The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-05-25
WILD
WATERS.
Great Destruction by Floods All Over
the Country.
TOWNS UNDER WATER
wilIiamspot, Milton, sunbury, montsomer
Station, Harrisburg and Other Places
Along the Suspuehanna Among the
Sufferers Bridges Carried
Away.

The down pour of rain, commenc-
ing Saturday afternoon and continuing
with some intermission throughout the
night, all day on Sunday and Sunday
night, and taking it up again on Mon
day morning, rather more than graft.
fed the complaining farmers who
were lamenting the absence of mois-
ture. Fishingcreek was so high on
Monday morning as to materially af.
feet passenger traffic and in measure
jeopardize and impede the progress of
the trains. The train coming south
on Monday morning was obliged to
feel its way along cautiously from
Jamison City. A barrier that stopped
the cars completely was met Just
above Orangeville, where quite large
tree had fallen across the track, the
removal of which had to be done in a
heavy rain. TO the credit of the
company we must say that on this oc-
casion comfortable fire was to be
found in the cars, and it was about the
only enjoyable thing of the trip. If
Fishingcreek gets much higher we, at
least, have never seen it so. The
stream was far above its natural bed,
submerglng the low lands all along
and in some places putting the wagon
road under water as we'll as strips OF
newly planted corn and grain of all
kinds. Because Of the frequent
blights to fruit and all manner OF
vegetation that is injured by our east.
ern storms, we are disposed to regard
them generally as rather more calami-
tous than beneficial, and VIC fear our
last eastern storm has been no ex-
ception to the rule.
GENERAL RAvAGES OF THE STORM.
The storm, which had been anxious
ly looked for by impatient farmers
who were already mutterlng complaint,
set in without much noise or buster
on Saturday afternoon. With but lit
tie intermission it rained for about Go
hours, when reports of disaster through
floods, inundations, washouts, land
slides, fallen timber, &c, began finding
their way into print Because of de,
tanned mails, however, it was difficult
to get the news punctually. Culled
at random the reports read as follows,
somewhat
Pennsylvania swept by floods.
Streams still rising rapidly. Lock
Haven shut off: Williamspolt inunda
ted great damage throughout the
State; the storm unequaled since the
memorable Johnstown disaster in
1850; families surrounded by water
In some cases and no assistance able
to reach them; as,ooo,ooo feet OF
logs In the swim at Lock Haven
bridges swept away along mountain
streams, creeks, rlvulets, and rivers
the rise Of the west branch of the
Susquchanna said to be IS to 80 feet.
Nothing like it except, perhaps, the
historic freshet of 1865. The river
rose at the rate of foot an hour,
coming right up close to the lower
chords of railroad bridges; in some
places sweeping through the bridges,
placing them in momentary danger OF
being carried from their piers and
moorlngs ; part of Lock Haven under
water Norristown flooded; Juniata
valley people suffered great loss IS
cars loaded with stone run on a bridge
to hold it there; passenger traffic
necessarily retarded and, in some
cases, entirely abandoned Sunday
services forgotten or neglected in the
excitement, and yet if it ever stops
raining the God who started it, the
God OF nature and of the elements,
alone can stop it; miles of trolley
tracks buried under debris the last
'rain to reach Lock Haven waded
through IS inches of water, and so did
'he passengers ITO million feet of
measured logs known to be ahoat,
with twice as many more, perhaps, that
are unmeasured and unclaimed, be-
cause they came from nobody knows
where lots of work for "wage earn.
CTS cartlng goods to the highlands
along swollen streams everybody at
work and nobody happy; railroaders
heretofore nursing their dividends
must now hire labor to make amends
OF quit running Coxey's plan is no
where compared with the elements for
brushing up dormant capital and capi-
Iaiists In dull times little streams join
'he Dig ones, then they all join to-
gether, and the windows of heaven are