Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-22
WATER SPENDS ITS FURY.
Only Three Lives Lost SO
Far as Known.
An Entire city uadrr water From
rour TO Zen Feet Dcel-reopic
Forced 10 Live In the second
stories OF Thcir Homes.


by Associated Press.
wnnamsport. Pa. May 9i.--As night
approaches and darkness settles down
the terrcrs of the flood increases. The
yellow torrent rushing down from the
hIlisldcs, fed by thousand mountain
streams. and growing With each pass
ing minute. assumes new terror and
the panic-stricken people look FOR
ward with dread to the ordeal through
which they must pass before morning
cut OH from the rest Vt The world,
with no railroad communication and
with no telegraph or telephone conf
municaton save the slender quiyerins
wire over which this message So
speeding, surrounded on every hand
by the slowly rising destroyer which
has already swept away a million doll
lars worth OF property ana may sweep
| nway a million more the condition Of
wluampport IS indeed pltiahle with
thlrty-three feet more water In It's
channel than it's normal height the
north branch OF the susquehanna
threatens to engulf the town.
The Cit, Under water.
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 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 that can avert a greater
disaster than has already come upon
this hapless city, The loss Of property
cannot even be approSimated until the
waters recede and accounts are cast
up, The gus and electric light plants
are under water and the city is without
light. Everyone is desperate, terror
stricken aud discouraged,
dust after midnight the big log boom
gave way with crash and went roll
ing and tumbing down the stream.
As It passed the four bridges below the
city the logs crashed and banged
against the piers with roar that could
be heard for miles,
Preparing for the Worst.
I INC nflukt 1T MNlNAkAAlAAe NAiffA NhF
left intact, AS was also the Pennayi
vania railroad iron span across Tbs
river. The Market street bridge wal
carried away and three spands Of tn,
Maynard street structure succumhet
TO the rush OF water. AZ the day grew
, old and the light was dim. dozens %
, boats and hundreds Of wagons wer'
brought into requlsition and merchants
/ began TO move their goods TO places o
3 safety. II was seen that every stor'
Z In the town was In danger and her
G culean efforts were made 10 save al
4 that could be saved. Household good
. were moved 10 second, and IN som
= cases, third stories OF residences wher
hasty preparations were made FOR pro
a tracted stay, until, at this writing. tn
A entire population of wllliamaport Is Fl
a condition OF excitement ana unrest a
A the eneroachmenth OF the water.
Atn standstIii,
a An over the business portion the cit
Is submerged to an average depth o
six feet. Not train has entered o
q left the city for twenty-rour hours am
q every telegraph wire leading out Q
wIIiiamsport Is down. The TELEGRAPH
: ONCE Is In four feet Of water, and III
telephone exchange Is in almost as ba
i. condition The only means Of reach
A ing the outside world is one teiephon
!. wire. The water at this moment eI
. pears 10 be at standHtili. but ther
= are grave fears that the end Is not ye
in sight.
The water Hecedi.R.
The Hood reached It's maximum a
Z o'clock. Then 1t was thirty 1--WE fec
above low water mark on the river res
II lister and was eight feet deep on n
n pavement Of the court house In the Ger
l. ter OF the city. For an hour the va
n ter hung at that point and then, I
q the intense rsHef OF the thousands {
n anxious hearts. It began TO reeed
n slowly. AZ . o'clock It had fsllsn
K. foot and was sim going down sloWl
r. to be cure. hut surely enough to n
ie terrible load from multitudes
h hearts. All now feel that the wor
o has come and gone. The river hi
" made a record -thlrty-fiye feet ab0'
n low water mark, a million and a ha
dollars In property has been destroye
but 20 far as can be learned no liv'
have been lost,
To give the losses IN dotAii will
= Impossible. Il can emily be Appro
mated and the estimate Ok a miili'
ana a haif Is very conservative.