The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-22
THE WORST IS OVER
Pennsylvania's Disastrous Floods
Have Begun to Subside.
Millions of Dollars Worth of Property
Destroyed Along the Susquehanna
and Other Rivers and Creeks.
WILLIAMSPORT BURIED DEEP
From Four to Fifteen Feet of
Water Over the Whole City.
Communication with Other Towns Shut
Off-The Pennsylvania's Tracks Gov
ered-Great Damage in New York.

approaches and the darkness settles GOWN
the terrors of the flood increase. The yell
low torrent rushing down from the hill
sides, fed by a thousand mountain streams.
and growing with each passing minute,
assumes new terrors, and the panic
stricken people look forward with dread to
the ordeal through which they must pass
before morning. Cut off from the rest of
the world with no railroad communication
and with no avenue of telegraph or tee
phone communication, save the slender.
quiverfng wire over which this message Is
speeding. surrounded on every hand by
the slowly rising destroyer which has al
ready swept away million dollars worth
OF property and may sweep away million
more, the condition of Williamsport is in
deed pitiable. With thirty-three feet more
water in its channel than is at it's nor
NAL height, the north branch Of the Sus-
quehanna threatens to engulf the town.
Every foot Of ground in the city is four
feet under water and much of it Is ff-
teen feet below the surface Of the stream
Many families homeless. Hundreds
more expect to be driven from their houses.
In the second stories of which they have
found refuge, before day, and unless the
flood ceases there is no power on earth
already come upon this hapless city. The
loss of property cannot even be approx
mated until the waters recede and accounts
are cast up. The gas and e.ectric-light
plants are under water and the city is
without light. Every one is desperate, ter
ror-strichen and discouraged.
Just after midnight the big log boom gave
way with a crash and went rolling and
frtro linz h.
the four bridges below the city the log,
crashed and banged against the piers with
roar that could be heard for miles, TIE
bridge at Montgomery street was left
intact, as also was the Pennsylvania rail-
roads iron span across the river The
Market-street bridge was carried away
and three OF the four spans of the May
nard-street structure succumbed TO the
rush of water. AS the day grew old, and
when the light was dim, dozens of boats
and hundreds of wagons were brought into
requisition and merchants pegan to move
their goods TO places of safety, Ii was
seen that every store in town was In
danger, and herculean efforts were made
to save all that could be saved. House
hold goods were moved to second, and, In
some cases, to third stories of residences.
where hasty preparations were made for
a protracted stay until, at this writing,
the entire population of Williamsport is
in condition of excitement and unrest at
the encroachnients of the water.
All over the business portion the city Is
submerged to average depth of six
feet. Not train has entered or left the
city for twenty-four hours and every tel
egraph wire leading out of Nilliamsport Is
down. The telegraph Office is four feet
under water and the telephone exchange is
in almost as bad a condition The only
means of reaching the outside world is one
telephone wire. The water at this mo-
ment appears to be at a standstill, but
there are grave fears that the end is not
yet in sight.
Later-The flood reached its maximum at
o'clock, when 1t was thirty-five feet above
low water mark on the river register, and
was eight feet deep on the pavement of the
courthouse in the center of the city. For
an hour the water hung at that point, and
then, to the intense relief of the thousands
of anxious hearts. it began slowly to re-
cede. At o'clock 1t had fallen foot and
was still going down. slowly. to be sure
but surely enough to lift terrible load
from a multitude of hearts. All now feel
that the worst has come and gone The
river has made a new record-thirty-fiv
feet above low water. A million and half
in property has been destroyed, but so far
as can be learned no lives have been lost
To give the losses in detail will be impos-
sible. Sit cannot be even approximated and
the estimate of million and a half is very
conservative.
The city of Williamsport is one of the
most beautiful OF Pennsylvania's numerous
manufacturing, towns 1t is city of pret-
ty homes and represents vast amount
of wealth. It's long, shady residence streets
lined on either side with costly man
sions lavishly furnished. Most of them set
back quite distance from the street. and
very few lots less than zoo feet square.
From the telegraphic reports ii seems that
this portion of the city now has at least
four feet of water on IL. The city lies in
the valley of the Susquehanna river and,
although surrounded by high mountains is
on perfectly level ground. Its lumber in
terest is the largest in the State. there be-
ing twenty-one large sawmillS there which
cut annually over 200.000000 feet of lumber.
The entire sawmill district is under water,
and the flood has carried away the entire
stock OF logs held by the booms about ten
miles above.
The Reservoir Did Not Break
PITTSBURG. May H.-Last night there
was great alarm when Ii was reported
that the reservoir at Kittanning Point a
few miles west Of Altoona, had broken
Fortunately the break was not as bad as
at first reported. Four large crevasses
were dug down the face of the dam by a
wave which rolled across the lake and
over its edge to the low lands beneata
The wave is thought to have been caused
by cloud burst and this theory Il borne
out by the fact that there was but the
one. and that the water is now rGn1irg z
over the spillway. There is no doubt thar
the dau has been weakened and there
may yet be trouble. although work is now
being done to strengthen it, The men and
horses who are engaged upon the rev
reservoir Immediately below the pr sent
one have removed TO higher ground for
safety. In this city the rivers are still ris-
ing but a stage of more than twenty-five
feet is not feared. This viii submerge the
low lands and will cause a suspension OF
work In mills and factories along the
banks of the streams but will do no other
damage
Night Of Terror AT Johnstown.