Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-24

pulu uuu llt llhJOI HAS just auspGHuGd
the law prohibiting the driving of cattle
the streets in order that the
stock may be taken to places of safety.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, May 22.-Of all
the railroads entering this city the Bal
timore & Ohio was the only one that
had communications with its terminal
cut off by the great storm.
Its passenger station at Twenty-fourth
and Chestnut streets and so much Of its
roadbed as skirts the Sckuylkill were
in from to 10 feet of water,
and but for the telegraph poles and few
passenger and freight cars left standing
on the tracks all traces of its line
through that section of the city were
entirely obliterated. The first floor of its
handsome station, upon which are
located the ticket office, the head
quarters of the station master and other
officials, aud which is also used as a
waiting room, was covered with four
feet Of water, while the rushing cur
rents washed in large quantities of coke
from the gas works. Planks, ties and
other debris held high carnival where
the patrons of the road are wont to as
semble while waiting for the trains.
1t was about IL o'clock when the
waters of the Schuylkill had risen TO
such depth on the tracks as to make
the running of trains over them no
longer safe. The tracks through that
portion of the city were abandoned and
arrangements made with the Reading to
run all through trains through West
Philadelphia to the Terminal. To ac-
complish this required a very round
about route, the trains being run through
the Belmont yards of the Reading,
thence over the junction railroad to the
Pennsy's tracks, in the southwestern
section Of the city, and over them u
short distance to the Baltimore & Ohio's
own tracks again, in the extreme south
west portion uf the city. All suburban
trains were run from Sixtieth street, and
the passengers were conveyed to and
from the station in buses. The round
about route necessary to reach the
Terminal delayed the through trains
from an hour and half to two hours,
while the local trains from Sixtieth
street were run regardless OF any
schedule.
1t becoming manifest as the waters
began encroaching upon the tracks, and
eventually covering them, that the
station would not escape the deluge,
everything portable and perishable was
removed to higher floors and out of
resembled a vast lake, in which the
train shed platforms, which had become
loosened from their moorlngs, tloated
about like big RATS. A large coke plat
form from the gas works, with hundreds
of bushels of coke, floated down the
railroad tracks until it reached the yard,
where it parted and its contents floated
in all directions.
Six three -masted schooners and a
canal boat were carried from their moor
ings in the Schuylkill river by the flood
to-day and lie jammed against South
street bridge. The Mary Lord, one of
the schooners, is sunk in mid-channel;
the others are more or less damaged,
and their weight threatens to carry
away the bridge. The schooners are
Mary Lord, Captain Lord, of Bangor,
Me-, loaded with lumber and laths;
Alston, Captain Lunt, granite paving
blocks; Light of the East, Captain
Smith, loaded with granite; Laurel
Captain Robinson, granite; Mary @.
Stuart, Captain JOY, empty, all from
Franklin, Me-, and consigned to Kissing
| 81 Haldt, ship-brokers, of this city, and
| the Robert j. Barr, also from Franklin,
| Me. The canal boat was loaded with
Rand. The Stuart, Laurel and the canal
boat were moored at Allison's wharf
about 100 yards above the bridge. lheil
cables parted from the force of the flood
about 3 o'clock, and they swung around
broadside into the stream. In doing sc
they struck the other vessels moored al
Stokes wharf, just below, and together
they went racing down the stream.
The bridge is about 1000 feet long,
exclusive of approaches. Three iror
spans are stationary, connected by &
300.foot draw near the west end
Superintendent of Bridges Carl A. Trih
and Watchman James Carr, John Wilel
and John Conway were in the engine
house Of the draw when the break came
and when they saw the mass of shipping
rushing toward them, stuck to thei
posts at the risk of their lives ant
opened the draw, hoping that thu
schooners would pass through. 1t tool
but minute for tue swift flood to carry
the vessels down upon them. The Lore
struck first, and ran directly against th'
pier upon which tho engine-house anC
pivot Of the draw rested. A hole wa
stove in her side, and she began sinking
rapidly. Her captain and six men wert
aboard her, and the captain of tin
schooner Rundlett, which was mooret
to an adjoining wharf, sent out yaw
and rescued them. The Lord went +
the bottom half an hour after she struck
The other vessels, impeded by the LORD
veered around and struck the bridg
west of the draw, ripping up the floor
and handrails of the structure. To
night the mass of wreckage is bein
chiefly supported by the Barr, whic
lies under and almost against the bridge
The bridge was closed for travel immg
diately after the collision, and is in
dangerous condition. II is an old struC
ture, having been built in 1875, and
believed to be weak and shaky, step
having recently been considered by tht
city, which owns it, for repairing anC
strengthening it.
ON THE DELAWARE AND sCHUYLkILL
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, May 22.-Th
floods In the Delaware and Schuylkil
were greater than ever at high waite
to-day. Places that were not reached b
the waters at high tide yesterday aftei
noon were submerged this morning. Th
most serious damage was done along th
Schuylkill, but property on the Della
ware front also suffered severely.
At Manayunk the Schuylkill rose :
within foot of the high flood tide @
1869. The mills OH the east bank wer
flooded to the first floor, and as tn
water is running rapidly, it is teare
some of them will collapse. The waite
has submerged the first floors of tn
houses on the west side, and the peopl