The record-union., 1897-02-25
Hundreds of Families Driven From
Their Homes.
Coney Island, an Ohio River Summer
Resort, Under Water Deep Enough
to Float the Largest River Steamer
-Tlillions of Damage at Pittsburg
Three Thousand People Prisoners
in Their Homes.

CINCINNATI, Feb. 24-At 9 o'clock
Tonight the rivec here was 5S.S feet,
and was rising rapidly 112 inches an
hour. Everywhere in the Ohio Valley
near here the weather is clear and cool.
Above Wheeling the Ohio River is fall
ing at all points. In the region of the
sources of the flood the streams have
| been going down for twelve hours, and
the danger is past. No less than ST.
UOO,UOU loss and damage to lumbermen
and farmers is the rough estimate for
the Monongahela Valley.
On the Ohio there was more or less
damage TO railroads all the way down
20 Portsmouth. More or less damage
TO some business houses was suffered
IN SteubenVille, Parkerburg. GalllpoliS.
huntington, Catlettsburg, Iromton,
Hanging Rock, Portsmouth, Aberdeen,
Maysville and several smaller towns,
either IN actual less or the inconven-
ience of moving goods.
Tonight in Portsmouth alone over
l,oO0 persons have been driven from
their homes. Much the same sort Oft
suffering exists in the other cities and
towns mentioned, but Portsmouth is
the greatest. Schoolhouses, town halls,
churches and all other available build
lngs are used for lodging those suffer-
ers and public charity feeds them.
At Newport, KY, opposite mere, $50
poor families are driven from their
homes, but they are we'll sheltered.
In East Cincinnati about an equal num-
ber of families have been temporarily
driven from their dwellings. Coney
island, an up-river summer resort, is
under water deep enough to float the
largest river steamer. In Ludlow, Ky,
| below Covington, the streets are deep
under water.
At Portsmouth, washouts have
stopped the use of two railroads. the
Norfolk and Western and the Cincin-
natl, Portsmouth and Virginia All
railroads here in Cincinnati are run
nss ii an +he depots except those using
the Grand Central, and they now start
from Eighth street. 1t is now believed
here the rise viii not go much over
sixty feet.
WORST OVER AT PITTSBURG.
PITTSBURG, Feb 24.-The great
flood has done its worst and the waters
are now receding. A cold wave broke
the back of the flood. Reports from
all points between Pittsburg and head
waters indicate that the danger is
passed. The river in this vicinity
reached a higher stage than at any
time since 1884. The Monongahela reg
istered 20 feet 6 inches. and the Alle-
gheny 30 feet inches.
AT 10 o'clock this morning the water
had fallen a foot since midnight Hard
ly a point in the Monongahela River
from Fairmont to Pfttsburg escaped
n mil
out of harms way, We're submerged.
The damage is Lot less than a million
and half in the Monongahela Valley.
From the headwaters of the Yough-
iogheny also caTne a torrent that
brought destruction to valuable prop
erty. Railroads were unable to move
trains and trolley lines were badly
wrecked.
are million dollars worth of valuable
machinery.
Poor people who lived in small houses
along the river banks have been made
utterly homeless.
In McKeesport the damage will ex-
ceed S5O0.000. In this city the water
covered Duquesne way from Ninth
street to the Point.
5000 people We're cooped up in the sec
ond stories of their homes all night,
prisoners, the only means of escape be-
ing by boat. Many Allegheny manu-
featuring concerns have been rendered
idle.
The presence of a destructive flood is
felt here very positively to-day. While
estima tes heretofore limited the flood to
sixty feet, the developments to-day
make it appear that this figure will be
exceeded. Incoming passengers OH
roads that use the Grand Central depot
We're compelled to debark ait the Eighth
street Transfer depot. Up Mill Creek
Valley, one of the saddest sights is the
utter destruction of vast areas of hot-
beds where innumerable vegetable gar
deners earn a living. Every foot Of
rise from now on adds vastly to the
discomfort and loss that must ensue to
the families driven to upper stories
or out of their houses.