Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-19
AMONG COMMISSION MEN.

| Their Loss Not Heavy-The Oldest River
Man Proved Poor Prophet-Cellars
Which viii Resist F1oods-Railroads
Above High Water Mark.
There wasn't quite water enough in Lib
erty street cellars to drown rats, as they had
a chance to reach places of safety in most
instances. at least adults had, but there was
too much for comfort and the height Of the
mostness ranged from six inches to three feet.
Relying on assurances from the "oldest river
man" most commission men merely removed
their most perishable stuff to the first floor
and, III consequence. there are many thousand
bushels of potatoes, rutabaggns, turnps, etc.
ready washed for pairing. They will not be
materially damaged if well dried at an early
date.
Starting at the corner of Sixth street. water
was found in every cellar until No 94l was
reached. the last being that of Mahood Co.,
No. $780, Their cellar floor was covered, but
rot TO an extent that did anv further harm than
the resulting dampness At 959, r. s. McCague's
office. there was no sign of moisture, though
this cellar had six inches of water in it during
the Hood of 1884.
Damage Might Be Prevented.
Dilworth Brothers, on Penn avenue. escaped
though the water was five feet above the cellar
floor. thus showing that if cellars we're properly
constructed much damage might be prevented.
P. Duff & Sons at 933, a few doors below Dill
worth Bros, have a cellar constructed in the
same manner, but their next door neighbor is
not thus provided. and consequently they got
some of his overflow.
The water on Penn avenue, opposite Joseph
Horne's store, exposed the weakness of the
natural gas pipes, and was explanatory of a
number of explosions of that highly useful and
luxurious but dangerous fuel. There was
constant bubbing, showing that the gas was
escaping through the granite block pavement.
Had there been no water the gas would have
escaped into the air without giving any sign.
being odorless, and the fact was made plain
that the escape might easily have been into
cellars instead of out upon the street, and in
astrous explosions are imminent. AS joints
can be made, practically gastight, the crimi-
naiity oil leaving them i'll condition to send
bubbles through the water is apparent.
Possibilities of Future Floods.
1t is popular impression that SO or 35-foot
rises are but incidents occurring once in half a
century, but as climatic conditions are chang
ing-the people of the East denuding forests
and those of the West planting them-so that
the Weather Bureaus calculations are contin-
ually upset, it is incumbent on the people of
this city to provide for emergencies. Because
there was = hiatus of 80 years between the
great floods does not give immunity, as it
Is but seven years since that of 1884 and
the present. and had the Monongahela done as
did the Allegheny the height would have been
4U feet at least. Some time pour over two
VIII lave the base of the new poStofice building.
RESERVOIRS sufficient to hold the surplus at
headwaters seem TO afford the most plausible
means of escape.
In passing it may not be amiss to state that the
Plttsburg and Castle Shannon Railway escaped
all damage, strong argument in favor of
building railways 200 feet above high-water
marx.