Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-24
SCENES OF DEVASTATION.
Terrible Damage Wrought by the Ohio Valley
Floods.


Plttsburg, Pa. March PA sudden
and decided fail in temperature checked
the flow of the headwater streams
this morning, and the effect of this was
soon apparent in the rivers here. After
reaching thirty feet tho waters began
to recede rapidly.
The swell, while not quite equall.ng
the flood OF 1891, was the most. de-
structive known since the ever memoir
able gale of February. 1884. The
financial loss will run up into the
hundreds of thousands. Thousands of
workmen have been temporarily thrown
out Of employment, and the aggregate
of the wages they will lose will probab-
ly exceed the direct loss of the property.
All the low lands of the two cities
are under water and it will be u week or
more before business in the sections
visited by the freshet has resumed its
normal conditions.
The major part of the foods devasta-
ton is above Pittsburg on the ALLIE
gheny river. In Sharpsburg, Millsvale
and Etna there We're many bad wash
outs.
All the railroads centering in Pitts
burg and Allegheny We're crippled, es-
pecially the Pittsburg & Western and
West Pennsylvania roads. Operations
on these two roads are practically sus-
pended ard may not be resumed for a
week,
No loss OF life has been reported,
but many narrow escapes from drown
in the Hooded districts.
In Pittsburg the inundated district in
cludes the lower portions of Fort, First
Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets
and parts Of Seventh, Eighth and Ninth
streets.
The deepest water covers that part Of
the city at the point where SIX hundred
families are living. Many of these We're
shut in by two or three feet of water.
Every cellar and basement north Of
Pennsylvania avenue, from Water
street, and along Water street is filled
with water. The exposition building is
submerged and the damage will be at
least $4,000. on the south side the
warehouses, factories and mills along
the entire river front were under sew
eral feet of water and operations com
on Mexican street, where large
pletely suspended.
number of Polish families live, the
water is nearly up to the second floors
and the occupants of the houses are go
ing to and from their houses in boats.
on the Allegheny side the water COW
cred the streets two blocks back and
extended for miles up the river. There
is a total suspension OF work at all the
mills along the Allegheny river.
At most of the mills the shutdown
was caused by the water coming up
through sewers and stopping machines
where a stream of water is kept M
stantly running for cooling iron. he
loss Will be greater to thousands of
employees who are idle than to the en-
ployers. as very little damage will be
done to the machinery by water.
Freight traffic on the roads west Is
completely paralyzed Not for twenty
five years has the Allegheny Valley
railroad been struck so hard by stress
Of weather Since Tuesday evening no
trains have been run north of kittan-
ing. The officials expect to have the
line throughout this evening. There
are large landslides and washouts near
Foxburg and other points near Oil
City.
The scene along the Pittsburg &
Western railroad Is one OF great
devastation The highways are i'm
passable for wagon traffic. Railroad
bridges are washed out by the dozen
and no trains We're run since Tuesday
night. George w. Stillwagon, who has
charge of the wrecking crews, said that
he and his men We're never in more
dangerous position than they We're In
clearing the track of the piles of de-
bris and getting a wrecking locomo-
tive and train of cars on the track.
The roadbed sank In several places.
II will take weeks of labor to get the
road in good shape again. 1t will be
several days before temporary bridges
can be built to allow trains to pass
over, The flood and washouts repre-
sent n loss OF thousands of dollars.
The bridges at DE Haven and Glon-
shaw were washed down Pine creek
and tossed about like feathers. Steel
rails, pig iron and all the available
material along the road We're snapped
up to WEIGH dowr the bridges which
are still standing.
The streets Of Glenshaw and Witt
mer are completely submerged. and
the families living in the valley are In
n state Of terror. Many were trying to
get to the hills in boats and on RATS.
taking what furniture they could with
them. Everybody feared that the
catastrophe OF last year would be re-
peated, when several lives were lost.
cattle and horses We're floundering
about In the stables and In the streets.
sending forth plaintive cries.