The morning call., 1894-05-21
WATERS RUIN.
Rising Rivers Cause
Destruction
ON THE SUSOUEHANNA
WiIIiamspOrt IS Again
Inundated.
DAMS AND BOOMS BREAK.
Many Towns in Pennsylvania
Are Flooded.
DAMS AND BOOMs BREAK.
TERRORs OF 1880 ARE REVIVED.
Lives Are Lost and Devastation
Marks the Path of the
Raging Torrents.

WuLIAMsPORT, Pa, May 20.-With the
horrors of the disastrous flood Of 1889.
which suread death and destruction
throughout this valley, brought back to
memory by threatened danger of q swOop
of water that promises to he as great as
that of five years ago. the people of this
city and all through the West Branch
V alley are IN a state of panic that has
turned the usually quiet Sunday Into one
Of remarkable excitement.
Since Friday night steady and almost
continuous downpOur of rain has been
swelling all the streams, and late last night
numerous cloudbursts along Pine Greek
and other tributaries of the west branch
Of the SusQuehanna have made it impossi-
bic to coufne the water within the banks
of the streams. 1t has therefore spread
out over the country, and at every point is
pouring into the main river.
Throughout the day the rain has fallen
here and continues to fall tonight. .Ad-
vices from all points up the river say the
same conditions exist A cl0udbuTst at
Heating, twenty miles above Remove,
early this morning, raised the river there
twenty feet, and the river at Remove is
reported higher than in the food of 1889,
when half the town was under water.
Above there and extending to the head
waters at Clearfield, every town and ham
let has been reduced by water to the con-
ditions that prevailed in 1889.
Along the Philadelphia aud Erie Rail-
road. between this point and points above,
traffic has been practically suspended
since last night. The trains are running
between WillamsDort and LockhaveD, but
fnt
7vashouts nave practically swept the
tracks awac and the loss will be very
heavy.
The SusQuehanna flows south of the city
and while it has not yet reached the point
Of danger it is crawling up at the rate of
foot an hour Graffus Run, tributary
which empties into the river below the city,
overflOwed its banks and spread over
considerable portion Of the city about noon
to-day. flooding many houses ard driving
the occupants from their homes. All of
the houses were occupied by poor people
and the rise was so sudden that the suffer-
ers lost much of their personal property.
The full strength of the food is expected
here about y o'clock tonight when the
great body OF water from up the river is
due. The fact that the water from up the
river will rush down upon the city in the
dark hours Of the night adds an additional
element of horror 10 the situation.
In anticipation, however, of what is ex-
pected the ire and church bells of the city
We're rung at 10 O'Clock this morning to
notify the people of ;he impending danger,
and since that hour the work Of preparing
for the worst has been in progress.
In thousands Of homes that were sub
merged FIVE years ago, the people are NOV
ing out and storing their goods in the
houses of those living on the highlands.
The business part Of the city was a com.
plete wreck five years ago, and hundreds
of merchants are moving their stock to
places Of safety. Conveyances of every
descrip ion are hurryiGg through the
streets of the city loaded with household
goods and merchandise, and the scene is
beyord description. The regular church
services were all suspended to-day, and ID
all the houses of worship those who al
tended confined themselves to Offering up
prayers for the assistance of providence in
the present grave emergency.
Darkness has settled over the city and
the rain, which has been falling all day,
is still coming down in torrents. The
river is. coming up rapidly and is now
twenty-one feet above the low-water mark.
!
and as the certainty of great destruction
of pronerty grows more apparent the gen.
eral interest increases. Tne banks of the
river and the bridges are lined with thou
sands of people watching the rise of the
water, and those who did not move during
= the dag are now hurrying their belongings
and. families TO places Of safety. Four
miles of track Of the Glenallen Lumber
b.vy haa
The boom at Lockhaven has broken and
. 10. O00. 600 feet of logs have been lost. The
upper Linden boom also broke at 5 80
o'clock this evening. 1t contained 10000
600 feet Of logs and they nave gone down.
There are about 100, 600 O0O feet of logs in
the main boom and half as many more in
the city nIllponds that may go on a twenty
fye-foot food.
President Payne and Boom Boss Rine-
hart have made the boom here secure as
possible. President Payne states all indi-
cations point to a 25-foOt flood here. which
will reach its height between II and -
o'clock tonight.
Elias Dover and other experienced lnm-
; beImen agree with this forecast. In this
event the city, as far north as Market
square, embracing the N ain business sac
ton, will be flooded.
The rain at II P NJ. is coming down in
heavy sheets, the wind is blowing fur-
Ousy and the river is rising at the rate of
a foot an hour. Graffius Run went on an
other rampage and has spread to larger
territory than when it overfowed its banks
this afternoon.
At midnight. with the rain still falling.
tEe river has overf0wed its banks in the
central. part of the city. and the water is
rushing up Market street and out to Third
anu Fourth streets. In the business parts