Evening journal., 1894-05-22
park Hours Tor wnllamsnnrt.

WMLIANsPOBT, Pa, May 22.-Danger has
passed, the muddy waters are slowly re-
ceding from the streets, and the food will
soon in all probability be over. The river
is still far above its usual mark, but it no
longer threatens property and lives.
II was about noon on Sunday that fear
was begun to be felt that the downpour
would cause any serious damage. Then
as the waters rose uneasiness began TO
manifest itself, and the old gray heads,
who have seen many foods before, began
to talk ominously of the possibilities and
to recall the scenes Of 1869, when the river
rose 2S feet. and of 1889, when, in common
with Johnstown and many other Penn
sylvania cities, Williamsport suffered great
losses, and the Susquehanna attained the
height of 20 feet above low water mark.
As the day wore on and the rain showed
no signs of Gbating the rising flood became
a source of intense concern. BY nightfall
it was above the curb on the streets near
est the river, and crowds were lining the
banks hoping against hope that it would
be no worse.
Presently news came that the big log
booms at Lock Haven and Remove had
burst, and the people wondered what
would be the fate of the mammoth boom
at this point which held 100000 feet,
worth 100000, in its grasp. They had not
long to wait, for just after midnight it
gave way with a crash and went rolling
and tumblng down the stream toward
Harrisburg
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. So intense was the gloom that
no one could tell how the structures stood
this shock, but by daylight the last of the
small fortune in logs was gone, and the
crowds could see how the bridges Jared.
That at Montgomery street was intact,
as was also the Pennsylvania railroads
] iron span across the river. The Market
. street bridge was gone, however, and three
Of the four spans of the Maynard street
structure had succumbed TO the rush OF
waters and the pounding Of the logs.
As the day grew older and when the
light would permit of it dozens of boats
and hundreds of wagons were brought
into requisition, 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 that could be saved. House
/ hold goods were moved to the second and
in some cases to third stories of residences,
where hasty preparations were made for
protracted stay, until the entire popula-
tion of Williamsport was in a condition of
excitement and unrest at the encroach-
ments of the waters.
The business portion of the city was sub
merged TO an average depth of six feet
Not a train had entered or left the city for
"a hours, and every wire but one leading
out of Williamsport was down. The tele-
graph Office was four feet under water, and
the telephone exchange was in almost as
bad a condition. The only means Of reach
ing the outside world was one telephone
wire.
The Water Reccdos.
The food reached its maximum at Z
O'Clock last night when it was 35 feet
above low water mark on the river regis
ter and was eight feet deep ON the pave
ment of the courthouse in the center Of
the city. The moment was an anxious
one. Another foot meant stih greater de-
struction. Already the waves were lap
ping the window sills of the second stories
of hundreds of homes Would il 20 higheri
| Eager watchers scanned the register trem-
bling with mingled hope and fear
The 35 foot mark proved an insurmount-
able barrier. For an hour the water hung
at that point and then, to the intense re
lief OF thousands OF anxious hearts, it be
gan slowly to recede. At o'clock IL bad
fallen a foot and was still going down
slowly to be sure, but surely enough t.
lift a terrible load from a multitude o
| hpnrtg All felt that the worst had cOml