The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-12
ANGRY WATERS!
CONTINUED from Fir,i Pqge.l

CONTINUED from First Pdge.l
partly submerged this morn
ing, the water in some places above the
tirst floors OF the houses, while piles OF
lumber, tinsbers and drifts in many
cases are iainmed against the doors and
windows.
AT various points along the lines Of
the Pittsburgh, Virginia K Charleston
and the Baltimore & Ohio railroads the
tracks are under water and great diff
Guilty is experienced in running trains.
AT 1850 O'Clock this morning word
was received that Lock No. 4, located
short distance above Monongahela City,
had been carried away by the strong
current. The loss from this will be very
heavy. 1t is impossible to hear from
many points up the river, as the tele-
phone and Telegraph wires are down.
The sudden rise is believed to have
been caused by
AcLoUD BURST,
which covered a large section Of South
ern Pennsylvania and West Virginia,
Fortunately there was no rise in the
Allegheny river. If the high water had
come from the north also the flood
would have reached a greater height
than the great freshet OF 1854. As it is,
none but the lowlanders will suffer in
this vicinity.
At McKeesport all the mills are
closed down aud hundreds are home.
less and destitute. The CHARTERS
natural gas main crossing the river at
that point was broken during the night
and an immense pressure OF gas was
forced into the air. William Knight,
the watchmen OF the Pittsburgh, Me-
Keesport & Youghiogheny railroad,
crossed the trestle ut Salisbury Il short
time after and his lantern ignited the
gus, causing tremendous explosion.
Knight was fatally burned and the
bridge set on fire, but the flames were
extinguished before it was destroyed.
Traffic has been almost suspended on
the Pittsburgh, Virginia & Charleston
road, no trains running south OF Peters
Creek, nineteen miles from here.
At 6 o'clock this evening the water
was falling at all points between Pitts.
burgh and the headwaters and no more
damage from the freshet unprecedented
The highest point reached here was
twenty-three feet and ut o'clock it had
fallen to twenty-five feet. At Browns
vile, California and other towns along
the Upper Monongahela there were
three feet more water than ever before
The current is still running ut the rate oil
nine miles an hour, but the river is com
paratively clear OF debris, everything
having run out. The coal men are now
getting their coal tows in readiness and
tomorrow about 100000 bushels will
be started down the river.
The report that Lock No. had been
carried away by the freshet is untrue
1t is substantially built and will with
stand many more such floods. 1t will
take "a hours for the waters to recedC
sufficiently to permit the residents oil
Polishtown TO return to their shanty
boats.
During the highest point OF the flood
the long trestle works OF the Pittsburgh
Virginia & Charleston railway spanning
Pike Run creek, turned over from one
end to the other, submerging the West
ern Union telegraph wires. Mr.. Laird
the section boss, was on it ut the time
but he escaped without injury. The
county bridges spanning the creek just
below the trestle, was lifted from it,
abutments and drifted ashore. Al
effort will be made to dropit back as the
river recedes. The damage to gardens
and crops and to property along the
river cannot be estimated.