The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-08

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Press dispatch received at midnight re-
% feet u inches and rising;
weather cloudy and cool. 1t is evident
that the last dispatch was wrong,
THE RISE OVER,
There was no cause from above TO create
suCh v rise and had there started such q
change, warnings would have
been sent long before midnight. The rise
Is over and all danger past unless a warm
rain shovld suddenly set in and start the
snow'in the mountains to melting.
II Is, OF course, unnecessary to state that
everyone was agreeably surprised after
reading their morning papers, In which
the nsws about the river was based on
The latest reports before going to press
and which was such rs to Justify the be-
lief that there would be at least q So loot
to learn from the early morning re-
ports from Pittsburgh that there was no
cause for further alarm. The reports dur
Ing the day continued to report the head
falling and the weather colder,
The merchants who had moved their
goods out OF their cellars aud the people
who had had their pianos moved, carpets
taken up and made general preparations
for q Hood, were laughed at yesterday,
but they could well afford 10 stand the
fun poked Ut them. 1t was much better
for them to go 10 the trouble they did
than suffer the loss that many did two
years ago by reason Of not giving heed TO
tho warnings that were Issued.
Yesterdays high water did not do
much damage. OF course the lowest points
were inundated, but nothing Of any value
was left for the waters to encroaCh on.
The Fair grounds were not reached. I
WHY IT WENT no HIGHER.
An experienced river nan who was
lounging along the wharf yesterday,
rendered idle by q stage Of water which
prevented his boat from making her trips,
was kept busy answering the queries Of
lCq~uaintanCes hs TO how high the river
would probablycome. When he uniformly
ooh, thirty.three or thirty.ave
Ieet," surprise was invariably manifested.
In answer to II remark the gentleman
said: "People lost their heads this time.
There was no occasion for alarm. II you
will look in the lNTRLLIGRNCRR this morn
Ing you will observe a table Of the stages
At Pittsburgh and here at past freshets,
and you will see that the difference be-
tween the highest poiut here and at Pitts.
burgh has been as low as nine or ten feet
and as high az nineteen or twenty feet,
II you will compare winter and summer
rises you will notice y significant differ
ence. The amount Of water at Pitts
burgh has, OF course, something to do
with the amount here but 1t has nc more
bearing than many other things. Under
certain circumstances twenty-five feet Of
water at Pittsburgh might give us over
iorty feet here. But those circumstances
lid not exist"
WHAT MAKES A FLOOD.
"Ii," he continued, "a twenty-five foot
at Pittsburgh had continued Tor a
day or so, we would have more water,
When a freshet gets out otthe banks once
It takes al enormous quantity Of water 10
raise 1t q foot. But II after 1t gets up there
big water keeps on pouring In It runs out
very slowly, aud rises much faster In pro-
portion. II the big flow from above is
soon over, 1t runs right past.
"The rivers and creeks below Pitts
burgh affect US greatly. II they run out
for some length OF time, then
look out here. But II they boom out and
then tame down the high water backs up
their beds, and the lower valley Is relieved
10 that extent.
"The colder weather last night helped
US a little. The snow, too, made the water
On the ground sluggish. The big contri.
buttons from headwaters were not REIN
forced enough to make a freshet here
anything like that OF 1884: The big snow,
The warm weather, the steady rain Of 1854
we're a combination seldom experienced.
This time We had the rain, but mostly In
The shape Of snow. There was nothing
Tor 1t TO wash oil, and 1t would not have
1t of II there had been. A warm
spell and q pouring rain on the stage we
mad yesterday would have given us AZ or
10 feet. AS 1t was, there was no reason
.or people to get ratified as they did at
Pittsburgh and here"
A TALK WITH wHARFMAsTRR cRocKARD.
"About what time do you think the
marks here will show forty feet In the
?" asked an 1NTTLLiaENCRR re-
porter OF Wharfmaster CroCkard, who the
lay before had predicted that the rise
would probably reach that stage here.
The Wharimaster leaned back In his
chair and laughed heartily as he said,
swell, this time we were all fooled, both
here and at Pittsburgh. Now, yesterday
morning, Capt. Stockdale telegraphed that
they were sure 10 have thirty feet at Pitts.
and Capt, Gray, who Is at the head
Of the Iron Line, telegraphed US that In
his opinion they would have at least
tw~enty.eight feet. 1t had been raining
and showing and there was no telling
what II was going TO do along the
h%eadwaterg. Figuring on these re-.
ports from old, experienced riyermen
We could not make out anything, but q
Of water that would cause Consldera-
BILE damage. Fortunately their Calcula.
lions were wrong and we are going to
have very little over SO feet II the present
weather holds cut. II there should sud.
denly came a warm rain before this river
has q chance to run oft, l think there
would be some danger, for there 10 con.
siderable snow on the hills Up the river
aud especially alongth the Monongahela. /
would not advise Main street merchants
10 put their goods back In their cellars
until we see the river falling again and
know that II 10 going out fast enough 10
make II safe even II there should come
another Storm"
LAST NiaHr's DISPATCHES.
GREENSBORO, PA.-Rlvsf2 20 feet and fall.
Ing; showing.
OIL CfrH, PA.-River s feet 0 inches and
showing heavily.
PARKER, pA.-Riyer 12 feet and rising
weather cool and showing.
BRowNBvtLLK, .PA.-Rlver 20 feet o
inches and falling weather snowy ther.
nomster 35e,
RiCE's LANDING, PA.-River 20 feet 0
inches and falling weather cloudy Their.
nometsr 880,
Lock No. FoUR, PA.-River "a feet 0
inches and falling showing steadily ther.
nombtsf 40''. ~
MoRaASrowN, W. va,-River 10 feet 0
inches and falling weather cloudy ther.
nometer 35'.