Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-17
SWEPT BY A FLOOD
500 Houses in South Buffalo
Inundated. DRIVING
$500 PERSONS FROM HOME
Several CsstAess Faoased Away aad
sseanscrs Droke From Their Moor
inxs--The I.os. 100000

t0at mas etfuck E04tN Duu4<o ~ e<@t4
of years occurred last night and this
morning Sw~lied By the heavy rain
and thaw of the past twenty four hours.
Buffalo creek overiiowsd III hanks and
flooded i've square miles of territory n
that section. The magnitude u the dis
sster can scarcely b appreciated ss yet
Five hundred houses have been inun-
dated and 25o0 people rendered homo
les. The flooded district extends from
the intersections Of Elk and Seneca
streets at the bridge. over tho river west
uard 70 the Lchigh Valley bridge on
Seneca street. distance Of mile and q
half, thence southward about two miles
20 the creek Tho food began on Seneca
street last night and sleep for 1000 per-
sons living within the boundaries. was
out Of the question. The streams OF
rushing waters met in q lowland and the
overflow found egress towards 10 popu-
lated Elk and Seneca streets. AS the
waters rose, people living Ia the low
lands had TO ny for their lives.
Inhabitants Fled Tor safety.
The waters rapidly covered the unoc-
cupied territory lying south OF Elk
street. which 10 traversed only by the
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western rail
road. whose tracks were also flooded
AS the ram increased the flood became
higher. and huge cakes OF ice fioated
about People living on Elk street were
warned in time. but many thought the
waters would promptly recede. They
were mistaken. and ia an hour they
were compelled TO seek refuge in the
second stories The watsrs crossed Elk
street and flowed without interruption
10 Seneca street. completely inundating
| Fisher, Dole. Maurice and Orland streets
and the southern section OF Babcock
street. The water rose to depth OF
four feet and entered houses and swept
away moyeable articles Live stock
and fowl were drowned before their
owners could liberate them. People
rushed TO upper floors for safety and
there awaited results. An this took
place amid the fury OF wind and rain
and in darkness. which added terror to
the people.
Rescued In Boats.
Word was sent to police station No.
and q squad OF police set to work TO req
cue those imprisoned by the rushing
waters Securing boats they padded
| from house to house and took inmates
| to places Of safety. Fortunately ma
| jority OF people owned boats ana escaped
| ia them. Others built improyised RATS
| and with clubs and poios propelled their
| crafts to safety. Thus whole families
! had to leave their homes TO the mercy
}-stths waterz Daylight was welcomed
by ALL The police corps was kept at
work all the morning and by noon near
| ly all had been rescued and as Tar as
known no lives we're lost Kind neigh
bors, on the higher lands, opened their
homes 10 the destitute people and gave
them shelter. In every direction the
sea OF water stretched and within It's
confines everything floo6ed. The Bar.
bour Asphalt works on Elk street were
| in the midst OF IL The Atlas refinery
on the right was surrounded and 90 was
| the Kellogg Varnish works.
Water Was Fifteen Feet Deep
Far over to the left was Evans glue
factory, surrounded with water. Among
| some bushes was lodged a cottage TIL al
had been carried of its sills. A littI1
way eastward from the Lackawanna
tracks was the bridge over Buffalo river
on the extension OF Bailey avenue. The
water was nearly up TO the beams. The
asphalt pavement on Bailey avenue ex
tension was washed out and the street
ruined. At the Lackawauna bridge
near the Abbott road. men were sta
toned with pike poles steering of drift
wood The water was fifteen feet above
the normal there. The main tracks ol
the Lake Shore. Nickel Plate, Rochestel
4 Pittsburg and Western New York
Pennsylvania railroads are complctel,
under water and trains are being rur
with danger. II the floods keep on thu
tracks will be washed away. IL is mo-
,expected that the water will subside un
I'll tho wind turns and the veathel
changes
Loss Will Reach $1,000
II il impossible at this time 10 sccur
ately estimate the loss on property and
streets. but IL will certainly exceed sl0Q.
600. Every family In the district vii
suffer a loss. The freshct also did con
siderable damage 20 shipping in thu
harbor. The rushing water caused th'
big steamer Emily p. Weed TO breal
from her moorings and she drifted dowr
the stream at lively rate. breaking
through the Michigan street side. Sh'
was caught by a tug at the foot OF MAR
street The new steamer Mohawk ais
broke away and pursued q similal
coursc 10 the Weed. carrying with he
the steamer II. W. Sibley. The.
drifteG out into the harbor aud groundes
at the old dumping ground little below
the harbor entrance. Several tugs ais
broke loose. The Mohawk and Sible1
were gotten of THE afternoon and tie'
up again. None ~ the vessels sustsine'
/ any fr afnrial damage