The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-02-21
Terrible Destruction Wrought by
the Floods in the
Ohio Valley.
The Waters Reach a Higher Point
Than 1t Has Been for
Centuries.
Untold Suffering at Wheeling and
Other Points Along the
Roaring River.
Hundreds OF Towns and Vast Stretches
OF Country Inundated-Star.
walton and Famine.

Especial Telegraphic Correspondence of Chicago |
Times.l
CINCINNATI AND UPPER OHIO RIVER TOWNS. |
The situation in Cincinnati and her subui bs
is one that calls for COMMUNICATION. A year
ago this week the whole country was aroused
by scenes Of destruction and distress, and to-
night the damage exceeds the widest esti-
mates of last year. The stories OF the floods
in Hungary and Austria are dwarfed by the
size Of the mighty food that at this moment
is rolling in resistless volume down the Ohio.
within cannon shot of the center of population
Of the United States is q community OF 100000
souls, rich and prosperous beyond most cities
Of the country, nearly one-fourth OF which
will be, before this food reaches its utmost
height, driven from or imprisoned In their
homes, and dependent on others for food and
shelter. Not gas jet is lit In all the three
cities. The face of the sun has not been seen
for days. The fun moons gentle rays, thinly
filtered through the clouds, Is the only
source of light ut night Away from the
struggling beams of coal-oil lamps and scat
tering electric lights, the gloom that has
settled as a pail over the people Is In full
keeping with the sadness of natures self. A
prominent business man said few minutes
since that never In all his life had he felt as
gloomy and disheartened at the prospects OF
Tue IutuTt OutlOOk db night. Inc oIttt
loss In Cincinnati alone of over 81 600, 900 last
year will be multiplied several fold before
Saturday night next.
Again the tributaries are rising, and where
IL will end is a matter of the widest conject-
ure. Conservative people gave seventy feet
as the least figure at which the river would
stop. Many believed that 1t would go still
higher, but II is all matter of guesswork.
The rooms of the relief committee is piled to
the ceiling with provisions and clothing, and
a couple of policemen stand at the door TO
keep back the crowd.
special from Maysville, KY, sixty-fve
miles up the river, says ii has rained steadily
all day and the river is rising one inch an
hour. All business is shut down and citizens
are assisting the needy. The greatest suffer-
ing is In the suburban town of Chester, where
thousands OF people are quartered In halls
and school houses. Relief committees are
distributing provisions in skiffs. In Mays
vile the water Is up to the center OF the town.
Never has there been such suffering. The
Emmett Rifles were ordered out by
the Council to patrol the streets, but
nearly all of them got drunk, took
possession Of the skins, and did more harm
than good. The Manson Company has given
the city OF Maysville g., 5000 for aid. Many
houses pass down the river. AT Aberdeen,
Ohio, nearly opposite, the suffering is intense.
Loud cries are heard from there as houses
tumble down and are carried away.
Above the city, In the upper suburbs, the
blludIlOH 10 WOTsc IHdn tNcT. AZ
it is terrible beyond description. The entire
town Is completely submerged, and many of
the houses along Front street are
almost out of sight. Many are on
the verge of complete destruction.
Not a solitary light is to be seen
and not a voice to be heard. Tusculum is at
present under water. Columbia is very badly
submerged, both above and below. One-third
of the town is under the food. There was no
gas lit hast night. Much suffering prevails.
Delta, Tusculum, Columbia, and East Column
bia are deserted and tenantless. Pendleton
is in the same condition as Fulton and Column
bia. A local relief committee has been busy
for the past five days ameliorating the condi-
ton of the sufferers. The public buildings
are all turned nto marine hospitals. The
people OF Austinburg and Sandfordtown
are in deplorable condition. Coving-
ton stands apparently high and dry, but
gas has been shut of, and the citizens may
look for a cutoff in the water supply. AT New
port the situation is proving worse hourly.
Many families in the extreme lower portion
of the flooded district were forced out of the
second stories to-day. The situation in East
Newport is terrible. The houses I'm that local
ity are oil threatened with destruction. Four
thousand people were fed ty the committee
ut noon, and as many more were turned
away dinnerless in the rain because all sup
plies had given out. There was moth
ing for supper. Advices from Pom
eroy, 245 miles up the river, say the
UOWH anu us dTt blllObJ Gu
tirely submerged, and the destruction has
been terrible. The water was eight feet
higher than ever before. The town has had
no telegraph or railroad communication for
four days. Provisions arc almost exhausted,
and appeals we're made to the country at large
for aid. The special was sent to Athens,
thirty miles, by messenger. Point Pleasant,
w. Va, four miles above, telegraphs for
speedy aid. Parkersburg dispatch says
that the crisis has passed there. The river
N -
severely, the estimated losses being
about Sl,0o0,000. At Gallipolis, ohio, 5000
people are camped on the hills i'm terrible
want for food and shelter. One hundred
and fifty houses have fioated away. Nearly
every business man is bankrupt. A house
went by Middleport this morning with a
woman sitting on the gable end. Men rowcd
out and appealed to her to get off, but she re-
fused, saying she had four babies below. The
glass was broken, and the children were seen
floating dead. New Richmond, Ohio, has
been cut OF for six days from the outside
world except by slxitf. There is water in
every building and hundreds Of houses are
! submerged. The water is twenty-six inches
higher than year ago. The Village Of Rural,
KY, is entirely swept away, only two OF
| thirty-six houses being left.
WHEELING, W. VA.
The city OF Wheeling suffered greater loss
| last week than 1t has in all its hundred years
of existence. Nothing like IL has ever visited
| day of relief since last Wednesday. and as
| soon as the light broke thousands left their
| homes to view the ruin the waters had
| wrought. The island was the principal place
| of resort, for there the destruction was the
| greatest. No accurate estimate can be made
| for many days yet but 1t is certain that the
| loss in the city of Wheeling aono will not fall
| short of 81, 600, 600. AS an idea of the general
| destruction wrought, the loss in pianos alone
| will reach 100000. The relief work goes
bravcly on, aud what can DO Is being done.
| Food Is now plenty, and no ono suffers for
| something to cat The city authorities are
| cleaning the streets OF drift, and people are
making some effort to restore their homes.
| NEW ALBANY, IND.
| The river Is rising one and n half inches an
hour. and Is now sixty-eight feet eight inches
| In the channel, against sixty-nne feet In
| 1892, and seventy-two feet In 1888. Six hun.
| dred residences are flooded here, and the
4 number is being added to steadily. But Ave
of the many factories in the city are running.
Thousands of working people are idle. Fam
lies are huddfed together by the dozens In
small, unwholcsome, damp houses, and sick
ness IL increasing as result. There IL a great
deal Of real suffering, and scenes like this are
frequently met that touch the hardest heart
The situation ip this city r. grave, and tho
suffering il great. The city authorities aud
oil In 10 .lix,,.r