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

The river got up TO 40 feet and s inch
es here.
It's difficult to get reliable gauge ot
astage of water which reaches above
the limits Of the wharf marks here. No
two estimates OF the flood Of 'S4 agree.
AT any rate. the measurements OF water
now and at past floods are on an entirely
different basis. In 1866 common con.
sent made the stage water Al feet. At
that time The water was almost I'D high
in certain houses still standing on the
Island as it was this year at stage Of 40
feet inches.
, The estimate given above is reliable.
Mr.. Rert Haxlett yesterday took care
full measurements, based on the survey 8
OF the engineers for the Union bridge,
which agree exactly with the marks on
the wharf so far as the latter go. This
made the water forty.five feet FIVE inches.
The river did not cease rising until @
a. M, at that hour 1t had reached the
highest point, and 1t remained station
ary until about O'Clock. At that hour
Il began to fall slowly, and all through
the day the decline was SO very gradual
as 10 be almost impercepGb!e. AT p,
m. the fall had not exceeded foot, at
midnight It had not gone down over
eighteen inches. 4,
At9a. m. the water had not receded
more than two feet, and was still going
down slowly. People were already
scrubbing out their houses as the waters
rsceded.
ABOUT MEASUREMENTS.
The marks on the west pier of the
Suspension bridge vary greatly from
those on the wharf, which is one source
OF confusion. At the highest stage tho
Suspension bridge showed A feet 4
inches, which makes a discrepancy Of n
foot and an inch between that and the
wharf gauge.
The food OF 1884 has been vario usly
reported, but the most reliable data put
the stage there at So feet 2 inches. This
makes the difference between the high
eat point reached then and the highest
point yesterday Q feet 0 inches. By the
survey made yesterday by Mr.. HaElett,
it takes Just 46 feet ! inches to put the
water In the INTELLIdRNcER office door.
Careful measurements down from the
marks made at the time OF the 'S4 Hood
agree with this measurement within
fraction Of an inch, so that 1t seems per.
ieCtly reliable TO put the high water
wall ~ lE fnnk K trahEu
The weather yesterday was not calcu.
lated to restore confidence in the minds
Of the flood sufferers. In the afternoon
it raiued little, and later It showed,
mixed with sleet. Last night at inter.
xals heavy rain fell, and the news from
above we're equally alarming.
Yesterday the mail carriers had diff
eS|ty in delivering mail matter. So
many people Were In the water and
could not be reached, that the mail ac'
Cumulated in huge heaps. As soon as
the water recedes tha postal clerks and
letter carriers will have . big job detiv'
ering the accumulated mails.
NARROW ESCAPES.
The flood was bad enough everybody
will agree on that. II narrowly escaped
being great deal worse, however. Two
feet more would probably have put the
water 40 high in both the gas and water
works that both would have been dis
abled and have to shut down. Gut OF
from both lights aud water supply the
city's situation would have been moi
only much more unpleasant, but really
serious, dangerous. H..
The railroads were in about the same
condition yesterday SIS the day before
Tue only road that could get trains II
and out regularly was the Pittsburgh
division Of the Baltimore & Ohio. Late
yesterday afternoon this road was dis
abted also, by awrtck.
A west bound freight train ran int
an east bound passenger train at CoHeyl
station, two miles west OF Washington
The water tank OF the freight engint
was badly broken and the baggage ca
ditched. 7. B. Evans, a passenger, ha!
an ankle badly spEained, and D. M
Wage, Of % Federal street, Allegheny
had rib broken.
IN THE RAsT END.
Reporters yesterday made o skiG tou
oil the creek valley. whitaker's mi
WAS found with two or three feet in I
although the water had been falling tc
several hours. The Wheeling CorrpRa
ing Company had only a little water
the floor, but the result was almost % q
rious as Il there had been several fee
At the Reymann brewery only the boi
er house and stable we're flooded. IT
East Wheeling atockyards were abo'
halt under water.
The old city pest house was undI
water within two feet Of the caves Of II
roof. There was q family living In
when the water came up, but they g
ont with their effects In time,
Near there o neat ahanty was owe
turned and washed down upon Il
premises Of Mr.. Turkle. The shan
was occupied by aclub Of young fellow
All along the fats outhouses We
stranded. The loW.lying parts Of Ea
Wheeling had several feet OF water
them, reaching from half way up I
front stories TO the door sill, Rccordi
10 the elevation oi the houses.
1The number OF new houses und
water Was not nearly 90 great IS on I