The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-05-24
CITY UNDER WATER
WlLLIAMSPORT, PA, IN DANGER
OF DESTRUCTION.
The Entire City Is From Four to
Fifteen Feet Under Water and "a
Further Rise Is Fcarcd-NIH FAM
jIicA Are Homeless.

Williamsport, Pa, May 22.-As nignr
approaches and darkness settles down the
telIors of the flcod increase. yell
low torrent rushes down from the hill
sides, fed by a thousand mountain
strCrms and growing with each passing
minute, assumes new terTors and the
stricken people look forward with dread
to the ordeal through which they must
pass before morning Cut off from the
rest OF the world; no railroad communi-
cation and with no avenue of telegraph
0r telephone communication, save the
ltnder quivering wire over which this
message is speeding, surrounded on every
hand by the slowly rising destroyer which
has already swept away million dollars
worth of property and may sweep away
million more, the condition of Will
transport is indeed pitiable. With thirty
three feet more water in it's channel than
is it's normal height the North Branch
of the Susquehanra threatens to flood
the town. Every foot of ground in the
city is four feet under water, and much
of it is fifteen feet below the surface of
the stream. Many families are home
less. Hundreds more expect to be driven
from their homes in the second stories
of which they have found refuge, and
unless the flood ceases there is no power
OH earth that can avert greater dis
aster than has already come upon the
helpless city. The loss of the property
cannot even be approXimated until the
waters recede and accounts are cast up.
The gas and electric light plants are I'M
der water and the city is without lights.
Every one is desperate, terr0r-stricken
and discouraged. Just after midnight the
big log boom gave away with a crash
| and went rolling and tumbling down the
stream. AS it passed the four bridges
| below the city the logs crashed and
| banged against the piers with a roar that
could be heard for miles. The bridge at
| Montgomery street was left intact, as
was also the Pennsylvania roads span
| across the river The Market street
triGge was carried away, and three of
the four spans of the Maynard street
structure succunbed to the rush Of
| waters.
The flood reached it's maximum at Z
O'Clock, when it was thirty-ive feet above
! low water mark OH the river register
and eight feet deep on the pavement of
| the court house in the center of the city.
Fer an hour the water hung at that
point, and then to the intense relief of
the thousands of anxious hearts it be
| gan slowly. to rccede.
Philadelphia, May %. A telegr, IN
from General Manager Shepard. of the
! Penn sylvania railroad, reports that the
! rain continued to fall until 2 o'clock,
causing much trouble along the line east
of Altoona. At Mill Greek, Vandyke,
! Mexicon, Port Royal, The Narrows,
| Lewiston Junction, McVeyton and
| MarGyunk bridges the tracks next the
river are net passable. and at one or
two points there have been serious cave
| ins. At Remove, Heating and Kart
house, about sixty miles from Williams
port, the river has fallen over two feet.
| Montgomery bridge, the mile-long struc-
| ture which spans the West branch, just
rOrth of Watsontown, is weighted with
hei Willy laden freight cars, and until the
water recedes no traffic will be allowed
to cross the bridge. The Pacific express,
| which left here at 11:2O last night, is
| held at WatSontown, and may not be
able to proceed until late this evening.
| The Pennsylvania road has large forces
| of men on the ground, ready to repair
all damage as soon as the water falls
Three train loads of west-bound knights
Templar are held up in this city awaiting
the opening of the line to Pittsburg
They may not be able to proceed before
tomorrow morning.
Pittsburg, May 22.-Two lives were
lost in the flood to-day. Adrian Weichel,
| aged thirty-fve years, was trying to
| rescue a team of horses near Etna when
his feet caught in the harness and he
was drowned. A few minutes later an
unknown boy about fifteen years of age
was drowned in Allegheny while catching
,driftwood. Both bodies were swept down
| the stream.
| Bradford, Pa, May %. - The water
which covered twenty of Bradford s
streets to the depth of several feet is re-
cedirg, and it is believed the flood has
spent its force, The property loss here
is at least $4,000, There was no loss
of life, but there were numerous narrow
escapes.