Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-11
RAIN.SWOLLEN RuvESS.
Much Property Destroyed by Freshets
I'm the MOnOng aheIa mud Ohio.

Much Property Destroyed by Freshcts
i'm the MOnOng ahcIa and Ohio.
PrTTsBURG, July 1.-THE freshet in the Monon- |
gahela River Is unprecedented, and great damage
has been done TO the river craft and property all
along the river from the headwaters TO this city.
The suddenness OF the rise took the r1yer men en-
urely unawares. Millions OF feet OF lumber,
stores OF coal craft, fences, Outhouses and coal
tipples have been floating down the swift current
for the last eighteen hours The river at this
point Is still rising with 2l feet inches ON
the marks at O'Clock, but it Is re-
ported as stationary with ~ feet at Greens
boro hundred miles above this city.
AT every point between Greensborough and Pitts
burg tie lowlands are under water, and the resi-
dents 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 70 remove
their goods. as the water at the rate OF foot
an hour. and at Greensborough - feet OF a rise
was recorded In less than twenty-iour hours. The
damage TO property cannot be estimated at pres
ent, but IL will reach away up into the thousands.
solitary barge. which broke away yesterday.
caused over 5000 damage. so far but one life
has been reported lost, that OF a man named Geo.
Getter, who was struck by parted cable and in-
stantly killed.
THE SCENE ALONG THE RIVER FRONT
thls morning was one OF great excitement The
banks were lined with people watching the debris
as IL was swept down the swift current The river
and coal men were on the alert fearing that their
craft would be torn from its moorings, and as fast
as one cable would snap in twain IL would be re-
boat, barge, or upple would strike one OF
the piers OF the Smithfleld-street bridge
and with loud, grating sound sink
from view. Again the helpless craft would pass
the bridges In safety and continue on its Journey
to Cincinnati The greatest damage 10 river craft
occurred between 30 O'Clock this morning and
daylight shortly before = O'Clock large number
OF barges belonging TO jenkins GO. came down
the river from the second pool and struck the
Smithiield street bri ge, the barges turning end
over end, and breasting the towtoat Barnard in
against the steamer Jacobs Every whistle on the
river
sor-SDrp THE ALARM
and as the lvid rays OF She electric lights swept
from side TO side across the turbulent Hood, II pre-
were dashed against the piers OF the bridge and
snapped like twgs by the Overwhelming force OF
the current. Half OF one OF jenkins boats lodged
against the bottom, Just below the Smithreld
brldge, and the water dashed over IL, throwing
spray high into the air, while the driftwood
crushed and cracked over the wreck. with the
grinding noise which adds 10 the horrors OF
food.
About fifteen minutes after the broken barges
came down a number OF pieces OF wreckage nOated
past in the middle OF which shanty boat was swept
along with light on board. The rivermen shouted
and the whistles screamed 70 get an answer from
any persons VINO might be on the boat. but no
reply came, and II the owners were on board and
asleep, as some OF the river men thought they
were
SWEPT DOWN TO INEVITABLE DESTRUCTION.
Later the steamer George Wood broke her moor
lngs above the 10th street bridge and came drift
Ing down the river, but was finally caught. The
ropes that held the hail sunken Cincinnati wharf
boat, which the owners had been struggling for
twelve hours to save. parted about this time and
the lumbersome craft was quickly swept away.
few minutes later a lot OF O'Neils barges and
twenIy-siN pieces belonging to Joseph walton
were cut from their moorings and carried down
stream.
RESIDENTS OF sHANTY BOATS IN A PLIGHT
'Polishtown," located along the bank OF the Mo-
nongahela River, between the foot OF south 22d
and South oath streets. was in sorry plight to-day.
There are nearly seventy-1ve shanty boats at that
point, occupied by over one hundred and fifty
families, aggregating population OF more than
nVe hundred people. All OF these with the eAcep-
tion OF about a dozen families camped out last
night. Early yesterday morning the trouble be-
gam All day men, women and children were busy
pumping water out OF the boats and removing
their goods 10 places or safety. BY night
ten bolt-houses had been sunk or capsized and
several carried down the river. The families who
moved out piled their goods up along the Lake
Erie railroad, and then the men did the best they
could TO secure their shanlies while the women
fires. Little children crawled under pieces OF
furniture and slept on In bllssful ignorance OF
the Hood and It's incumbent cares.
PARTLY SUBMERGED VILLAGES
Williamsburg, BecA's Run. portions OF Nc
Keesport, California, Monongahela CITY, Belle
Vernon, Brownsville, Fayette ClIy and other
towns along the river are reported partly sub
is above the first door OF the houses while piles OF
lumber, timbers and drifts Ia many cases are
Jammed against the doors and windows Al
various points along the lines OF the PiUsbur-
Virginia and Charleston and the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroads. the tracks are under water and
=
LOCK CARRIED AWAY.
AT l0:3o O'Clock this morning woId was received
that lock No; 4, short distance above Mononga-
hell city, had been carried away 10y the strong
current. Tn loss from this Will be very heavy
IL is impossible to hear from many points up the
river, as the telegraph and telephone wires are
down and there Is a complete C ssation OF commu-
nlcation by telegraph or rail The sudden rise Is
believed To have been caused 10y cloud burst,
which covered large section OF southern Pennsyl-
vania and West Virginia. Fortunately there was no
rise IN the Aleghany River. III the high water had
come IRON the north also the hood would have
reached q eater height than the great freshet or
1884. AS IL Is. none but the lowlaaders Will suffer
In the vicinity.
LOSSES OF 100000
Correct figures OF the loss cannot be given at
this time, but IL Is safe TO estimate II at 100000
and IL may reach a great deal more. The loss in
this vicinity 10 coal and river men Will probably
exceed halr that amount The estimates are
and reach as his as halI million dollars. About
IL O'Clock saw-mlll, including all machinery,
passeu down the river. IL Was swept from Belle
Vernon Pa, 90 miles south OF this city, and was
owned by Capt. Cox, who valued II at $1,000.
Early this morning man with wagon and team
OF horses attempted 10 cross the Ohlo River below
SawMill Kun IN Hat When la the middle OF the
river he lost control OF the FIAT and IL was carried
down the stream. Ii Is not known whether the
man was rescued or not The telegraph companies
report communication entirely cut OF with Mo-
nongahela Valley points Grafton, W. Va, reports
traffic the nlalD stem OF The Baltimore and Ohio
Road suspended. Two tunnels are nled to the top
with debris.
HEAVY DAMAGE IN WEST vIR GINA.
PARKERsBuRG, W. VA, July lL-The storm on
Monday night was the most disastrous OF the
many which visited this region during the past
week and the loss OF property IN a range OF twelve
counties hereabout Is estimated at a quarter or a
million dollars. A bridge worth $4,000 was swept
from its mooringS here yesterday. All day Immense
quantities OF wheat ami timber noated
farm In the valley OF the counties ad-
Joining this has been swept clean
OF its products. The Middle Island Tie Co. lost
A. 600 ties last night. valued at $4,000. num-
Der OF treSties ana bridges on the columbus and
Northern road, running into Harmar, on the Ohio
side, are washed away and travel Is Indefinitely
suspended. The Zanesyille and Ohio River Road,
Just put into operation Is badly washed out, and
il will be several days before travel is resumed.
No train has come from the east on the Baltimore
and Ohio since Monday morning. The town OF
Salem Is entirely under water and the people have
left their homes
Suisun,s Loss IL four Hundred Thou
sand Dollars.
SUIsUN, CAL, July 1.-THE total loss by the fire
OF Monday is now placed at 1900, with an in