Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-12
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF CRAFT
Along the Rivsr-LOng Railroad Bridge at
Pittsburg Turned Completely
Over.
GREAT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
Reported from All Over This Section Nil
lions Of Dollars Worth Of
Damage Done.
RIVERS FALLING ABOVE PIFHSBURG

And No More Damage Apprshsndsd-Ths
Loss in This Sate---WlIl Take Mill
ions to Cover It in West
Virginla---DeLails.
PIrrsBURG, July 1.-THE freshet in
the MonOngahela river is almost upprece-
dented, and great damage has been done to
river craft and property along the river
from the headwaters to this city. The
suddenness of the rise took the river men
entirely unswares, and they were not pre-
pared when the great volume of water
burst upon them. Millions of feet OF lum-
Der, scores Of coal craft, fences outhouses
aud coal tipples have been floating down
theswift current for the last eighteen hours.
The river at this point is still rising, with
2l feet 8 inches on the marks at 9 O'Clock,
but it is reported ss stationary with As
feet at Greensboro, q hundred miles above
here. At every point between Greensboro
and PittsbuTg the lowlsnds are under
water and the residents have been COM
PEELED to live in the upper stories of their
houses, and in some cases to seek the hills
for safety. Many had time to remove their
goOds,a as the water rose at the rate OF a foot
an hour, and at Greensboro 80 feet of q
rise was recorded in less than 81 hours.
The damage to property cannot be estima-
ted at present, but it will reach away up
into the Thousands.
A solitary barge which broke away yes
terdsy
CAUSED OVER FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
DAMAGES,
and this is but one little item. So far but
one life has been reported lost, thst Of
George Getter, who was struck by parted
cable and instantly killed. The scene
along the river front this morning was one
OF great excitement The banks were
lined with people watching the debris as
it was swept down the swift current. The
river and coal men were on the alert, fear
ing that their craft would be torn from
its mOoriDgs. As fast Is one cable would
snap in twain, il would be replaced by
another. Occasionally 3 floating boat,
barge or tipple would strike one of the
piers of the Smithield street bridge with
loud grating sound and sink from view
Again the helpless craft would pass the
bridges in safety and 90 on its journey to
Cincinnati. The greatest damage to river
craft occurred between 80 O'Clock this
morning and daylight. Shortly before
two o'clock large number of bsrges be-
longing to Jenkins 4 Co, came down the
river from the second pool and struck the
Smithfield street bridge. the huge barges
turning end over aud breastiDg the tow
boat Barnard in against the steamer
Jacobs.
EVERY WHISTLE On THE RIVER SOUNDED
the alarm, and as the livid rays OF the cleo
trio lights swept from side to side across
the turbulent flood it represented wild
sight. Logs, barges and fuel boats were
dashed against the pier of the bridge and
snapped like twigs by the overwhelming
force of the current. Half of one of Jen-
kins' boats lodged against the bottom
lust below the Monongshela bridge and the
water dashed over it, throwing sprays high
into the air, while the drift wood crushed
and cracklsd over the wreck, with the
grinding noise which adds to the horrors
of Hood. About fifteen minutes after the
broken barges came down, q number Of
pieces of wreckage tloated past, in the
middle of which a shauty boat was swept
along with light on board. The riveImen
shouted and the whistles screamed to get
an answer from any persons who might
he on the boat, but no reply came, and II
the owners were on board and asleep, as
some of the rivermen thought, they were
swept down to inevitable destruction.
Later, the steamer George Wood broke her
mocripgs above the Tenth street bridge
and came drifting down the river, but was
finally caught and towed to safe hsrbor.
The ropes that held the half sunken Gin
einnati wharfboat, which the owners had
been struggling for twelve hours to save,
parted about this time and the cumbersome
craft WAS quickly swept away. A few
minutes later lot of 0'Neil's bsrges and
twenty-six pieces belonaing TO Joseph
Walton 4 Co. were cut from their moor
ings and carried down the stream.
''PoIIsHrowN,"
located along the bank of the Monongahela
river between the loot Of South Twenty
second and South Twenty-fourth streets,
was in a sorry plight. There are nearly
seyenty-five shanty boats at that point
occupied by over $50 families, aggregating
a population Of more than 500 people. All
of these, with the exception Of about
dozen families, camped out last night.
Early Yesterday morning the trouble be-
gan. All day men. women and children
were busy pumping water out Of the boats
and removing their goods to places of safe
~. By night ten boat houses had been
sunk or capsized and several carried down
the river. The families who moved out
piled their goods mp along the Lake Erie
railroad, and then the men did the best
they could to secure the shsnties, while the
women watched their POSSESS
ions by the nXnt OF WOOD
fires. Little children crawled
under pieces of furniture and slept on in
blissfnl ignorance Of the flood and its in
cumbent cares. On both sides Of the river,
from the Point bridge to far above the !
Tenth street bridge, scenes of the hyeliest
description occurred. Many incidents are |
luiicrous and laughable, and some serious
enough to those who were compelled TO be |
the sectors in them, but fortunately none |
ended in catastrophe. From the Smith |
field street bridge to n considerable dig |
tance above the Baltimore and Ohio depot, |
were q number Of boat houses occupied by |
families. The sudden rise of the water |
found these occupants totally unprepared,
and goodly number of the semi,smphib-
ions dwellers were
FORCED TO MAKE HAsrY RETREAT |