The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-05-23
STILL Under WATER.
All the Lower Portions OF Will
Transport, Pa
DESTRUCTION now REALIzEp.

Electric Light and Gas Plants Crippled
aud the City in Darkness Loss to the
Lumbermen as Great as Ia 1889
Bridges Swept Away = The Governor
and Mayor of Philadelphia reiegrapI,ed
For Aid.
CINCINNATI, May 22.-The following
was received from Williamsport. Pa,
Tuesday afternoon:
All of the horrors of the disastrous
flood of 1899 have been repeated and
Williamsport and all. OF the country
around has been swept by mighty
river that spread out over almost every
portion of the city, carrying away with
it property of such value that it is ut
terly impossible to calculate the amount.
The river is now going down rapidly and
about one-half the flooded territory is
out of water. This is in the center of
the city. The lower portion east and
west are yet under water and as the rain
has continued increasingly for As hours,
did not stop falling until today, the
river is likely to keep up during the next
"a hours.
When communication with the out
side world was cut off at 2 o'clock Sum
day morning by the breaking of the
wires, the river had overflow abanks
east and west. 1t rapidly came up and
spread out over the city, and by early
yesterday morning it was impossible to
get anywhere, except by the use of
boats. The night was one of terrible
experiences. The water came up SO
rapidly in some parts that the people in
their houses were compelled to flee to
the upper stories for safety, and were
rescued from there by heroic boatmen,
hundreds of whom risked their lives tc
save others in danger.
To add to the unfortunate situation
the electric light and gas plants were
early crippled, and the city was in dark
ness after o'clock. Half the big boom.
containing 0,000, 900 feet of logs, went
out shortly after midnight. The other
half went at about o'clock. The logs
in the mills along the river all went, as
thousands of feet of sawed lumber and
portions of mills Were swept away, and
tie loss to the lumbermen is as great as
it was in 1889. The Market street and
Maynard street bridges, which cost the
county 100000, were carried away
early yesterday. The Reading railroad
bridge at Muncy, an imposing iron
structure. was swept away yesterday
morning.
All of the wooden bridges in the
neighborhood are gone. The flood
reached its height at about 10 o'clock
last night, when the water began 20
slowly go down. AT that time it was 30
feet high, which was within l foot and
10 inches as high us the flood of 1889.
The city at that hour was covered with
water as far as High street ON the north,
in the central part, and in the east and
west ends, was completely submerged.
Many of the smaller houses along the
river banks were swept away and others
that were flooded were from four to I6
feet under water.
The business portion of the city suf-
fered less than in 1889, for the reason
that the warning came in good season
and their goods had been turned out of
the way of harm. Many of them were
not placed high enough, however, and
some of the stores are wrecked. a re-
markable fact is that not single life
appears to have been lost. Rumors Of
many drownings have been heard, but
so far not single one has been con-
tirmed. Lockhaven, Renova, Jersey
Shore and other points west were greater
sufferers than in 1889. North of us the
damage was not SO great. East of
Willialnsport there was great destruc-
ton.
All of the country roads and bridges
have been swept away and many of the
little mills and stocks of logs have gone
with the great body of water. The por-
ton of the city that is now out of water
is crowded with mn, women and chtl-
tlren. Many of them are those whose
houses can be seen in .the distance still
under water. All of our people fully
realize the extent of the caiamily and all
of the privations and sutferings that are
yet to come. There is, however, no
grumbling and no disposition anywhere
to lie down and worry over it.
Where the water has gone out of
houses and stores, their owners and oc-
cupants are already busy making them
habitable again, and are working with a
will that promises to bring order out of
this awful chaos in short time. Mayor
Elliott has telegraphed the governor ard
Mayor Stuart of Philadelphia. giving
the situation. There will be plenty of
reason for it, as hundreds of poor people
are now without homes, bus the pre-
dominant feeling seems to be to help
ourselves.
WATERS sUBslDE.
Danger by Flood Passed-The Loss at