The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-20
THE SOUTH SIDE.

THE SOUTH SIDE.
At half past two o'clock in the after
noon an IsrK1LloENcER reporter started
on voyage to the South side aud Ben
wood. The Ohio river had backed NJ
In front Of the INTELLIdRNcER office. az
If to save the tourist any unnecessary
From Fourteenth street bee line was
made for the B. & o. depot. In this
lneighborhood all was silent. The whole
sale stores, usually the scene Of busy
animation, were desolate and abandoned.
The depot Of the B. & o. was empty, and
the boat traversed the covered space be.
hind the depot, crossing over Wheeling
creek.
Beyond the creek q few lonely cars
were standing in the water up TO their
necks, with two steamless engines keep.
ing them company.
At the foot Of Twenty.tirst street the
boat was nearly wEecked,e water.soGked
barrel, full OF some substance, striking
her bottom. She was finally gotten of
and drifted along, and arrived at Twenty
second street, On Twenty.second street
the water Ia about Eve feet deer, coming
half up to the ceiling Of Capt. Del.
brugge'a shop. The next stop was at
the new markethouse, on Twenty.third
and Market streets. Quite crowd was
gathered on the land at this point, and
numberless sKitf and fstboats were do.
ing q aeurishing tegrY.boat business
from house to house. Around Twenty.
third street quite current was sweep.
ing. No rowing was necessary there,
and the boat was kept in the middle OF
the street until Twenty.ftth street was
reached. Here the boat debonched into
Main street, sailing along by the River.
side factory and the Belmont mill and
blast furnace.
EREE READING MATTER,
A packsge OF INTELLIoRNcERs had
been put into the boat for free distribu.
ton. Every one OF them would have
sold for a dime apiece, but none were
for sale. No papers had been delivered
along the route, and the imprisoned in.
habitauts eagerly scanned the columns
Of the paper for the latest aood news.
Twenty.seventh street was now
reached. This street, from Main TO
little above Market, seems to be the
lowest part OF town, the water here COM
ing up over the tops OF the doors.
The water in Councilman Kreiter's
store was half way up 10 the ceiling, the
Councilman himself being Imprisoned
in bis second story, surveying ruefully
a lot Of cabbage, potatoes, etc, floating
around the back yard.
TWenty.seventh street was dry from
Chapline up to the hill, but the
water on Chapline street was about a
foot deep. The scenes along Chapline
street were just as monolonous as the
sights in the upper part OF town, and the
boat and its cargo hurried on down to
Ford's crossing, on Thirty,arst street,
first crossing the bridge over Caldwelrs
run.
The railroad crossing was out OF water,
and 1t now became necessary to slide
the boat over the tracks into the deep
water. Wood Bros. planning mill, at
this point, was surrounded by. water,
lumber was floating, and the probability
is that good deal OF finished stuff, such
as doors, window frames and eashes, Is
irretrievably ruined.
The next important point was Bloch
Bros tobacco factory, and 10 get there
the way down 'Chapline street was con-
tinued until Thirty.elght street was
reached. The corner ot Jacobs and
Thirty. eighth streets ts swept by swift
current, and as the water was somewhat
shallow the boat grounded several tinIea.
but was finally freed and swept on down
Jacob .street. At Bloch's factory the
water barely reached TO the hrst hoor.
At Fofty-second street turn was taken
down to the electric car stables.
In the little office room here,
which was two feet in the water, stood q
bench, and on the bench was perched
Pete Gonners, whose well known form,
with bucket OF sand in each hand, per-
ambulates Main street bill on rainy
days. Pete was given some dry refresh.
ment in shape Of newspaper and was
left 10 his fate.
ITO BENwooD"
was now the cry, and towards Benwood
the. yoysge was continued, down Jacob
street, right over the street car turn
table, on by Hahne's confectionery, past
Fishers planning mill, where lumber,
planed and rough, strewed the water,
until Bogga' run was reached.
Seeing fire on the beach all dlsem'
barked to thaw out their frozen limbs.
Upon stepping on terra frma lot OF
barrels was noticed piled up on the
eroupd. They were beer barrels, aud
the proprietor was doing land.otRce
husiness. and expressed an intention 10
omen out on the hillside, II the water
were to rise any higher. After thaE.
ing out the voyage was again
taken up. The only way to get TO the
lower end of Benwood was through the
yard Of the Riverside plant. The water
here was running like mill race and
good steering was required. to avoid
shipwreck. By piles ot pig iron, around
quantities Of pipe, under trestles and
between rocks the boat swept tts way,
and after several nsrrow escapes the
boat at least reached Mike Dolan's.
store, where package OF papers was de-
nosited. The boatmen had been work.
mo mo, since breakfast without eating any.
thtng and the gangs Of hunger at last
maSs, themselves felt. Dolan's chsese
and crackers we're under water, and
tivbtening their belts the rowers turned
the bow ot their boat. aad started on the
return trip. Here the reporter lett the
boat, and walked up the railroad 70 the
coal chute. Alongtbisroute many men,
women and children were met, VINO
Ised the railroad tracks for a thorough
iare. .,.,. =, .o
gard % engine 764, which was racing up
and down the track at the rate ot twenty
or thirty miles an hour, reckless!y en-
dancering the lives Of people. At the
time Of the reporters presence tue en'
rins was not running quite 50 reckless
| "; some one had sent bullet alter the
engine. as
A GENTLE REMINDER TO rHE ENGTSEEH
Several houses were visited on the
hillside. Two or three families occupied
some OF them, having lied from the bot
toms on the invitation Of those leaving
on higher ground. Many questions
were asked as 70 the truth Of current
Teeerls oi a fresh rise at pittsburgh, aud
A L. al.