The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-05-24
PENNSYLVANIA FLOODS
DAMAGE ALMOST AS GREAT AS
THE GREAT FLOOD.
AT Midnight the Climax Was Reached
Being Little Below the Level of 1880
Many Small Houses Destroyed
and Bridges Washed Away.

WILLIAMsPoRT, May 22.-All tn
horrors of the disasterous flood n
1889 have been repeated and Will
transport and all the country arouu(
mas been swept by mighty river tina
spread out over almost every portion
OF the city, carrying away with II
property of such value that it is utter.
ly impossible to calculate the amount
Ihe river is now going down rapidly
and about one.half of the flooded ter,
ritory is out of water. This is in the
center of the city. The lower por.
tions of the streets west are unde,
water and as the rain has continued
increasingly for As hours and did not
stop falling until Today.
When communication with the ONT
side world was cut off at 9 O'Clock
Monday morning by the breaking OF
the wires, the river had overflown it's
banks east and west. IL rapidly came
up and spread over the city and bv
early yestesday morning it was i'm.
possible TO get anywhere except bv
the use OF boats. The night was one
of terrible experiences. The water
came mp 80 rapidly In some parts that
the people In their houses were com,
PEELED to flee to the upper stories for
safety and were rescued from there by
heroic boatmen, hundreds of WHOM
rlsked their lives to save others in
danger.
10 add to the horror of the situa.
tion the electric and gas plants were
crippled and the city was in dark
ness after 3 O'Clock Half the big
boom, containing 150,0O0,0O0 feet of
logs went shortly after midnight. The
other half went about O'Clock. Tho
logs in the mills along the river. as
well as thousands of feet of sawed
lumber and portions of mills were
also swept away and the loss to lum-
oermen is as great as 1t was in 1889.
me Market street and Maynard street
bridges, which cost the county
$2OO,OOO, were carried away early yes
terday. The Reading railroad bridge
at MGncy, an imposing iron structure,
was swept away yesterday morning
All the wooden bridges in the neigh
pornoou are gone.
The Hood reached its height tonight
when the water began to 90 down. AT
that time 1t WIS 32 feet, which was
Within foot and 10 inches of as high
as the flood of 1889. The city at that
hour was covered with water as far as
High street on the north In the CEN
tral part, and In the west and east
ENDS was completely submerged.
Many OF the smaller houses along the
river banks were swept away, and
others that were flooded were to IA
feet under water. The business por-
tion of the city suffered less than in
1889 for the reason that the warning
came In good season, and their goods
had been taken out the way of harm.
many were not placed high enough.
however, and some of the stores are
wrecked. A remarkable fact is that
not single life appears to have been
lost. Rumors of many drownings have
been heard, but 30 far not O single one
has been confirmed.
Lockhaven, Remove, Jersey Shore
and other points west were greater
suHerers than in 1889. North of us
tne damage was not 30 great. East
OF Williamsport there was great des-
truction. All of the country roads
and bridges have been swept away
and many of the little mills and stocks
OF logs have gone with the great body
OF water. The portion of the city
that is now out of water is crowded
with men, women and children. MANY \
OF them are those whose houses can
be seen in the distance, but are still
under water. All our people realize
the extent of the calamity and all the
privations and sufferings that are vet |
to come. There is, however, no
and no disposition any
where to lie down and worry over it. |
Where the water has gone out of |
houses and stores their owners and |
)ccu pants are already making them |
nabitable again and are working with |
\ will.
Mayor Elliott has telegraphed the |
governor and Mayor Stuart of Phila-
leipbia, giving the situation. There |
Will be plenty of reason for it as hun
ireds OF poor people are now without |
homes, but the predominant feeling
Ieems to be to help ourselves.