Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-05-25
TIE SuEquehanna Eiver at Will
Transport Shows a Rise Of
/ E.1=H Thirty-fve Feet.
HUNDREDS OF PERSONS HOMELESS.
Conservative Estimates Of the
Damage Place It at Million
and a. Half.
RAILROAD TRAFFIC SUSPENDED.
Hardly a Train Moving at Any
Point in the Submerged
District.

W1LL1AMsPoRr, Pa, May 22.-The
flood reached it's maximum at : o'clock,
when it was IS feet above low water
mark on the river register, and Was
eight feet on the pavement of the court
house in the center of the city. For an
hour the water hung at that pc int, and
then to the intense relief of the thou
sands of anxious hearts it began slowly
to recede. At 8 o'clock it had fallen
foot and was still going down, slowly
to be sure, but surely enough to lift q
terrible load from multitude of
hearts. The river has made new rec
ord-35 feet above low water. A mil
lion 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 impossible. It
cannot be even approximated and the
estimate of a $1,500,000 is very conser-
vative.
Earlier in the Day.
W1LL1AMsPoRT, Pa, May 22.-Cut off
from the rest of the world, with no
railroad communication and with no
avenue of telegraph or telephone COM
munication, save the slender quivering
wire over which this message is speed
ing; surrounded on every hand by the
slowly-rising destroyer which has al
ready swept away 100000 worth Of
property and may sweep away $780,
900 more, the condition of Williams
port is indeed pitiable. With 80 feet
more water in its channel than is it's
normal height the north branch of the
Susquehanna threatens to engulf the
town.
Every foot of ground in the city is
four feet under water and much OF it is
10 feet below the surface Of the stream.
Many families are homeless. Hundreds
more expect to be
;. .@l 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 that can avert greater disaster
than has already come upon the help
less 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 under
water and the city is without lights.
Everyone is deperate, terror stricken
and discouraged.
just after midnight the big log boom
gave away with crash, and went roll
ing and tum bling 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 bridge
was carried away and three or four
spans Of the Maynard street structure
Succumbed to the Rush Of Waters.
AS the day grew old and when the
light was dim dozens of boats and hun
dreds Of wagons were brought into re-
QUESTION and merchants began to move
their goods to places of safety. 1t was
seen that every store in town was in
danger and herculean efforts were made
to save all possible. All over the bust
ness portion the city is submerged to
an average depth of six feet. Not a
train has entered or left the city for "a
hours and every telegraph wire leading
out of Williamsport is down. The tele-
graph Office is four feet under water
and the telephone exchange is In al
most as bad condition. The only
means Of reaching the outside world is
one telephone wire. The water at this
moment appears to be at standstill,
but there are grave fears that the end is