The Delta independent., 1888-07-17
DISASTROUS Floods.

PIrTsBURG, Pa, July ll.-The
freshet in the Monongahela river Is
almost unprecedented, and great dam
age has been done 20 river craft and
property all along the river from its head
quarters to this city. The suddenness of
the rise took river men entirely unawares
and they were not prepared when the great
volume of water burst upon them.
Millions of feet of lumber j., scores Of Goa
craft fences, outhouses, and coal tipp.es
have been floating down the swift curren
for the las, eighteen hours. The river at
this point is still rising, with twenty-ors .
feet nine inches on the marks at 9 O'Clock,
but is reported as stationary with forty-fiTe
feet at Greensboro, one hundred miles
above this city.
A.every point between Greensb oro and
Pittsburg the lowlandS are under water
and the residents have been compel ed to
live in the upper stories of their houses,
and in some cases to seek the hills for
safety. Many had moi time to remove their
goods, as the water rose at the rate of foot
an hour, and at Greensboro thirty two
foot rise was recorded in less than twenty
four hours.
The damage to property canuo, be esti'
mated at present, but it will reach away up
into the hundred thousands 50 far but
one life has been reported lost
The scene along the river front this morn
ing was one OF great excitement The
banks were lined with people watching the
debris as it was swspt down the swift cur.
rent. The river ant coal men were on the
alert, fearing thai their craft would be torn
from their moorings, and as fast as one
cable would snsp in twain it would be
replaced by another. Occasionally q Il Dat
ing boat barge, or coal :ippls would strike
one of the piers of the bridge and sink from
view. Again a helpless craft would pass
the brioce in safety and coitinue on its
journey to Cincinnati.
The greatest damage to river craft occur
red between 81 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 oreasting the tow'boat
Barnard in against the steamer Jacobs.
Every whistle on the river sounded the
alarm, aud as the rays of the electric lights
swept from side to side across the turbulent
flood 1t presented wild sight. Logs,
barges and faei b,ats were dashed against
the piers OF the bridge and snapped like
twigs by the overwhelming force of the
current.
About fifteen minutes after the broken
bhrges came down number of pieces of
wrecksge tioated past, In the midst OF
which shanty boat was swept along with
a light on board. The men shouted and
the whistles screamed to get an answer
from any person who might be on the boat.
No reply came and II the owners were on
board and asleep, as some rivermen
thought, they were swept down to inevtt-
able destruction.
The latest estimate of the damage puts
the total loss at over q, 100000. Wheeling
reports the damage In the vicinity of Graf.
ton, West Virginia, at not less than ss4o,-
600, aud about Fairmont at about rs much
more. The loss NJ Brownsville, Pennsyi'
vnnia, Is reported to he over tisS,ooo, and
at Powlehurg. West Virginia, sis5,ooe. In
this nelghbnrhood 1t will exceed $4,000
and II IN not exaggerating to say, with the
above ~ fair estimates, that the total will
exceed el,0oo0o0. as the flooded district
covers N area Of fully $50 miles.