The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-05-20
STORM, FLOOD AND FIRE.
Immense Destruction OF Property
and Timber.

Immense Destruction OF Property
and Timber.
PORTLAND. OREGON, May 14.-There is
every indication of unprecedented floods
along the valley of the Columbia, the Snake
and tributary rivers within the next month,
owing to the unprecedented heavy snowfall
\ last winter. At present the snow is melting
in the lower foothills, but several feet yet
remain higher, where, at this date in May, is
! usually bare ground. The small streams in
every part of the country are now rising
rapidly. All the bridges on the Colville
River, from its mouth forty miles up, have
been washed away except one. The snow is
still four feet deep on the mountain side. All
reports from Eastern Oregon, contain lnfor-
nation of deeper snow than usual.
i MAYS LANDING, New Jersey, May A.
Thirty miles of charred and ruined timber,
several houses burned to the ground and
fearful destruction of market wood and
lumber marks the path of the fire that started
on Wednesday last over in Cumberland
county, and which burned through the finest
belt of timber in South Jersey. The fire
ragged so 6ercely at eight o'clock last night
that the little town of Mspah was in danger,
aud the people fed from their homes. Several
teams plowed up the land for long distance,
and this alone saved the town from being
wiped out The flying sparks did ignite
houses once or twice, but they were quickly
put out. The fires are still burning, having
branched off in an opposite direction IN
thickly wooded ground. The loss will reach
100000.
Torrents of rain fell on Friday and Satur-
day of last week over that part OF Texas be.
tween San Antonio aud the coast. A halt
mile of the track and two bridges OF the
A Da,l.oaA how haaft he'd
away, and thousands of acres of farming land
in Wilson and adjoining counties are inundat
ed to a depth of from two to five feet OF
water.
The Standard Oil Company's barrel works
at Whiting, Indiana, were destroyed by fire
on Saturday. The loss will amount to nearly
$1,000
:, The mill of the Wilbraham Wooden Com,
pany, at North Wilbraham, Mass, was burned
on Saturday; loss, $4,000.
Fire in the Aldine Hotel, in Philadelaphia,
Pa, on Sunday night caused loss OF over
100000. All the inmates escaped.
OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA.
Torrents of rain throughout Western Penn
sylvania and portions Of Ohio, which con-
tinued falling for 60 hours previously, culml-
mated on Wednesday in serious floods. AT
Erie, Pa, scores o. houses were washed
] away. lHt uOOu DtiiiS ulOot
ever experienced there. The Jarecke' 5
Manufacturing Company plant was damaged
, to the extent of 500, 900, and travel was i'm
peded on the Erie and Pittsburg and Phila-
delphia and Erie roads. Jacob Heberle, a
lad of IA, was drowned. Traffic on the Lake
Shore Railroad on the Buffalo Division was
suspended owing to the washing away OF a
bridge at Harbor Creek, near Erie, Pa.
Cambridge, Pa, was inundated by water
, from French creek and two big summer
hotels were cut off from communication.
, Traffic on the New York, Lake Erie and
Western Railroad and on the New ork,
, Pennsylvania and Ohio was suspended.
5 Meadville, Pa, was completely inundated,
people in the lower part of the town having
{ to be taken from their homes in bouts A
railroad bridge was swept away and other
I damage is reported. At Newcastle, Pa,
: several planning mills were washed away and
many business establishments flooded. The
, rising waters of Oil creek flooded Titusvile
| Pa, causing great distress to poor families
t and loss of property.
4 tugboat, a dredge and a scow We're car
ried out into Lake Erie from Conneaut. Ohio
t by a flood in the creek at that place. The
dredge was capsized. and of seven persons on
board. W. Wilson, of Philadelphia, the cap
tain. and four others were drowned. The
1 tug was washed ashore, but the crew were
saved. The damage by the food in Northern
Ohio was very heavy. Near Conneaut two
, miles of the Shenango Railroad were washed
away. Ashtabula was inundated. and rail
road travel blocked, the Lake Shore dock:
5 being under from one to six feet OF water
! Up to Wednesday morning, at Cleveland, 3!
+, inches of rain had fallen since Sunday night
! Many half completed houses and sheds were
B demolished by high wind on Tuesday night anC
\ immense quantities of lumber were carried of
e by the high waters ofthe Cuyahoga river. A
q noon railroad travel was completely suspend
ed, and bridges had been anchored to keeT
S them from being swept away. The entire
T Mahoning valley was flooded AT 1oungs
b town the fire department was at work al
night rescuing families from their houses
, The loss to railroads will reach over 81,
. 900, 900.
E At Augusta. Maine, on Thursday, thu
Kennebec river was higher than for ten years
!, entalling immense loss TO private and public
/. property. At Fairfield over 100000 log
S were carried away. Much timber, logs
S wood pulp and lumber was washed into thu
: ocean and will be total loss.
:, OVER 1000 PERSONS BURNED TO DEATH Il
CHINA.
! By steamer Oceanic, which arrived at Sal
! Francisco on Wednesday, full details of thu
loss of life few weeks ago, by fire, were re
ceived The Hong Kong papers state tina
l. the disaster at Kan Lii some time ago, durini
/ the progress of festival, in which lao
a lives we're said to have been lost. was ia
o more terrible than at first reported. Whil
# the performance of some theatricals was il
full swing three mat sheds containing owe
5000 persons, were set on fire. The dr.
0 mating burned rapidly, and the supports
3 giving away, fell and suffocated a majority o
4 the audience. One of the mat sheds was oc
cupied solely by women and children, an
/ when this was fired band of well dresses
Chinese, who were wholly unknown to tn
natives of the district, rushed in and seize
il the best looking young women and girls +
the number of 30 or 40 and carried then
away. AS soon as other people went to rem
der assistance at the mat sheds, another ban
of robbers set fire to houses in different part
of the village, and plundered shops of al
that was valuable Boats were waiting at tn
G river side, and the kidnappers and the roE
1t bers were able to make good their escape
e The Chinese state that nearly 5000 person
L we're suffocated and burned to death, and
l. is certain that over 1000 lives were lost
/. Over 1000 coffins were sent from Canton t.
d Kan Lii, and cofins were also sent tror
y Fashan and other places in the district.