The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-05-22
IT'S WET IN WILLIAMsPoRT.
The Water Breaks the Celebrated Record
IL Made In 1889

IL Made In 1889
WILrAMsPoRT, Pa, May 2i.-The river
continued to rise during the night and
nearly the entire business portion Of the
city is under water. There has been no
telegraphic communication with Block
haven since 5 o'clock yesterday, when the
telegraph operator was driven from the
Office by tho flood.
AT p. m. the water has reached 81 feet
above low water mark, one foot higher
than the disastrous flood OF 1889. The en-
tire city is under water from four to 25
feet. Rain is falling in torrents. Tho
water is still rising six inches an hour.
All tho logs ut the boom, which broke at
o'clock this morning, have been swept
away, as we'll as many saw mills and
houses in tho lower part of the city. Not
a telegraph OF telephone wire is working
out of the city with q single exception,
shaky long distance telephone wire, which
was placed AT the disposal of the asso-
ciated press correspondent. While talk
ing to Philadelphia he was driven out of
the office by the rapid rise of water. The
loss has already reached moro than
sl,00o,o00. Unless relief comes soon ii
will be three times as much. No trains
have arrived or departed in "a hours.
As night approached and darkness set.
tied down. the terrors OF the flood IN
creased. The yellow torrent rushing
down from the hillsides, fed by thous-
aud mountain streams and growing each
passing minute, assumed new terrors and
the stricken people looked forward with
1rnnI tn he nrIaa1 thranrh x,.ktDh ha,,
must pass before morning. Cut of
frcm the rest of the world with no rail-
road communication and no avenue of
telegraph or telephone communications
save The wire over which this message is
speeding, surrounded on every hand by
the slowly rising destroyer which has al
ready swept away 100000 worth
of property and may sweep away
that much more, the condi-
ton of Wlliamsport Is indeed
pitiable. With 80 feet more water in its
channel than its normal height. the north
branch OF the Susquehanna threatens to
enCulf the town. Every foot of ground in
the city is under four feet of water and
most of il is Ii feet beneath the surface of
the stream. Many families are homeless.
'NltSA W pc lioll
their houses, in the second stories where
they have found refuge, before morning,
and unless the flood ceases there is no
power on earth can avert greater disaster
than has already come upon the helpless
city.
The loss OF property cannot even be ap.
proximately estimated until the waters re.
cede and the accounts are cast up. The
gas and electric light plants arc under
water, aud the city is without lights.
Every one is desperate, terror-stricken
and discouraged. jus, after midnight the
big log boom gave way with a crash, aud
went rolling and tumbling down
the stream. As II passed the four
bridges below the city the logs crashed
and banged against the piers with n roar
that could be heard for miles. The Market
street bridge was carried away and three
or four spans Of the magnificent structure
succumbed. As the day grew old and
when the light was dim. dozens of boats
and hundreds Of wagons were brought
into requisition and merchants be.
gan TO move their goods 10 places
of safety. IL was seen that every
store was in danger and efforts were made
TO save all that was possible. Household
goods were moved TO the second and
sometimes 10 the third stories OF resi-.
dences and hnsty preparations were made
for prolonged stay. At this writing the
entire population of Wllliamsport is in a
condition of excitement aud anNi-
ETY. over the encroachmen,s Of
the water. Not train has
entered or left the city for a hours and
every wire is down. The telegraph Office
is four feet under water and the tcle-
phone exchange is almost as bad. The