New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-17
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
fEoPLE RESCUED IN ROWBOATS AND
PATROL WAGONS BY POLICE.
FRESHET-TwENTY FIVE HUNDRED


Buffalo. n. Y. Dec. 16-One OF the most dis
astrous floods which the Buffalo River territory
has ever suffered came with the thaw and rain OF
yesterday. The Buffalo River rose twenty feet
last night overfowed its banks. and left four feet
OF water over the whole territory known as South
Buffalo People living In this district were obliged
to escape from their houses in skifs and row.
boats. Great damage has been done. The street.
line on Seneca-st. was washed out. From the
junction of Seneca-st and Cazenovia Creek there
is unbroken stretch Of water as far as the eye
reach. No houses have been completely washed
away but many threatened. and their con-
tents badly damaged. There is scarcely a house IN
the district whose inmates have not been driven
out.
The police patrol wagons were brought into ser
vice this morning for rescue purposes. They were
driven through the water from house to house
until a load Of passengers had been taken up. and
then these were carried back to place of safety
on high ground A sergeant and two patrolmen
engaged all the morning with rowboats taking
people from their houses to places of safety Inc
flood extends from the Lehigh treste beyond Gaze
novia-st
Five square miles OF territory inundated.
The magnitude Of the disaster can scarcely be
appreciated as vet Five hundred houses have
been made uninhabitabe. and 900 people rendered
homeless
The flood began Seneca-st last night. and
sleep the thousands living on the lowlands was
raging roaring torrent. rising its banks In the
country, but its main body of water was deposited
into the already swelled and rapidly rising Buffalo
Creek half mile below the Seneca-st bridge The
streams Of rushing waters met in a lowland' ana
the overflow found egress toward the populated
section in Elk and Seneca SITS. As the waters rose
people living in the lowlands had TO fly for their
lives The flood came SO suddenly that household
effects were left behind. The waters rapidly coy
cred the unoccupied territory lying south OF k hik
St which Is traversed only by the DeiaWare' LACK
awanna and Western Railroad, whose tracks were
also flooded. AS the rain increased the nood ne-
People living on Exist were warned in time. but
many thought the waters would promptly receue,
compelled to seek refuge in the second stories. The
waters crossed Exist ana howed Wl,hOu' rnher
Dole Maurice and Orlando sts and the s9mhern nnsd
section Of BabcoSks5 Ihe %1abe waf articles Live
stock and fowl were drowned before their owners
fOp's fOr safesy. Gstasa and t there awaited rescue
Ali this took place amid the fury Of the thy %ind 10
ane abs terror ear % Of the people Word was Police
station No and squad of police Sc, TO Work
Securing boats, they padded from house 10 mouse mouse
took inmates TO places Of safety 0d eec,pd
in them Others built improysed RATS tesy ana bns Tss
cohcspoes propelled the craft 10 homes TO tb
mercy Of the Daylight was WELCOMED s ,or2 by
h,, ine and by noon nearly ali had been rescued and
as as far as known no lives had been lost Kind
reighbOrS
"a the destitute people. and gave them sheiter'
In every direction the sea OF water - s"Soddd "eooded
and within its confines every yihinG, was nooden
The Barber Asphalt Works, on Elk-st WerH III
the midst of It. The Atlas Refinery on the Tsh,,
was surrounded. and was the hellogg saiIsn ,
works Far over to the left was Evans siue
factory surrounded by water, and waves aashlns .
against H. Among some bushes was l0nseu a,e.VV,t
asas that had been carried Off It's sils. itue
way eastward from the Lackawanna tracks So ~os oS
the bridge over Buffalo Creek on the extension Oh
Tsuev-ave The water was nearly up 10 the peaihS
The asphalt pavement on the Bailey-aVe eN ~
was washed out, and the street ruined. ~ ~
iackawanna bridge. near Abbott roaa, mn eloa va
stationed with pke-poes. steering on a, utli Gr,b
The water was fifteen feet above the norma lep'4
tbere The main tracks Of the Lake Shore, Nlchei I
Plate Rochester and Pittsburs and western LS.M ,H
York and Pennsylvania railroads are c3hPisa'iy
under water and trains are being run WIN uahicIi
II the flood keeps on the tracks VIII De WasnyIu ~
awsv II is not expected that the water VIII % sin-
side until the wind turns and the weatner ~
III is i'm ssible at this time TO accurately es
o,a loss of Droperty and streets. but IL VIII CT
tainiv exceed slc5Ooo. Every family IN the u'S-
The freshet also did considerable damage 70 snip ,
inn nc in th@ harior The rushing water caused ,he
b,re steamer Emily r. Weed 10 break from nea
meorings and she drifed down the stream l1 al a
ii,yelv rate breaking through the tnt ~
hr,dGe She was caught by a tug az the lvpr H,a oa
Iains, The new steamer Mohawk aIso ,pH pio
awav and pursued a similar course 70 u ine rba,.
Irving with her the steamer a. w slSie;' M ~
,rif;ed ont into the harbor, and grouhueu ~ % w,
oid dumping ground little below 'he m, I'D" ioharL
Va arce several tugs also broke loose Inc M9haTH S
i S,hiev were got off this afternoon ana ucu
nn mn again None OF the vessels sustained any '''"
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