Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-12
A RUSHING RIVER.
Unprecedented Rise in the MonongaheIa
Millions of Dollars Lost

PITTsBURG, July l1th.-1 -Ie reshet in the
Monongahela river is unprecedented and
great damage has been done to river craft
and property all along the river, from
the headwaters TO this city. The sudden
ness of the rise took the river men entirely
unawares, and they were not prepared when
the great volume of water burst upon them.
AT every point between Greensboro and
Pittsburg the lowlands are under the water,
and the residents have been compelled to
live In the upper stories of their houses,
and in some cases 10 seek the hills for
safety. Many had not time to remove their
goods, as the water came in at the rate of
one foot an hour, and at Greensboro
SHOOT rise was recorded in less than
twenty-four hours.
The greatest damage to the river craft
occurred between 1:30 o'clock this morning
and daylight. Shortly before o'clock a
large number of barges came down the
river and struck the bridge, the huge barges
turning end over end and breasting the
tow boat Barnard in against the steamer
Jacobs. Every whistle on the river sounded
the alarm, and as the rays of the electric
light swept from side to side across the
turbulent flood it presented a wild sight.
Logs, barges and fuel boats were dashed
against the piers of the bridge and snapped
like twigs by the overwhelming force of
the current.
Polishtown, located along the bank of
the Monongahela river, was in a sorry
plight to-day. There are nearly seventy
flve shanty boats at that point, occupied by
over 15o families, aggregating a population
OF more than 800 people. All of these,
with the exception of about dozen fam
lies, camped out last night.
At Williamsburg, Beck's Run, a portion
of Mckeesport. California, Monongahelia
City, Belle Vernon, Brownsville, Fayette
City and other towns along the river are
reported partly submerged this morning.
At 1890 word was received that Lock
No. 4, located short distance above Mo-
nongahela City, had been carried away.
The loss from this will be very heavy. A
sudden rise is believed to have been caused
by cloudburst, which covered large sec
ton OF southern Pennsylvania and West
Virginia.
THE WATERS sUBSIDING.
PITTsBURG, July i1th.-At6 o'clock this
evening the water was falling at all points
between Pittburg and the headwaters, and
no more damage from the freshet is appre-
hended. The highest point reached here
was twenty-three feet, and at 6 o'clock it
had fallen to twenty-five feet.
The current is still running at the rate of
nine miles an hour, but the river is COM
paraively clear of debris, everything hay
ing run out.
A later dispatch from Wheeling saws that
from reports received from the flooded dis
tricts in West Virginia it looks as if the
money loss by Mondays rain would reach
nearly two million dollars
At least three lives have been lost.
The water is falling rapidly at all points,
and it is now becoming possible to get de-
tailed reports from the small towns and
villages in the mountains.
IN WEST VIRGINIA.
WHEELING West Va.), July 1lth.-The
rise in Valley river at Grafton Yesterday
from the rains of the past two days was
unprecedented, and to the lumber ir ter
ests of this section is disastrous. Thou
sands OF logs were swept away booms, de-
stroyed and mills near the river badly
damaged. Several buildings were washed
down the river and crushed to atoms when
they struck the strong iron railroad bridge
here
The flood so far is more disastrous 10
Grafton than the fire of year ago. and the
loss to the town and section will not fall
far short of $250,000 The damage at
Raullsburg will reach $4,000.
Around Parkersburg the railroads were
badly washed out in all directions Farms
are Hooded, and hundreds of acres of grow
ing crops and harvested grain are deluged.
Millions OF feet of timber are ahoat in the
swift current, going to destruction. The
very stream is out of its banks, and num-
Der of families have had to move to higher
ground. The losses are estimated at
100000.
AT Clarksburg twenty houses were carried
away and an innumerable amount of prop
erty ruined.
Last night was night of terror. The
water reached its highest stage at l o'clock,
and by those who remember the flood of
1852, it is conceded that it entirely sur
passed it. The loss to the town and county
cannot even be estimated, bat it is very
heavy