Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-25
GREAT OHIO VALLEY FLOOD HAS
BEGUN TO RECEDE.
STILL RISING AT CINCINNATI
ABOVE THERE. HOWEVER, THE Wa
TIERS ARE sUBsIDING.
Damage In the MonOnEahelu valley
VIII Exceed Observation-Disclosures
of Families Driven From
Their Homes-Seyeral
Drowned.

Cincinnati, o., Feb. 25.--At midnight to-
night, the river here was IS feet 9,a inches
and rising steady, IL inches an hour. Ey-
erywhere in the Ohio valley above here
the weather is clear and cool. Above
Wheeling the Ohio river is falling at all
points. in the region of the sources of the
flood. the streams have been going down
for twelve hours. and the damage is past.
Not less than s1,Go0, 900 loss and damage to
lumbermen and farmers is the rough esti-
mate for the Monongahela valley.
On the Ohio there was more or less loss
and damage to railroads all the way down
to Portsmouth; more or less damage to
some business houses was suffered in Steu-
benville, Parkersburg. Galliopolis, Hunting
ton, Catlettsburg, Ironton, Hanging Rock.
Portsmouth, Aberdeen. Maysville and sew
eral smaller towns, either in actual loss or
the inconvenience of moving goods. To-
night, in Portsmouth alone, over 1,oo0 per-
sons have been driven from their homes.
Much the same sort of suffering exists in
the other cities and towns mentioned but
Portsmouth is the greatest. Schoolhouses,
town halls, churches, and all other avail
able buildings are used for lodging those
sufferers. and public charity feeds them.
At Newport. KY, opposite here, $50 poor
families are driven from their homes, but
they are well sheltered. In East Cincin-
natl about an equal number of families
dwellings,.
Coney Island. an up-river summer re-
sort is under water deep enough to float
the largest steamer.
In Ludlow, KY, below Covington, the
grounds are deep under water. and 1t is
feared that the dyke that retains the great
lots will be softened so as to break and
drain the lake when the waters go down.
Back water, in Mill creek. west of the city.
worth of garden stuff. At Iawrenceburg.
Ky, there have been fears for the safety
Of, Of the big government dyke. built since
Plymouth washouts have stopped the use
of two railroads, the Norfolk & Western
and the Cincinnati. Portsmouth & Virginia.
houses have secured themselves against
further Inconvenience. All railroads here
;,rs are running p from their depots except those
start from Eighth street. 1t is believed
now the rise here will not go much over
sixty feet.
Coal fleets i'm various harbors on the river
here contain about 10.O000O0 bushels of coal.
From all these. the glimmer of moving lam
on them has been greatly increased. But
for the absence of wind there would be
apprehension of great danger to these
fleets. At the present rate of rise the river
here would reach sixty feet by 10 o'clock
Thursday forenoon.
Louisville, KY, Feb. 24.-The Ohio river
falls, and the rise is now at the rate of
but one inch an hour. 1t is thought the
highest mark Will be reached by to-mor-
row morning. Easements and first stories
of buildings along the river front were
flooded to-day and a number of families
were compelled to move out. The damage,
however, will not be large.
Reports from points throughout the state
indicate that the flood has reached its
worst stage. Three tlrownings are report
ed, the victims being Elder Morton. a Nor
mon missionary at I'ikev1lle; Henry Hol-
comb, a young school teacher at London,
and an aged woman at Pineville.
Pittsburg, Pa, Feb. M.-The great flood
has done Its worst in this section, and the
waters are now receding. A cold wave,
which came up suddenly, broke the back
of the flood, and the reports from all
points between Pittsburg and the head
waters Indicate that all danger has passed.
The rivers in this vicinity reached a higher
stage than at any time since 1854. The Mo-
noneahela registered % feet inches, and
the Allegheny 30 feet inches. about mid
night, and, after remaining stationary for
several hours, began slowly to recede. At
10 o'clock this morning the water had fallen
one foot. Hardly point in the Monon-
gahela valley from Fairmont to Fittsburg
escaped damage. Mills built supposedly
out of harms way were submerged. Works
along the river were shut down and work
men forced to flee from the rising tide.
The damage can only be approximated. but
1t is not less than million and a half in
the Monongahela valley.
wife heni and child hid are o reported droWned IN
the overflow of Beaver creek, in Floyd
county,