New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-24
TIE OUTLOOK FOR FLOODS.

Tho noril from floods in the Ohio Valley is now
croot and is growing more serious. Early in the
month heavy rains attended series OF storhiS
which moved from the Texas coast toward New
England or the Lower Lakes. and filled the
streams and rivers of all the intervening region
almost TO OVERLOOKING A new succession of re-
Inducements, coming by way of California
from the Pacific, has since been suppementihs
that work The first of these latter deluge-car-
ricrs brought matters to crisis at PltSburg last
week Tuesday and Wednesday, at Wheeling ana
Parkersburg a day later, and at Cincinnati
on Saturday night. Then there was subsistence
of the waters in some places, but not to the level
cyisting Immediately previous. Another storm
passed over the same track, and left the vicinity
~ NewYork last Sunday morning very early. The
accompanying precipitation was exceedingly heavy
east of the Mississippi, from the northern edge of
the Gulf States up nearly to the Lakes. This Is
sending another surge down the valley. from three
70 five DAYS behind it's predecessor. in some
nlaces bringing the flood up to the level reached
before. At Cincinnati with practically no inter
vcnipg fall. the rise continued on Sunday and
Monday A third storm. the one which wrecked
n shin near the Golden Gate last Saturday night,
is now coming eastward, apparently by the same
route; and It's behavior during the next two
DAYS. in the Ohio basin will be watched with
interest. if not with anxiety. The persistence of
= given tyne Of weather, when once established,
iustifcs in the present instance grave fears.
At many points along the western flank OF the
Allcrhanies between Southwestern Ncw-(ork and
Northeastern Kentucky, from an inch ana a halt
70 two inches OF rain have recently lalleh IN one
day, and from two 10 three in connection with
single storm. The stccpncss of the slope and the
low absorptive power of the soil compared with
e.. ,..pIf 10 r. MD
concentration of this torrent in those great water
courses of that region-thc Allegheny, Mononga-
hela Kanawha and Big Sandy. What the Cum
berand and Tennessee rivers catch is carried
around and cmpticd into the Ohio 50 near Cairo
rs 10 count for little except in the Lower MisSs-
sippi Still any large volume Of water thus dis
charged above Cairo must 10 some extent check
the outflow from the Upper Ohio. And the tide
which washes Cincinnati and Louisville Is also
augmented in no small degree by the drainage
from southern Ohio and Indiana. y rise OF Nv"
or six feet in day, or ten or twelve feet with
single surge, in this part Of the river Is not at
all unusual while up al PIttSburg rise of twenty
feet or more has repeatedly occurred N forty
eight hours No wonder that floods in the Ohio,
By reason Of their size aud SuddennesS, are such
a terror TO jewellers along that mighty stream,
and even TO people who live between Cairo and
the Crescent City.
In the Lower Mississippi. at present. the water
stands at or near what is called the danger line
in several places. But the Ohio has not risen
quito so high as il did last year. although II only
comes n foot or two short Of that AT Cincinnati
And the Red Arkansas and White rivers, which
contributed 80 much to the damage done III
Louisiana last April. have not filed to the danger
line mp 10 date this season. II is a curious fact
that at Memphis last spring the river rose no higher
after the Ohio ood-wave came down than before
at Vicksburg the difference not over foot
or two while at New-Orleans the Mississippi, at
its April ma xmum-1G.3 feet above low-water
mark on the 3d-was eight inches lower than on
March - a fortnight before the trouble in the
Ohio But good deal of water had escaped ncan-
time through crcvasses; and, as was the cabc last
year. high winds may make a flood more destructive
al one stage than at another that Is actually
higher Hence any considerable addition to the
contents of the Ohio, especially if the Tennessee,
Yazoo, White, Arkansas and Red rivers should
swell further-the Missouri does not count for
much before Asf or June-would warrant lively
apprehension for the safety of property below
all