Evening journal., 1894-05-21
MANY RAGING FLOODS.
Streams In Pennsylvania Burst
Banks and DO Damage.
WILLIAMsPoRT IN GREAT DANGER.

swollen Rivers Drive Many People From
Their Low Lying nomes--A Big Boom OF
Legs Breaks Loose aud Goes Tearing
Down the susquehanna.
WILLIAMsPoEr, Pa, May 2l-With the
horrors OF the disastrous food Of 1850
which spread death and destruction
throughout this valley, brought back TO
memory by the threatened danger of a
sweep of water that promises to be as great |
as that of five years ago, the people of this
city and all through the west branch val |
ley are almost in a state of panic Since |
Friday night a steady and almost continu. |
Gus downpour of rain has been swelling |
all Of the streams, and late Saturday night |
numerous cloudbursts along Pine creek |
and other tributaries of the west branch of |
the SusQuehanna made it impossible 10 |
confine the water within the banks of the |
streams. It has therefore spread out over |
the county and at every point is pouring
into the main river.
Throughout Sunday the rain fell here
and continued to fall last night. Advices
from all points up the river say the same
conditions exist a cloudburst at keat
ing, 20 miles above Remove, early Sunday
morning raised the river there 20 feet, and
the river at Remove is reported higher than
during the flood of 1859, when half the
town was under water.
Above there and extending TO the head
waters at Clearfeld every town and ham
let has been reduced by water to the con.
ditions that prevailed in 1889. Along the
Philadelphia and Erie railroad between
this point and Emporium traffic has been
practically suspended since Saturday
night Trains are running between Will
Transport and Lock Haven, but above the
latter point landslides and track washouts
have practically swept the tracks away
and the loss will be very heavy.
Poor People Driven out First.
The Susquehanna here flows to the south
of the city, and while it has not yet reach
ed the point of danger it is crawling up at
| the rate of foot an hour. Graifus run,
tributary which emptes into the river be
low the city flows north Of Williamsport.
| 1t overflowed its banks and spread over
| considerable portion of the city at noon on
| Sunday, foodisg 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 suffer
ers lost much of their personal property.
/
here at about midnight, 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.
The rush Of water that swept so much
away in 1859 came at daylight and the
work Of rescuing tho people could be bet
ter prosecuted than after dark. IN antici-
patton, however, of what is expected the
fire and church bells of the city were runa
to notify the people of the impending dan.
ger, and since that hour the work Of pre-
| pairing for the worst has been in progress
| In the hundreds OF homes that were sub
merged five years ago the people are NOV
ing out and storing their goods in Tia,
houses of those living on the highlands
The business part of the city was "a com
plete wreck five years ago, and hundred
of merchants are moving their goods t
places of safety. Conveyances of every
description are hurrying through thl
streets of the city loaded with household
goods and merchandise, and the scenes
beggar description.
The regular church services We're all sus
pended Sunday and in all Of the houses o
worship those who attended confined thei
devotion TO the Offering of prayers for thl
assistance of Providence in the presen
grave emergency.
Big Boom of Logs Lost.
At midnight with the rain still falling
the river had overhowed its banks in tn
central part of the city, and the water wa
rushing up Market street and out ont
| Third and Fourth streets, in the busines
part Of the city. where the cellars wer
full Of water The height of the fool
then was q feet, and it was estimates
that it would reach % feet from the pres
ent rainfall.
As the rain shows no signs of abating, j
is feared that today may bring more elt
ments of danger. LyconinR creek whic
brings more water from the north, wa
bank full and coming up rapidly.
comes in at the upper end of the city an
was the principal source of damage il
1850 The height of the river then turne
it out of its course and emptied it in fror
north of the city, and it is feared tina
there may be Il repetition of that disaster
. The main boom of the Susquehann
Boom company broke at half past /
A O'Clock There were 10000, 600 feet of log
+, Z confined there, and all of them passed on
! and down the river. The loss will be mon
than 800, 0,OO0-the value Of the logs in tn
boom-and will throw hundreds of me
- out of employment.