Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-17
PROGRESS of the Flood Toward the
Mexican Gulf.
snd the Streams il Feeds Upol
En- Route.
Latest Tslegraphic News Up and
Down the Valley.

So many years has elapsed since this
valley was desolated by the great deluges
of 1882 and 1852 that few persons are now
with US who can communicate the feelings,
either of the alarm preceding and during
them, or the curiosity following, which
might have led to any investigation OF the
combination of circumstances which
brought them about. Curiosity is scarcely
a tit term, however, to apply to that feel
ing, prompting as ii does, an Investigation
which has for It's object that understanding
OF the causes which would, in the future,
warn Of any repetition, aud induce such pre-
cautionary measures as would reduce de-
struction of property and loss of life to the
minimum. II is the study OF those and
similar causes which reveals to mankind
the many scientific truths which scatter
material blessings about the pathway OF
the human race. Those great floods were
of another day and generation and now
exist almost in tradition alone. II damage
they did, the effects have long ago been
oblitersted and We have now only to deal
with the greatest OF them all, the torrent
which swept down our valley on February
and ;, and which stands without 8
parallel on the page OF Time.
The Foundation SNOW.
In tracing the various causes, the COM
binatiou Of which led to the deluge, there
are various elements, meteorological, topo,
graphical and geographical, to be con
sidered, as each played its necessary part
in the great tragedy. The prologue carries
rs back 10 the first week in January, which
marked the heaviest snow fall known to
the central belt, lonsitudinally speaking,
of the United States, in the past half GEN.
tury. About noon, on the Sth Of January,
Tuesday, the snow began to fall, and for
the next twenty. eight hours poured down
with steady persistency. An examina'
ton OF the territory embraced by this fali'
shows that it terminated, in the East, on
the crest Of the Allegheny mountains, or,
II confined ltssf, in that direction, to the
great water shed which drains the valleys
of the Ohio and its headwaters. On
the west, il Coz fined itself to those States
whose southern slopes drain toward the
Ohio. while its southern effect was wide
and far reaching, extending into States
seldom visited by sny great quantity Oh
snow, Not only, therefore, was 1t remarka-
BILE from its location and extent, but from
its great depth. The fall continued, until
in the valleys, two fee hai!fsllsn while on
the mountain tops, the depth was estimst'
Cd 81, from two and hall TO four feet. So
widespread and wonderful was the deposit
that it was the subject of comment IN all
scientific and meteorological circles within
its limits.
The First Break.
Three dsys after the fall light rain sci
in followed py warm wines, and IN the
valleys the snow began to run on with
srest sviftpess. From Pittsburgh came the
warning message that flood was teared'
,bousb AZ that time the word flood meant
univ very high water. But q change oi
wes,ber was close at hand. The mildness
WAS succeeded by q sharp frost, whlcn
Locked ND the small streams and bound the
srov to its position everywhere. On the
Ieth OF January a second heavy snow
s,orm set in and during the next three
5svs fell in such quantity IS to add al
Issst another foot 10 the average depth
then prevailing throughout the great wa
tor shed already mentioned. A fair esti
mate placed the average depth al three
sHst var the drainage ground Of this en-.
80 nnper valley where IL was solidiheo
by ten DAYS of frigid weather, the coldesl
syneriencsd here for many years. TINS was
| tha foundation lHd for the great delugs
| through which we have passed.
The Great water Shed.
For a perfect understanding OF the
causes which bore this immense volume
of water down upon US, it will be necss
ssrv to glance at the map, and appreciate
ths vast extent of the territory whose va
ters are tributary to the Ohio. The Ohio
i, formed at Pittsburgh by the confluence
Of the two rivers, Allegheny and Aonon
sshels. More properly speaking, 1t is th'
union of three rivers, as the ioughioghenJ
comes into the Monongahela at Mckees
mort, q few miles from Pittsburgh. Com
inc from nearly dismetrically opposite di
rsctiors, these two great rivers drain
country extending from the lakes, IN New
York, to the Greenbrisr mountains on th'
south. and in the east to where the higi
ground divides the waters OF the Atlantis
from those of the Gulf of Mexico. Th'
Allegheny finds its source among tn.
| b;ehlsnds of western New York, the creek
and riyulets which give 1t birth, spreadini
in every direction like the Stats OF . ian
As il pursues its tortuous course IN gen
eraily southwestern direction, IT'S teo Q.
thousands OF small tributaries, Wnose ram
ifcations cover all OF the north western par
| ~ Pennsylyanis and far into Ohio. Freucl
creek. Clarion river, Redoank and MShon
ING creeks and the Kiskiminetas river q
ioin their waters with ii within th
spsos Of $50 miles, and when The All,
vheny io.lly reaches Pittsburgh it hs