The Yale expositor., 1898-04-01
DEVASTATING FLOODS.
Many Rivers Overflow and do Enormous
Damage I'm Ohio and Indiana.


Many Rivers Overflow and do Enormous
Damage In ohio and Indiana.
Large portions of Ohio and Indiana
have been swept by floods of a most re-
markable and destructive character
The Ohio river and its tributaries be-
came particularly ugly from heavy
rains. Nearly all railroads in central
and southern Ohio were either crippled
or totally disabled because of danger
Gus washouts and destroyed bridges
and the like. All over Ohio and Indi
ana, except in the extreme northern
parts, railroad traffic was demoralized
The Muskingum, the Hooking, the
Scioto and the two Miami rivers in
Ohio broke their record from source to
mouth for high stages on water and
for damage and destruction. Reports
from Indiana indicate that the same
may be said of rivers and streams in
that state.
At Columbus, O., the Cleveland divi-
sion of the Big Four railway, and the
south line c., $. & II. V. were the only
two of Is railroads that could move
trains. The west side levees gave way
and about 1 800 people were forced to
take refuge in the upper stories of
their homes.
At GAINESVILLE there were 1000 people
driven from their homes. There have
been several deaths, a score of narrow
escapes and more than so persons are
missing. The number of lives lost is
still a matter of conjecture. The only
bodies SO far recovered are those of
Mrs. Church and John Leach, drowned
in their homes before being rescued.
Mrs. James Brennan and child fell out
of slliff in which they were being
rescued. Tim Jones fell from a bridge.
The supply of skiffs was wholly made
quate. Every railroad entering the
city is tied up and all of them have eX-
perienced accidents. The same situa-
ton as TO traffic was reported from
Steubenville where 500 families had to
abandon their homes; at Springfield
where $50. 900 loss was sustained and
James Donnelly was drowned; at Canal
Dover where 60 families had to be taken
20 places of safety in boats and the
employees of tho American tin plate
mills were rescued from the mill in the
same way. Delaware, Coshocton, Ur
bana and a score of other places report
heavy damage and almost total cessa-
ton of traffic business. Loss of life is
reported at Hamilton, o., where the
Great Miami swept away two cottages
and drowned six inmates, namely: Mrs:
Charles Whitman and her three small
children and Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Springman. Samuel Hagey and wife,
north of New IIagerstown, were
drowned while crossing the McGuire
creek.
Near Columbus. Ind. train consist
ing of a passenger coach, caboose and
locomotive with a wrecking crew of "a
men was wrecked. The river broke
over its banks and the scene of the
wreck is surrounded by water for a
mile and can only be reached by boats.
The engineer cannot be found. The
fireman was washed away and swan
to "A tree. where he is now waiting to
be rescued. but on account of the dark
ness and the swift current it was i'm
possible to reach him. Nearly every
man of the twenty-four were more or
less injured. Six or eight are badly in
jured and may die.
5Pittsburg: Three great rivers-The
Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio
are now in flooded condition and
there is every indication that the loss
to coal operators, manufacturers and
property holders in general will eclipse
that of the freshet of 1891. Already
river coal interests have suffered
losses aggregating $1,000 Re-
ports received from towns on either
side of the three great valleys show
great damage TO valuable property on
the lowlands and with the water still
rising grave fears are entertained of
even heavier losses.