Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-03

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falls and Sl.2 at foot Of locks. Business good.
Weather windy and cloudy, with light snow dur
ing the day. The coal fleet for the South cannot
leave until calmer weather.
WHEELISG-River a feet inches and rising.
Cloudy and cold.
There was great fear of a food yesterday
when in the morning the river registered 10
feet above low water mark ard it was still
rising at the rate Of nearly foot an hour.
When on Thursday the river began its
rise, the threatened cold wave caused the
hope that that would stop all chance of
food, but Notwithstanding the fact that the
snap was as cold as was expected, the waters
continued to swell at great rate, and last
evening grave fears were expressed that the
river would overflow its banks. The Pitts
burg and Western Railroad tracks In ALLIE
gheny were under water and at numerous
other places the river reached out and took
within its grasp territory that seldom comes
under its scope.
The greater amount of water comes from
the Monongahela, and at Brownsville that
river registered over so feet last evening.
The ice is breaking up in the little streams
tributary and great deal of that passed
down stream yesterday, though it was not
heavy enough to co any damage. The
water in the Monongahela backed up that
of the Allegheny, and for some distance it
reached out beyond its usual breadth.
Sewers in the lower parts of the two cities
were filled up by the water backing and
this caused considerable damage.
A Continuous and Rapid Rise.
At this point the Monongahela continued
its rise ali night, though not so rapidly as
during the day. A: 9 o'clock it registered
p feet inches, and in one hour pre-
ceding that time the rise amounted
TO about inches. This sized SWELL
ing on the river at that height
would amount to nearly foot per hour on
n ten-foot river, as the width grows SO rap
idly. The majority of the river men are
not counting on over 25 feet of water all
told before the fall begins, though some
think it will 60 to nearly 80 feet. Upper
river kilograms show that the swelling will
probably stop by the time it reaches 25 feet,
as the weather will, beyond doubt, be very
cold to-day.
According to the Signal Service indica-
tions it will be clear and cold to-day, and
the Thermometer will probably go down to
4uG ram ID lO ot
over. Yesterday the coolest weather was
$50 above zero, and the warmest was 400
above. There was .21 inches of rain.
The rise has at least frightened the people
along the Sewickley Valley and all are pre-
pairing for bigger river. The Coates stock
farm at Edgeworth was abandoned yester-
day and the dozen or so OF valuable horses
were taken to higher ground in the vicinity
and placed in the care OF farmers. At other
places along the river in that vicinity the
people are arranging for more than two
figures of water.
The Wind Blows Up Stream.
One old riverman who claims to know all
the signs and omens connected with the
business declares that the river is bound to
fall because the wind blows up stream. 81
don't know whether that has any affect on
the water or not" said he, but 1 do know
that no river ever kept up rise very long
against a good, stiff breeze. 1 have been
hanging around the river for a good MANY
years, and have never known this to fail. I"
However true the old mans signs may be
the wind did not begin to blow soon enough
TO put the shanty boat livers on the hustle
for better place. The water was at least
deep enough to make a great many move
from their river homes and seek safer
place on dry land. Perhaps they Will feel
safe enough to return to-day.
Captain James Henderson is one of the
river men who considers the rise only a
temporary one and believes that it will not
reach above % feet. He declared yes
terday afternoon that by to-day the
waters would begin to recede and in his
opinion will go down as speedily as it came
up. Coal men look upon the rise favorably
rather than otherwise. and when it starts its
downward course several million bushels of
coal will probably go down the river. A
part OF the Clinton mills on the Southside
were forced to shut down at l. o'clock yes.er-
day on account Of the high water
Victims of the High Waters.
One of the worst features of the high
waters was the explosion of the boiler of the
towboat Annie Roberts by which five men
were killed.
About O'Clock Yesterday morning the
boat was OF her way from Louisville to
Pittsburg with empties, and when opposite
the mouth of the Sciota river she exploded
her boiler. The conclusion was terrific.
Captain Sam j. Reno was thrown from his
bed, but escaped any serious injury. The
boat seemed to rise from the water and settle
back again. Ben Lawson, colored fire.
man from Pittsburg, was blown overheard
and lost. Frank Perry, deck hand, a lake
sailor, was found dead at the rear OF the
boilers. James Swail, white deck hand
of Allegheny, was terribly scalded, and died
soon after the accident. James Green,
a colored fireman from Pittsburg, and
John B. Shoat, white deck hand
from Pittsburg died about noon. Second
Engineer james Reno, of Bellevue. Pa, who
was 100 feet from the engine room, was
badly scalded about the hands and otherwise
slightly hurt, is walking about and will pull
through all right. The mate was slightly
scalded, but is not laid up.
The Annie Roberts belongs to Horner &
Roberts, OF this city, and was built in 1887.
She has four steel boilers. The boat is con-
siderably wrecked, but the extent of her
damage cannot be told now. Possibly 81, 900
may cover it, Captain Sam j. Reno, of
Pittsburg, is in command. After the acci-
dent the wind blew the boat and barges
ashore on the Kentucky side, about q mile
below South Portsmouth. The steamer