Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-05-14
NOTABLE FLOODS.
RAGING WATERS HAVE OFTEN
SWEPT AMERICAN VALLEYS.
Floods The Present Calamity
Only u Repetition OF Past ExPer.
ienCe Great Loss OF Life and
Property From These Terrible
Valuations.

ience Great Loss of Life and
Property From These Terrible
VisitatiOns.
The recent great flood in the Mis-
sissippi valley recalls many memorably
great foundations which have occurred
in the United States in the last half
century. The earliest of these of
which there is an accurate record oc-
Cured in April and May, 1874, when
I the Mississippi at st. Louis and vicin-
ity touched higher mark than had
ever been reached at any time since
that region had been settled. Many
persons were drowned and the loss of
property was large. In 1S49 the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries from Alton
downward again swept over their
banks, causing great damage. No
trustworthy figures are at hand of the
destruction of life, but the loss Of
property in St. Louis and its immedi-
ate vicinity was put at $5,OOO,OOO,
while it reached $2O,OOO,OOO in New
Orleans and its suburbs. 1t was the
most disastrous visitation by flood
which the latter city ever had.
The bursting of reservoir in Mill
River Valley, near Northampton,
Mass, May 16, 1874, is we'll remem-
bered by all those old enough at that
time to read the papers. 1t destroyed
large portions of several villages and
LA lives were lost. July "a, of the
same year, waterspout and rain
storm at Eureka, New, drowned 30
persons and destroyed much property.
Two days later Pittsburg and Alle-
gheny, Pa, were visited by tremen-
dous rain storm, which swelled the
rivers in that neighborhood and
22O persons. The damage to
was put at $2,OOO,OOO.
In 1881 floods in the Mississippi
valley; the river at st. Louis reaching
its highest point on June II, did inn
mense damage, especially in Iowa, H.
linois, Missouri and Arkansas. The
valleys of the Missouri and Ohio also
suffered at the same time, the losses
being particularly heavy in Kansas
and Kentucky. Another destructive
freshet occurred in the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi basins year later, culminat-
ing on Feb. %. This time the loss of
property and life in Mississippi was
greater than had ever been known
before in that quarter, and the Cover
nor OF that State appealed to the coun-
try for aid for the sufferers.
The Ohio River, in February, 1883,
was visited by the most destructive
flood known since that region was
first settled. On the 18th the Ohio at
Cincinnati reached its highest point,
or &c feet and four inches, covering all
the houses fronting ON the bank of the
river, and extending into the densely
built part of the city for distance of
several squares. The direct loss of
in Cincinnati was put at $2,-
100000, and in other parts of Ohio
and Indiana and Kentucky it was
estimated that $5,OO0,OO0 was de.
stroyed, while about 10000 persons
were rendered temporarily homeless
and dependent.
A year afterward the Ohio reached
a greater height than it did in 1883.
1t drowned 40 persons in Cincinnati
and vicinity and made 5000 people
in that locality homeless. The dam
age in the entire Ohio valley was esti-
mated to have been greater than it
was in 1883. AS in the previous year,
the gas works at Cincinnati in 1884
were submerged, and the city for the
time was plunged into darkness.
New England, Pennsylvania, New
York and Ohio suffered great damage
by floods in January, 1886. That was
the year in which Montreal had its
memorable inundation, in which one
hundred persons were drowned and
100000 of property was destroyed
The Montreal calamity occurred, how
ever, three months later than the
floods of the United States just men,
toned, or on April 18th or 18th. The
most destructive freshets of 1886,
though, took place in Texas on
August 20, in which place many
houses in Galveston were blown down
by the hurricane which accompanied
the food. The losses in that city and
by wind and water were
3S lives and $4,000 of property.
May 81. 1889, the bursting of a res
ervoir caused a flood at Johnstown,
Pa, recalling that at Mill River valley,
Mass, in 1874, though it was far more
destructive. The wall of water trav-
eled the eighteen miles between the
reservoir and Johnston in seven min
utes. The Pennsylvania Railroad
bridge at Johnstown held some of
tke water back and collected mass of
debris, which caught fire and increased
the destruction. Revised figures put
the loss of life at 2,142, and loss of