The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-09
FROM Soaked DISTRICTS
Damage Caused BY the High Water at
Pittsburg.
Two DEATHS ARE REPORTED
Jlmes McSwccny Swept Away by the
Bursting of Beaver Dam-John Martin
Killed by Gas Explosions Situation
at Clearficld and Homestead.
BY the United Press.

BY the United Press.
Pittsburg, Jan. S.-The floods in the
Allegheny and Monongahela rivers have
reached their limit and the worst is
over. The highest marks were recorded
at about 10 a. m. today, and soon after
the water began slowly to recede. The
great mass of ice which filed both
rivers during the past twenty-four
hours is slowly disappearing.
Locally the loss will be comparatively
light Prominent river men estimate
the general loss on both rivers at about
$500 900. This includes wrecked coal
barges, flooded mills and mines and for
protection of exposed river property.
In Allegheny City, early this MORN
ing, the high water backed into the
cellar of the Office building of c. F..
Wells K Co., on River avenue. The gas
main was broken and when the watch
man, John Martin, entered the build
| ing with a lighted lantern a terrific eX-
piosion occurred. Martin was probably
fatally burned and bruised, and the
building badly wrecked and burned.
James McSwceny, an employe Of the
Beaver dam, in course of construction,
was last evening swept away, together
with a part of the dam, and drowned.
He resided in Allegheny. Several other
| employees had a narrow escape.
| Considerable trouble was experienced
by the railroads in and about the city
! last night and this morning and all
! trains are running a caution" speed.
| No material damage to tracks or
bridges had been reported.
situation at Cicarficld.
| Cleariield, Pa, Jan. S.-The flood in
| the Susquehanna river reached the
| lO-foot mark, the highest point at mid
night, when the ice, logs and drift from
| hcadwaters passed Clearileld. The
| river district residents are putting their
| houses in order for general overflow.
| At 10 o'clock this morning the weather
was cooler, The rain had stopped and
| the thawing of the deep snow checked
somewhat. This held the river this
morning down to the S-foot mark.
More rain and warm weather would
certainly prove as disastrous as the
! 1889 flood
Homestead, Pa, Jan. S.-The entire
lower part of Homestead is under
water. Driftwood and ice last night
knocked the false work from under the
new Brown bridge across the Mononga-
hela. The Carnegie works We're COM
PEELED to shut down this morning on ac-
count of the food. which disabled their
pumps. The plant will probably be
able to resume on Friday.
The marks in the Monogahela river
tonight show "A feet This Is fall of
u little over foot since 10 o'clock this
morning. The heavy ice has about dis
appeared and all danger Is believed to
be past for the present. A Parkers-
burg telegram says: The Ohio river Is
2S feet inches and rising. Residents
on the lowlands have deserted their
homes In anticipation of food to-
morrow. The Little Kanawha river Is
rising here but falling at headwaters.
Thirty thousand saw logs and lOO, 900
railroad ties broke through boom
above Portsmouth, o.. and were swept
into the Ohio river. The steamer Phil
lips, wrecked by Ice, is a total loss.
At East Liverpool o., fifty families
are homeless tonight in the lower part
of the city, and much suffering Is re-
ported. Five potteries are surrounded
by water and the damage will be heavy.