The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-18

/
made TO keep up the Island's gas sup.
ply through the freshet.
It was feared that the Main street
wooden bridge would be carried of, and
teams were put to work hauling heavy
stones 10 be placed on the bridge to an.
chor Il down. Several tons Of rocks
we're piled on It in the course OF the
afternoon, but II the water rises over 1t,
1t will probably go anyhow.
THR RAILROADS suPFER SEVERELY.
As usual the railroads all suffered
more or less. The B. & o. main line
came of very fortunately. Usually the
upper Monongahela tributaries do great
damage TO that line, but this time there
was, for a wonder, little trouble there.
Trains came in and went out on very
fair time. On the Hempfeld there was
little delay, but not nearly so much as
on Monday, the slips having been re-
paired.
The p, W. & KY. division OF the Pan
Handle was badly demoralized. There
we're two or three bad landslides, and at
Short Creek the situation was especial
ly serious. Pan Handle trains were run
over the SteubenvilIe bridge, and came
down on the y. & P. road.
The Central Ohio division had serious
trouble at Zanesville, but passengers and
mails were transferred and got through,
though delayed badly.
The Ohio River road also caught 1t
pretty bad, but managed 10 get train
out and one in at II a. m. by transfer
ring, and this was kept mp all day. AT
II O'Clock last night the water began TO
trickle across the Pan-Handle and Ohio
River tracks on the wharf here.
All trains on the Cleveland, Lorain &
Wheeling are at o standstill and traffic
has been completely suspended, no pas
senger trains having turned a wheel
south OF Uhrichsville since Monday
morning except the st. Clairsville accom-.
mediation. At Fairpoint the track has
been covered by land slide and at
Butler 1t Is completely under water,
with no probability OF getting ii clear
for several days. Several crews are laid
over at Bridgeport, and there are lots OF
passengers at this end waiting to get
away.
The Elm Grove road escaped with
slight land slide near the eastern end,
the results being triaing.
Col. David Rankin will lose by the
sudden rise in the river about $500 worth |
OF brick in his yards at Rush Run.
Slips OF pretty large proportions are
reported on the new pixies below BellGire,
and one OF very serious nature is re.
ported near Pinch Run, where the water
has undermined the approaches to the
two railroad bridges, and both bridges
may 20 out.
TALK LAST NIGHT.
Last evening the public interest in the
impending flood was intensified by the
contradictory reports from above. The
widest rumors were afoat, and the In.
TELLIdRNCRR was besieged constantly by
applicants for "the latest" The news
that the river at Pittsburgh had reached
thirty feet, and that 1t was still rising
and rain was again falling and thirty.two
feet was expected there, led the most
conservative guesser, who had all along
clurg TO forty feet, to raiee his
estimate q peg or two. II the
river should reach thirty two
feet at Pittsburgh Wheeling cannot ex.
pect to escape 49, while past experience
iustifies fears OF 43 or A feet here. At
latest accounts, however, the SO foot
stage at Pittsburgh was merely guess.
Wheeling may yet escape with 10.
Wharimaster Crockard was one OF those
who clung longest to 40 feet as the prob
able maximum, but when the later re-
ports came he lost his reckonipgs, and
refused 10 make any estimate.
All night long the work OF moving
things of the Island, and bringing
goods out Of cellars or carrying them
into upper storiea in the wholesale bust.
ness quarters went actively on, and
daylight this morning will Aud people
IN the exposed parts Of the city in good
shape 10 meet the invasion Of the
muddy tide.
THE LATEST.
At2 o'clock this morning the water
was six inches deep on the floor OF the
Main street wooden bridge.
Main street was piled almost full OF
barrels. Simpson & Hoge had moved
everything out OF their frst story. 7.
T. Hutchinson 4 Co. were moving all |
the goods of theiI lower shelves up
stairs. Wagons were Rubbing over the
streets as II circus had come TO town,
hauling goods to secure places.
The water had gotten up as Tar as
Twenty.pixth street, and people were
still moving out as fast as they could.
In the Eighth ward there was no city gas,
which added much TO the discomfort OF
the situation.
Benwood's lower terrace was begin
ming to suffer from the advancing
On the Island everything south Of
Florida street was pretty well under
water, and the back water was showing
on low grounds at other places.
At2 o'clock the water on the wharf
guage was at IS feet even, and from y
3, N. the rise had been very steadily
maintained at 6 inches an hour.
IL waa rainiaR pretky hard at 2 30 @. IN.