The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-21
Portions Of Many Towns and Cities
Overflowed, Bridges Washed Away
and Railway Tracks Covered.
BIG TIMBER BOOMS BROKEN
Thousands Of Logs Loose in the
River at Williamsport.
Lower Part of JOhnstOwn Under Water
Again-Great Damage to Property,
but No Loss of Life Reported.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa, May 20.-With the
horrors Of the disastrous flood of 1889, which
spread death and destruction throughout
this valley. brought back TO memory by the
threatened danger of a sweep of water that
promises 10 be as great as that of five years
ago. the people of this city and all through
the West Branch valley are in a state of
panic that has turned the usually quiet
Sunday into one of remarkable excitement
Since Friday night steady and almost
continuous downpour OF rain has been
swelling all of the streams and late last
night numerous cloudbursts along Pine
creek and other tributaries of the west
branch of the Susquehanna have made it
impossible to confine the water within the
banks Of the streams. 1t has, therefore,
spread out over the county, and at every
point is pouring into the main river.
Throughout the day rain has fallen here
and continues 10 fall tonight. Advices from
all points up the river say the same condi-
tions exist. A cloudburst at Heating, twenty
miles above Remove, early this morning
raised the river there twenty feet, and the
river at Remove is reported higher than in
the flood of 1889. when half the town was
under water. Above there and extending
to the headwaters 1T Clearfleld every town
the conditions that prevailed in 1883. Along
the Philadelphia & Erie railroad, between
this point and Emporium. traffic has been
practically suspended since last night.
Trains are running between Williamsport
and Lockhaven, but above the latter point
land slides and track washouts have prac-
tically swept the tracks away, and the loss
will be very heavy. The Susquehanna here
flows TO the south, and, while it has not yet
reached the point of danger it is crawling
up at the rate of foot an hour. Graffus
run, a tributary which emptes into the
river below the city, overflowed its banks
and spread over considerable portion of
the city at about noon to-day, flooding
many houses and driving the occupants
from their homes All of the houses were
occupied by poor people, and the rise was
so sudden that the sufferers lost much Of
their personal property. The full strength
of the flood is expected here at about u,
o'clock tonight, when the great body of
water from up the river is due. The fact
that the water will rush down upon the
city in the dark hours of the night adds an
additional element of horror to the situation.
In anticipation however. of what is ex-
pected, the fire and church bells of the city
were rung at 10 o'clock this morning TO no.
tify the people of the impending danger,
and since that hour the work OF preparing
for the worst has been in progress. In the
hundreds of homes that were submerged
five years ago the people are moving out
and storing their goods in the houses of
those living on the highlands. The business
part of the city a complete wreck five
years ago, and hundreds of merchants are
moving their stocks to places of safety.
Cogveyances of every description are hur-
rying through the streets of the city loaded
with household goods and merchandise and
the scenes beggar description. The regular
church services were all suspended to-day,
and in all of the houses of worship those
who attended confined their devotion to
the offering up of prayers for the assistance
of Providence in the present grave emer-
gancv