The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-02-14
THE OHIO RIVER FLOOD.
Thousands Of People Driven from Their
Homes by the Raging Waters.

PITTSBURGH AND ALLEGHENY CITY.

PITTSBURGH AND ALLEGHENY CITY.
The waters al Pittsburgh and Allegheny rose
to greater height than at any period since
Feb. TO- 1882. Immense damage was inflicted
by the overflow. A Pittsburgh correspond
ent thus describes the scenes; "The Twin
cities present spectacle never bofore seen
in this city. Miles of valuable property ana
hundreds of houses are under water, wbie
over five thousand families are for the time
without shelter. In this city the flooded ds-
trict. from the Point to Sixth street, b almost
entirely inundated, whibe along the
banks of the Allegheny and honoDe aheIa
rivers, for distance OF six miles, every
house within two blocks OF tho river is under
water. The same Is true of the South side
and Allegheny City. Every iron nslL foun-
dry, and glass factory in tho two cities has
been compelled to shut down. while all the
railroads excepting the Pennsylvania Central
suspended traffic. Between Pittsburgh ana
Allegheny travel by street cars has been
completely shut of. No accurate hg-
ures can yet be given as 10 the dam
age, but the most conservative admit that
itwill mount up into the millions "A CAIN
review OF the situation this morning found
between 5000 and 5000 buildings In the two
cities submerged, and the residences OF $4,000
people, 900 Of whom are notable TO occupy
their houses. Fifteen thousand men are tempo
rarily thrown out OF employment 10y the stop
page of mills and factories. Those rendered
homeless by the food are being cared for in
the public halls, where bedding has been FUR
nished. So far four deaths by drowning
have occurred. The names OF the victims
are Thomas Kelly, John Jacobs, William Bow
man, and Harvey Genung, boy aged III
years. The others were married ana had
families"
WHEELING.
correspondent at Wheeling, w. VA, thus
describes the scenes witnessed there at food
tide: ITO attempt to adequately portray the
condition of affairs in this city is beyoDd
the ability OF the most gifted OF its citizens.
Onehalf OF the city is submerged, from 5,00o
10 1000 people are rendered lone
less, and the loss in money VIII
reach from S150,000 TO 81. GOO, 600
Thousands have been driven from their
homes, and are crowded unfortunately to-
gether In private residences, hotels, ana
market houses, or are walking the streets
without any shelter whatever. Wheeling
island, comp rising about 800 acres, and con-
tanning a population of 800, Is entirely I'M
der water. and the loss there alone ~ S4OO,OOO.
Several lives have already boon lost here ana
i'm surrounding towns. From Bellaire,
Bridgeport West Wheeling, and Martins
Ferry, Ohio, and Fulton, Wollsburg Ben
wood, and Moundsville, Nn heartrendipg ac-
counts of suffering come. Some OF these
towns are entirely submerged, West Wheel
ing, for instance not having solitary house
out of water. Within n radius OF fifteen
miles 10000 people are homeless, and q
loss OF $1,000 900 has been sustained.
The river at wheeling ordinarily but 600 feet
wide. is now swollen TO mile and quarter,
and this will give some faint idea OF the
havoc and ruin wrought. Deaths by drown
ing are reported from several points An
other correspondent teleg rapbed from Wheel
ing that "fully 20, 600 people were driven from
their homes by the Hood, but third OF these
are comfortably quartered at hotels or
boarding houses or with their friends.
Public schools and churches have been thrown
open, and people are housed and fed there.
There has been more damage to property
than ever before. Ii is impossible to esti-
mate the losses, but they will aggregate over
81, 900, 900. The Baltimore and Ohios wires
arc all down, and telephone communication
with all suburbs Ia cut of. The water and
gas works gave out, and the city Is In dark
ness. The streets of half the CITY are navi-
gable only I'm boats, and all sorts Of i'm
provised craft are plying as ferries. Many
people are exposed on the island, not spot
of which remains above water"
CINCINNATI.
Cincinnati dispatch reports: "a worse
food than ever stares Cincinnati i'm the face,
and wreck and ruin Is imminent. Ate o. clock
this evening the river was over sixty feet
and still going up. All the river front is UNI
der water, and for SQUARES back among the
wholesale houses aud factories the fires are
out, the wheels stilled, the men idle and
crowding the streets. Forewarned by the ex-
periencc OF last year, the wholesale houses
have removed the most OF their goods.
The millions of dollars OF damage last
year from this source will not be
repeated TO that extent. How many
people are driven out of their homes by the
flood cannot now be estimated, but IL will
reach probably 10000 in the three cities be-
fore noon tomorrow, unless the rising floods
are checked. Already the relief committee
is preparing to feed and house the victims
that arc sure to present themselves. The
Council is preparing 10 appropriate s1C0 COO
for relief. II is estimated that 8 600 build
iDgs on the Cincinnati side have water on the
first floor, and 1000 on the Kentucky side.
There has been no loss OF life and no great
destruction of property. The most serious
loss is that arising from the suspension of
business.
OTHER POINTS.
AT New Albany, Ind, the plate glass-wOrks
were compelled 10 shut down in all the de-
partments. Fifteen hundred to two thousand
persons are thrown out of employment tem-
porarily by the stoppage Of these works. A
large number OF other manufactures along
the river front had to stop work, throw
ing about 5000 persons out of en-
ployment. Notwithstanding the large number
of persons in enforced idleness from tho
flood there was but little suffering and the
city and county authorities were promptly
relieving those who needed II. Al Jef erson-
vile, four miles above New Albany, Sc
rious loss was inflicted nearly all
the houses in the town being I'M
der water. At Louisville, opposite JEFF
fersonvile, the principal loss was in lumber,
about 100000 feet having been washed
away. People living in the low sect 'ons took
warning from their experience of last year,
and moved out before the flood came. The
levee broke at Luxembourg, Ind. and in
undated the town. The people had prepared
themselves for the watcry invasion, and con-
sequently no serious losses ensued, beyond
those entniled by temporary suspension of
business. Nearly all the rivers throughout
Ohio ind Western Pennsylvania overfowed
their banks, inicting serious damage to
town and farm property along their banks.