The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-12
THE UNRULY WATERS
Cause Considerable Damage
in Eastern States.
THE NO0RE-NORTON CASE.
Another One Gone Wrong-The Re-
publican Committee-Miscel
Ianeous News Paragraphs.
THE NO0RE-NORTON CASE.
Tho Zig Flood.

PITTsBURG, July 1.-THE fres het ID
Ghe MonongaheIa river is almost unpre-
cedented, and great damage has been
done to. river craft and property all along
the river from the headwaters to this
city. The suddenness of the rise took
river men entirely unawares, and they
were not prepared when the great VOL
ume Of water burst upon them. Mil
lions of feet Of lumber, scores OF coal
crafts, fences, outhouses and coal tip
pies have baen floating down the swift
current for the last eighteen hours. The
river at this point is sill rising, with
tWentv-Oue feet nine inches on the
marks at o'clock; but it is reported
as stationary with fOrty-fve feet at
Greens 00rO, a hundred miles above this
city. At every point between Green's
boro and Pittsburg the l0Wlands are
under water, and residents have been
compelled to live in the upper stories
of their houses, and in some cases to
seek the hills for safety. Many had not
time to remove their goods, as the water
rose at the rate Of q foot an hour, and
at Greensboro, thirty-tWO-feet rise
was recor ed IN less than tWenty-fOur
L
be estimated at present, b 1t it will reach
away up into the hundreds OF thou
sands. So lar but oHe life has been re-
ported lost. The scene along the river
front this morning was o19 of great eX
element. The banks were lined with
people watching the debris as it was
swept down the swift current. 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 it would be re-
placed by another. Occasionally a
floating boat, barge or tipple would
strike one OF the piers OF the bridge and
sink from view; again the helpless craft
would pass bridges in safety, and con-
,Ginue on its Journey to Cincinnati. The
greatest damage to the river craft
occurred between 40 O'Clock this
morning and daylight. Shortly before
2 O'Clock large number of barges came
down the river and struck the bridge,
the huge barge3 turning end over end,
and breasting the W-bOat Barnard
in against the steamer Jacobs. Every
whistle on the river sounded the alarm
and as the rays of electric lights swept
from side to side across the turbulent
food, it presented wild sight. Logs,
barges and fuel boats we're dashed
against the piers OF the bridge and
snapped like twigs by the Overwhelming
force of the current. About fifteen
minutes after the broken barges came
down, a number Of pieces of wrec kage
foated past, in the middle OF which
shanty boat was swept along with
light on board. Riyer-men shouted
and whistles screamed to get an answer
from any person who might be on the
boat, but no reply came, and if the
owners were on board and asleep. as
some of the river-men thought, they
were swept down to inevitable destruc-
ton. Polishtown, located along the
bank of the MonOngahela river, was in
sorry plight to day. There are nearly
seventy five shanty boats at that point,
occupied by over $50 families, aggre-
eating a population OF more than 500
people. All of these, with the exception
of about a dozen families, Camped out
last night; early yesterday morning the
trouble began. All day men, women
and children were busy pumping water
goods to places of safety. By night
ten boat houses had sunk or capsiZed
and several were carried down the river.
Williamsburg, Beck's Run, a por-
ton of McKeesport, California, Mon
ongahala City, Bellevernon. Browns
vile, Fayette City aud other towns
along the river are reported partly sab
merged this morning. At various
poiuts along the lines of the Pittsb1rg
Virginia q Charleston and Baltimore &
OHIO railroads, the tracks are under
wafer, and great difficulty is experienced
in running trains. At 1870, word was
received that lock No. 4, located a short
distance above Monongahela City, had
been carried away. The loss from this
will b. very heavy. The sudden rise
is believed to have been caused by
cloud burst which covered large sec
ton of Southern Pennsylvania and
West Virginia.
The latest estimate of the damage
puts the total loss at over million dol
lars. Wheeling reports the damage in
the vicinity of Grafton, w. Va, at not
less than $3.50 900, and about Paramount
at about as much more. The loss at
Brownsville, Pa, is reported to be over
1925 600; at Powleburg, W. Va, $125 90.
In this neighb0rhood 1t will exceed
100000, and it is not eXaggerating to
say that with the above as fair estl-
mates, the total will exceed $l,OCO, OCO,
as the flooded district covers an area of
fully $50 miles At McKeesport all the
mills are closed down. and hundreds
tiers natural gas main, crossing the
river at that point, was broken
during the night, and the i'm,
mense pressure of the gas forced
it into the air. Mr.. Knight, the
watthman Of the Pittsburg, McKees- |
port & Yougheigheny Railroad, crossed
the trestle at salisbury a short time
after and his lantern ignited the gas
causing a tremendous explosion.
knight was fatally burned and the
bridge caught fire, but the flames were
extiDguished before it was destroyed. |
Traffic has almost been suspended on
the the Pittsburg, Virginia & Charles
ton road. No trains are running south |
of Peters Creek, nineteen miles from
here. A Wheeling dispatch says the
freshet was the greatest ever known,
The destruction to property is beyond
computat on, but enough has been
ascertained to warrant the declaration
that nearly every house and most of the