The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-05-22
THE WATERS RECEDING
WilliamspOrt's Peril Now Rapidly
Lessening,
THE oITY's FINANCIAL LOSSES.


1t Is Now Believed they WIN Aggregate
Fully Million and a Half Dollars.
The Damage Done by Flood in New York
and Throughout Pennsylvania.
' WlLLrAMsPoRT, Pa, May 29.-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 an un-
| defined dread TO the ordeal through which
they must pass. Shut off from the rest of
the world, with no railway communica-
ZION and no avenue of telegraphic or tele-
phonic communication save the slender
| wire over which this message is speeding,
surrounded upon every hand by the slowly
rising destroyer, which has already swept
away a 81, 100000 worth of property, the
condition Of Williamsport is indeed pitia-
BILE. With thirty-three feet more water in
its channel than its normal height the
west branch of the Susquehanna threatens
10 engulf the town it has done so much TO
build up
Every foot Of ground In the city is now
four feet under water, and much of 1t is
fifteen feet below the surface of the yellow
stream. Hundreds of families are home
less, some temporarily, others for longer
time, Hundreds more expect to be driven
from their houses, in the second stories of
which they have found refuge, and unless
the flood ceases there is no power on earth
that can avert greater disaster than has
already come upon this hapless city.
The air Is full of rumors of heavy loss Of
life, but as yet these rumors can not be
authenticated. The losses to property
is terrible, and cannot even be approx
mated until the waters recede and &C
counts are cast mp. The gas and electric
light plants are under water and the city
was without light last night. Everyone
is desperate, terror stricken and discOur-
aged.
The big boom of logs which was carried
ont Sunday midnight, and which was
worth 100000, passed the four bridges
below the city with a crash and a roar.
The bridge at Montgomery street, how
ever, was left intact as was also the Penn
sylysnia railroads iron span across the
river. But Market street bridge was car-
ifed away, and three of the four spans ut
.2le Maynard street structure succumbed
Do the rush Of waters.
Yesterday it was seen TINT every store
in town was in danger, and herculean eff
forts were made to save all that could be
saved, dozens of boats and hundreds of
wagons being brought into requisition.
Household goods were moved to second
and in some cases to third stogies of resi-
dences, where hasty preparations were
made for a protraCted stay, until, at this
writing, the entire population of Will |
transport is in a condition Of excitement
and unrenst at the encroachments of the
water.
The average depth all over the business
portion of the city is six feet Not a train
has entered or left the city for thirty-six
hours, and every telegraph wire leading
ouE off Wiliamsport is down. The tele-
graph office is four feet under water and
the telephone Office is in almost as bad
The only means of reaching
the outside world is one telephone wire.