14.-The river
continues to rise slowly but steadily, the
gauge at ten a. m. marking forty-six feet
two and one-tenth inches. Light rain all
night and misting in the morning. Evans
vile is still high and dry with several feet
to spare. All the manufacturing establish
ments are running without interruption.
The rivers still one foot seven and one-tenth
inches lower than last year and it is the
opinion of boatmen that it will rise two OF
three feet more. While Evansville will not
suffer, the country round about is one vast
sea of water. Many farms are covered with
thirty feet Of water. Only the tops of
houses across the river in Kentucky are now
visible. Although farmers are better pre-
pared than last year their losses are great.
The work Of removing corn from elevated
cribs i'll the submerged regions still
progresses but the harbor boats are
unable to answer half the calls
made upon them. Many families of farm
ers have been removed here and others are
being brought hourly. AS yet no casual.
ties are known to have occurred. 1t was
rumored last night that during the storm
three skitfs containing thirteen men were
swamped in front of the city, but the report
could not be traced to a reliable source, and
it is believed to be sensational. The police
reported that they were unable to learn of
any OprSOnS MISSING