The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-06
Numerous Bridges. TrestIes and Gull
verts Carried Away. and Tracks
and Roadbeds Washed Out.
SEVERAL SERIOUS WRECKS
THREE PASSENGERS FATALLY HURT
AND OTHERS BADLY INJURED.
Indiana Coal Mines Flooded and Some
Towns Partly Under Water-rorna-
do i'm Illinois and Kentucky.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
CINCINNATI. March 5.-An almost un-
rrecedented fall of rain last night and this
morning caused great damage to railways
in the southern portions of Indiana, Il-
nois and Ohio. Nearly six inches of water
fell in few hours. and the results were
sudden freshets in every brook. creek and
river, causing the washing away of cul-
verts, trestles. bridges and even the road
beds of the railways. Ravines and gulies
which, in summer time. are as dry
phalt pavement, were converted into tor
rents, and some creeks and rivers rose ten
to fifteen feet in less than day. Some of
the railways suffered heavily in the loss
of bridges and washed-out tracks. notably
the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern, the
Evansville & Terre Haute. the Louisville,
New Albany & Chicago, the Peoria, Deca-
tur & Evansville, the Evansville q Indian
apolis. the Big Four. the Jeffersonville.
Madison Il Indianapolis, the Evansville *
Richmond, and nearly all the lines running
into this city. On all the roads mentioned
traffic was wholly or partly suspended to-
night and it will be several days before
the trains are running regularly again.
Much damage was also done TO wagon
roads, some being quilted and made i'm
passable by. the flood. Costly county
bridges were also undermined and carried
away by the rushing waters. Dispatches
from the mining regions of Indiana report
the flooding of collieries and consequent
heavy damages. Towns and cities located
on banks of rivers suffered by the flooding
of lowlands
A few railway aoeissrs4zs-isSsassE = aRazfed as
"a result of the rain and flood. The most Sc
~ hi m m
during the rain and a thick fog passenger
Train 105 west bound on the Midland
branch of the Baltimore & Ohio South
western Railway, was stopped by land
slide near Hills Station. five miles east of
Loveland heavy freight came thunder
ing through the fog and crashed into the
sleeper, whose occupants were all in berths.
1t telescoped three-fourths of the length of
the sleeper throwing occupants out of their
beds and pnioning them in agony in the de-
bris of seats, broken glass and splinters and
beams of wood. Rescuing was prompt and
energetic. OF the occupants injured beyond
slight bruises, three were hurt fatally, one
very seriously and two painfully but. not
dangerously. One of the fatally injured
died tonight. The casualty list follows:
II. b. DOBBINS, Wheeling w. Va, scald-
ed, right leg, crushed; been amptuated. Died
bank, and was just appointed member
of Governor Atkinson's military stan.
X. III. WARDER, superintendent of
parks, Cincinnati. shoulder cut and bruised
and hurt fatally.
G. II. RUPE. Richmond, Ind. scalded
and injured internally. Reported dying to-
night.
MIR. l.. MYERS. ST. Louis. legs and head
bruised.
The less seriously injured are:
E; a. WATRoNs. New York city. bruised
and cut by glass
w. r. CONNER, New York city, bruised
and cut
The newspaper train on the Baltimore &
Ohio Southwestern ran into a washout at
Cochran, Ind. The engine and tender
plunged into hole. No one was reported
hurt.
The flood has caused great destruction to
fields of wheat and barley Fields in
Preble, Butler. Warren and Hamilton
counties. Ohio, and in Dearborn Union
and Franklin counties. Indiana, have suf-
fered incalculabe damage from inunda-
ton. Bridges, turnpikes and railroad fills
in Ohio have been more or less damaged.
Five bridges over the Little Miami are re-
ported swept away in Warren county in
the vicinity of Morrow, South Lebanon
and Kings Mills At Camden Preble coun-
ty, all railroad traffic is stopped on ac-
count of washOuts. Near Washington
Court House, Fayette county, many bridges
and culverts are gone and the farms re-
semble lakes. Railway traffic there is sus-
pended. Near Newton, Hamilton county
on the Little Miami river, farms that no
previous flood ever touched reported
from six to ten feet under water. The
Cincinnati. Portsmouth & Virginia Railway
suffered a serious washout near Batavia
At all points above here except Pittsburg
the Ohio is reported stationary or falling
Here at IL o'clock it was reported IL feet
9 inches and rising one inch per hour
a dispatch from Chicago says: The
storm which ragged throughout the Middle
West Thursday night stands unparal-
leled. not only for the great extent of ter
ritory. over which it ranged, but for the
amount of water precipitated Floods are
reported from most every telegraph sta
tion from Pittsburg west TO Kansas City
and from the lakes to the northern bound
airy of Tennessee. In some instances the
wind reached the velocity of a hurricane,
and much damage TO dwellings,. barns,
fences. orchards and forests has been re-
ported from various points throughout the
district. AT Cairo. ILL.,. several buildings
were unroofed and one dwelling was blown
down, causing the death of an infant in
mate. Throughout southern Ili.ois Indi-
ana and Ohio the damage to railroad prop
erty in the form of washouts making
traffic impossible. and i'm the wrecks caused
by the softening of the roadbeds is i'm
mense. not inconsiderable loss to the
people. whole. will be caused by the
washing away of bridges and roadways,
which have been built UP in the rural dis
trcts al a cost OF millions of dollars, and
which i'm many cases have been totally
destroyed. Owing 10 the decentralization of
railway traffic the mails local TO the
deluged district have been greatly delayed.