Evening journal., 1898-03-24
FLOODS HOLD REVEL
Ohio and indiana Suffer Great
ly From High Water.
A VILLAGE REPORTED WIPED OUT.
0iousands of People Driven From Their
Homes, Saving LittIe-Many Missing
and Some Fatalities Reported.
Rain Falling In Torrents.

CINCINNATI, March PA spring
food is filling the banks of the Ohio
river, O. peculiar feature Of which is
that from Wheeling to Cairo no tribu-
tary on the left bank Of the river makes
the slightest contribution to the great
freshet Had the inpour of waters from
streams on the left bank been equal to
that of those on the right the flood
would have equaled that of 1884, per-
haps surpassed it. The stage of water
at Pittsburg is phenomenal There has
been STEADY rain here since last Sat
urday, during which time 2.6 inches of
water have fallen, of which four-fifths
Of an inch has fallen in the last "a hours.
Reports from central points in Indi-
ana, Troy, Urbana, Springfield and
GAINESVILLE, O., indicate a fall of from
slk to az inches at those places. with
one-half this precipitation within the
last SO hours. Nearly all railroads in
central and southern Ohio are either
crippled or totally disabled for the pres
ent. This is because of washouts, dan
gerous and destroyed bridges and the
Hike. All over Ohio and Indiana, except
perhaps in the extreme northern parts,
railroad traffic is demoralized.
The AIuskingum, the Hooking, the
scloto and the two Miami rivers in
Ohio seem likely to break the record
from source to mouth for high stages
OF water and for damage and destruc-
ton. Reports from Indiana indicate
that the same may be said of rivers
and streams in that state.
Last night at Cincinnati, with the mer-
curry at 45, a drizzllng rain was falling.
The stage of the river at 9 o'clock was
AZ feet and 8 inches-a rise of 8 inches in
three hours.
Reports from Delaware. o.. say that
torrents of water are pouring through
the business streets. -Four squares Of
business houses are under water and
stock is either damaged or completely
ruined. The rushing waters removed
buildings from their foundations, while
scores Of wagon and foot bridges have
! been carried away. 1t is stated that
the village Of Waldo, north of there,
has been washed out of existence, but
the report cannot be confirmed, as all
| communication with Waldo is cut off.
\ The loss in this place will exceed $780,
600.
A special from Greensburg, Ind. es-
| Inmates the damage in that locality at
! least 500, 600. Nearly 1000 people are
( unwilling guests In that city, there haV-
/ ing been no trains departing from
o'clock Tuesday night till noon yester-
day. Eight heavily loaded passenger
trains were lying there at one time
At st. Paul the Bickhart -four mills
were washed out and totally destroyed
other losses at that point will bring
the total up TO $4,000.
From Columbus comes the news thai
! the Cleveland division of the Big -Four
railway and the south line Of the Co
| lumbus. Sandusky and Hooking were
the only two Of IS roads there tha
could move trains out Of that city yes
terday
The system Of levees which protected
tho west side Of that city are sub
merged and are known to be badly bro
ken in many places. These breaks per
Jnitted water to flow where It had no
gone perhaps in 10 years. People IL
/ these parts were slow in moving out o
up stairs. There are 1,500 or 1000 o
them on upper floors of dwellings, sit
uated in an artificial lake
Four thousand persons have beer
driven from their homes in GAINESVILLE
and very few Of them have saved an.
II their household effects. There hav
been score Of narrow escapes, an,
more than so persons are reported miss
| ing