The Penn's Grove record., 1888-07-14
A GREAT FRESHET.
THE MoNoNGAHELA RIVER RISES A
FOOT AN HoUR-PEOPLE SEEKING
THE HILLS For SAFETY.

PITTsBURG, Pa, July II. - The
freshet in the M0nOngahela river is
almost unprecedented, and great damage
has been done to the river craft and
property all along the river from the
headwaters to this city. The sudden
ness of the rise took the river men
entirely unawares, and they were not
prepared when the great volume OF
water burst upon them. Millions OF
feet of lumber, scores of coal craft,
fences, Outhouses and coal tipples have
been floating down the swift current
for the last IS hours. The river at this
point is still rising, with 81 feet .
inches on the marks at 8 o'clock, but
it Is reported as stationary, with 40
feet, at Greensboro, a hundred miles
above this city. at every point between
Greensboro and Pittsburg the lOwlands
are under water and the 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 a foot an
hour, and at Greensboro % feet of a
rise was recorded in less than "a hours.
The damage to property cannot be esti-
mated az present, but it will reach
away up into the thousands.
A solitary barge, which broke away
Yesterday, caused over $1,000 damage,
and this is but one little item. So far
but one life has been reported lost, that
Of a man named George Getter, who
was struck by a parted cable and IN
srantly killed. The scene along the
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 cur
rent. The river and coal men were on
the alert, fearing that their craft would
he torn from its moorings, and as fast
as the cable would snap in twain it
would he replaced by another. Coca.
slonally a floating boat, barge or tipple
would strike one of the piers of the
Smithfield street bridge, and with a
loud, grating sound sink from view.
Again, the helpless craft would pass
the bridges in safety and continue on
its Journey to Cincinnati. The great
est damage to river craft occurred be-
tween l.30 O'Clock this morning and
daylight. Shortly before 2 O'Clock a
large number of barges belonging to
jenkins & Co., came down the river
from the second pool and struck the
Smlth6eld street bridge, the barges
turning end over end, and breasting
the towboat Barnard In against the
steamer Jacobs.
Later the steamer George Wood
broke her moorings, above the Tenth
street bridge, and came drifting down
the river, but was finally caught and
towed to a safe harbor. The ropes
that held the ~half-sunken Cincinnati
wharf boat, which the owners had
been struggling for II hours to save,
parted about this time. and the cum
bersome craft was quickly swept away.
A few minuter later a lot of O'Neill's
oarees and 26 pieces, belonging to
Joseph Walton II Co., were cut from
their moOrings and carried down
stream.
Williamsburg, Beck's Run, portions
of McKeesport, California, Mononga-
hela City, Belle Vernon, Brownsville,
Fayette City and other towns along
the river are reported partly subnerg
ed this morning. The water in some
places Is above the first floor OF the
houses, while piles of lumber, timbers
and drift In many cases are jammed
against the doors. and windows. All
various points along the lines of the
P~ittsburg, Virginia and Charleston and
Ohio II llroads the tracks are under
water, and great difficulty Is experinced
In running trains.
About II o'clock a saw mill, includ-
ing all machinery, passed down the
river, 1t was swept from Belle
Vernon. Pa, 80 miles south of this
city, and was owned by Captain Cox,
who valued it at $1,000. Early this
morning a man with a wagon and team
of horses attempted to cross the Ohio
river, below Saw Mill run, or a flat.
When in the middle of the river he
lost control Of the Hat, and 1t was
carried down the stream. 1t is not
known whether tile mar was rescued or
not.
The latest estimates of the damage
put the total loss at over "a million of
dollars
At McKeeSport all the mills are
closed, and hundreds are homeless and
destitute. The CHARTERS natural gas
main, crossing the river at that point.
was broken during the night, and an
Immense pressure of gas forced into
the air. Mr.. Knight. the watchman
of the Pittsburg, Mckeesport and
Youghiogheny 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 set on
| lire. but the flames were extinguished
| before it "a destroyed.
A despatch flom California says:
| During the highest point of the flood,
the long trestle works of the Piltsburg,
Virginia and Charleston Railroad span
ming Pike Run creek turned owe from
one end to the other, submerging the
| Western Union telegraph wires. Mr..
Laird, the section boss, was on 1t at
| the time. but he escaped without In
jury,
The county bridge spanning the creek
lust below the trestle was lifted from
its abutments and drifted ashore. An
effort will be made to drop it back as
the river recedes. The damage to gar
dens and crops and to property along
the river cannot be estimated. Two
passenger trains are now blocked al
this place. Tie damage to the railway
company and the Inconvenience to the
business men and travelling public will
he great, as it will be at least ten days
before the trestle over Pike run a lie
rebuilt.
Not less than 80 bridges are gone In
Marion, Harrison, Taylor, Wetzel,
Wood, Writ, Richie, Lewis and ad-
Joining counties, and hundreds OF
houses have been swept away or are
badly damaged. In Taylor county the
loss Is S250,000, in Harrison as much
more, in Wood county, 10000, and
in like proportion all through the
flooded districts.
The Damage I'm West Virginia.
WHEELING, w. Va, July 1.-THE
rise in the Valley river at Grafton
yesterday morning from the rains OF
the past two days was unprecedented,
and the result to the lumber interests
OF this section is disastrous. At about
/ y 11,Iaatr ,,nfarl,u nnnr.s.. Al, Wall.