The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-02-20
The Floods.

CINCINNATI, February 1.-THE river
is 66 feet Il inches and rising all inch an
hour and raining hard. 1t now lacks
but Al inches OF the flood o. last year
and the tributaries are ali rising. IT i.
impossible to predict what height may
vet be reached or where the rise will
stop. 1t is certain now that last years.
record will be surpassed. Still there are
no casualties TO report in Cincinnati eX-
cept the drowning Of two disreputable
women who were crossing in a GOAT yes
terday and fell into the water. Their
male companion made no effort to save
them.
At l p. m. the river was &c feet 3 inch
es, Just n inch below the flood Of last
year. 1t has risen il inch in the last
two hours, and it is still raining heavily.
Many strangers are arriving to see the
flood and attend the opera.
At 3 p. m, the high water of last year
was passed, and q steady, hard rain dur
ing the greater part of the day, together
with reports from various points. make
it certain that additional disaster will
come upon the already unfortunate peo-
pie of the Ohio valley.
The experience of last year has made
the people bold in confronting the dan
ger and trying to overcome it, but when
the new element of terror comes in the
form OF a heightened food, their cou-
rage will falter. The worst Of al,'is, no
body knows when the limit of the flood
will be reached. AT Pearl street a mere
stranger in the city might gain an idea
of its extent, when it is stated that the
water is now but "A little more than so
feet from the Brunette house.
CINCINNATI, February 12.-The sun
ygoc Ghiujnp thiG mnruinU for tlta fl rSt
time since the flood began. 1t is spring
like in temperature. These facts gave
encouragement, but since noon the sky
is again overcast and there is a fear of
more rain. The water was IS feet 3
inches at / p. M, lacking but half an
inch of being two feet higher than last
year.
The condition of things at Newport,
Ky, is growing more frightful, and
grave fears are entertained about damage
to the foundations Of buildings. A fine
residence, built a few years ago at a cost
of SIC, 900, toppled over and is a COM
plete mass of ruins.
CINCINNATI, February 12.-The sit
uation has grown more gloomy h a
ever. The river rises constantly from
half an inch to an inch per hour, and
was growing from two to three feet
above the highest stage last year. This
fact is of great significance, and loses no
weight by the uncertainty as to when
the rise will end. A two-story brick
business house occupied by G. A. Marsh
81 CO., on Sixth street, fell with a great
crash owing to it's weakened founda-
tons; the building was weighted with
q large quantity of hemp, which aided
in causing its destruction. This is only
the beginning, and there is much appre-
hension on this account.
At Covington, KY, and Newport,
where the soil makes the danger greater
as the water creeps upon the houses, 1t
has been found necessary to remove the
families to other places. The relief COM
mittee in charge of this work had to act
arbitrarily in some cases, and compel
the people to leave the houses. Some
of them are now off their foundations,
and will soon be washed away. There
would have been loss of life if the people
had been left to act in their w behalf,
so tenaciously do they cling to their
little all of property.
CINCINNATI, February 13.-It is esti-
mated that 10000 people along the river
within 80 miles Of here will be fed by
charity for two weeks. AT 1:30 pm. the
river was SO feet II inches.
A special from Portsmouth, O., dated
the 18th and forwarded from S~ciOtoville,
H., the nearest telegraph station, says
there is not an acre of ground IN the
city. There are not a hundre houses
not under water.
Gen. Beckwith, of st. Louis, is
pected here this evening to take charge
of the work of relief, under the dlrec-
ton of the secretary of war. tie will
charter relief boats, and four u. S. Off
GERS have been ordered here from Col
umbus to take charge of them. Sub
scriptions coming in from all quarters.
WASHINGTON, February L. = The
secretary of war has taken active mea-
sures looking to the immediate relief OF
the sufferers from the overflow OF the
Ohio and tributaries, in accordance with
the act appropriating S3,OO0,0O O for that
purpose. Orders were issued to-day for
Gen. Amos Beckwith to proceed to Gin
cinnati, where he will make "distributionI
of supplies. He will establish head
quarters at Cincinnati, and act under
Criers direct from the secretary of war.
Orders were also issued for the purchase
of supplies, and to charter a number of
boats to distribute them where most
needed. 1T has also been arranged that
an army officer shall accompany each |
boat and superintend the distribution of
supplies. The general plan OF relief de-
termined upon is the same as that pull
sued in affording relief to the sufferels
from the Mississippi overflow.
P~ITTsRURG, February 13.-Major Cor
don and Captain Rose, United States
officers stationed at this point, received
orders this morning to visit the adjacent
towns along the Ohio river and report !