Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-03
At WnshinetOn.

WASHINGTON, June "A bright, warm sun
shone pleasantly in a clear sky to-day, but
along good part of the principal business
thoroughfare, Pennsylvania avenue, and in
the adjacent streets to the southward, there
was turbed muddy water that washed five
and six feet deep in the sides of houses, I'LL.
ing the cellars and easements, and causing
great inconvenience and considerable loss of
property.
boats piled along the avenue near the
Pennsylvania railroad station and through
the streets of south Washington all day.
a carp two feet long was caught in the Ia
dies waiting room at the Baltimore & Po
tomac station and several others were caught
in the streets by boys. These
fish came from the government
fish pond, the waters of the
Potomac having covered the pond and al
from the usually calm, peaceful Potomac
was n wide roaring turbulent stream of dirty
water rushing madly onward and bearing
on its swift moving surface all kinds
twice its normal width and flowed six teet,
and more, Deep through tho streets along
the river front, submerging the wharves and
manufacturing establishments, and tapping
the second stories of the mills, boat houses
and fertilizing works in Georgetown. Fur
ther down the stream it completely flooded
the Potomac flats, which the government
had raised at great expense, to
the heighth of four and five feet, and inun-
dated the abodes of the poor negro squatters
who had built their frame shanties along
the rivers edge. The rising of the water
has eclipsed the high-water mark Of 1877.
The loss will be enormous In some places
it is millions OF dollars, but no reliable fig
subsidies and allows property owners
to examine their buildings The city has
been shut aft from communication with the
west and south for two days, and there will
be scarcity of milk and other supplies until
the roads are repaired sufficiently to allow
railroad trains and wagons to enter the city.
On Louisiana avenue, where the produce
and commission houses are located, on Sat
urday night the water soon Invaded the CEN
ter of the MARKET ana late buyers were COM
PEELED TO utilize boats to secure their Sunday
dinners.
At Point of Rocks the Potomac overhowed
into the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, and the
two became one. 1t broke open the canal in
many places and lifting the barges up. shot
them down stream at rapid gait. Trunks
of trees, immense rafters, small houses and
other debris were torn from their
places and swept onward. Below
the aaueduCt bridge, as far as
Rock creek, the rivers bank is lined with
business places of all descriptions, including
coal dumps, warehouses fertilizng manu-.
factories, cement works boat houses and
mills. The owners of these places worked
hard 10 save their property and succeeded to
tSttut, Dut iIt Wut6IS Shlutu
on them so rapidly that they forced to desist
before they had accomplished all that they
desired.
AT B o'clock the water began falling. This
VIII continue, as the reports received by tho
signal Office say both the Shenandoah and
Potomac were falling rapidly.
President Harrison did not attend church
today but spent the time In cominu unication
with the people in the ilood-strickeI districts,
with view Of granting them suck succor AS
lay In the power of the government
General Schoield, acting secretary Of war,
came TO the white house, this morning, and
he and the president repaired TO the tele-
graph room, where they we're put in commu-
nicatlon with as many points aud rs many
persons near the flooded district rs possible.
The president offered to extend 10 the people
IN distress any succor which the government
could give He said the government would
supply as many tents and ratious ana SOL
ders 10 assist in the work of reclamation as
possible. The president and Cen Sci ohcld
remained near the telegraph instruments re-
celvlng and replying to kilograms until noon.
After luncheon they spent more time in tele-
grabbing, and at O'clock the president went
out driving TO view the destruction which the
Hoods OF the Potomac had wrought
The government has about two thousand
tents which IL can lend 10 the sufferers. II
has also under its control several thousand
tents belonging TO the militia, and ,hes5 will be
loaned il needed Tho offer of soldiers was
made for the reason that !: was thought they
might be useful in clearing away the debris,
searching for the drownsd and in guarding
property.