New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-05
THRILLING SCENES OF RESCUE.
A HUGE WAVE swEEP5 HOUSES AND PEOPLE


ANAN-A FDCAIiNp flf'hbHA>D'
Chicago April A dispatch TO The Chronicle
.ron, Csrrni Ill says the disaster at Shawneeto~n
came when the great majority o. the people were
IN their homes eating supper. The break in the
Ievee occurred a mile above town. and within ten
minutes II was more than hat a mile wide
4 stream OF water twelve 10 twenty feet deep
carving half OF the current OF the food-raised
ohio descended on the unsuspectirg people IN a
s-eat rush like a tidal wave. There vas no slow
rising OF the waters TO give warning Inc houses
on the outskirts were lifted and rolled over ana
over and almost all o. them were torn INTO
srrn,ers Their inhabitants were drowned In them
Nearer the centre Of the town some brick struc'-
ures stopped the onrush Of the water ior 'e"
minutes. but about two-thirds o. me evenings
were lifted from their foundations ana noa'eo ou'
into the current OF the river. After a few minutes
tho horror OF the situation added 70 BY a
large house that had started down stream with
the others catching Are The people on the roo's
were already IN danger OF being thrown on by
collisions with other floating houses. but the APP
pearance OF this floating rrebrand added new
dread AS 1; struck one house after another IN its
zgzag course some caught fire and the unfortunate
people in them compelled 10 trust themselves
10 the mercy o. the water. on pieces o. woot. 20
avoid more terrible death by FIRE -,,. -.
valley land and cut of commune 9h o on o 'To
railroads. the Baltimore and ohi9 aHd UiE IN
FIRST rush OF the did not DO all the daInase
houses we're still standing. nut ii was quickly
seen that the frame ones would not last IN the
s By means Is q rats and swimming IN The cod
.ran, ther gaTret windows and roofs to the ns, tops
0. the Gallatin County bank' A. PIKE az br,ck
II was hoped that these would Withstand the
pressure and the underm.nins bu, Wl1 1 I.T f,
shawneeiown only those Two building, showe OWL
above the broad shee o. ne ho9 o1cn v S be,rr
thrown against them. II was doubtful l. tney w0n a
Besides the hundred or move VINO were on me
roots o. the two sound building /, is known ,hai,
and ~
In one way or anothe- 70 make their way 10 ne
high hills 0a o q hi d 'oS i;sS 81 e OF thesc
survived the sudden burst 0; ne Waiers nu' ,nGr
hrst and sometimes their second floors were undei
water Those who made their way 70 mem Tehi
only in the clothes they were "eaTnf iTohe 1 rSa
:r1e 20 secure either treasure or oIo'hlhs me
,og ne Where ~ men and women we're struggling
against the mud and water 20 hisnrr sIDr a,sr
up to their necks. others hai S"i, I'M, ma.
a9sbg s on go oaqS oa an down the liver ;nSy
Cling IN end nk ha m ng S eyery behoer
A. ore place mother had reached ssie e, spot
and turned help her husband ~ho a nsn '9 Ia
WINDOW .o- his hand he was thrown rom ms
oons and he and 'hT The eh Woman ST' saw Kim ak
The second time. and then threw herself into the
Another family padded halt way to sa I on ia
broad plank that BIT nal ne,p mem md o sent ,heni
GU, toward the middle Of the stream Hnere III
The rougher water they were seen 10 oapS'@e ""'
An old man named Grimm: living on n. the hgS
bonse 70 seSrre hoard o. money hidden undef IN"
hsS Wis son 2 Young man OF twenty-One. had 70
climb UP .he porch 20 rescue him so qu,cK wa We
rise OF The water and when the two attempted 10
swim 10 safety. the younger man supporuhs we
older a floating house that came rolling ana tufn-
bling on the current overwhelmed them - !,
s school-teacher. whose name is suppos'u ~ ~
Miss Josephson was warned % the danger IN
tine 10 ge; 70 the high ground. but In turning
back 70 help her mother Tas chusht WIN IN"
elder woman IN an EDDY and both we're d1o p 10
One woman made effort 10 save her iov'r ~
throwing A clothesne 20 him from the ROOF o. her
house Hts house vas swept away A. the MoInrH
aud he was thrown into he water. He swan 70 ald
the girl bu. she was standing the SIDE % q
gable roor and pulled from her insecure root
Ing Both we're drowned . a., ,,-.s.o-
told BY Johr Graham. who reached cypress juno
ton. from which place he telerhoned FOR help. hc
said he himself pulled twelve persons out OF 'ne
water
o: abou; two thousand inhabitants and Is stu
ated on the west bank 0. the Ohio River The
streets are parallel with the river. the principal
business street only two blocks distant from the
water. The level Of the river Is about fifteen feet
above the city and the levee bank Is about twenty
Feet thick. Situated on this bank and level with
,Ae river is the Riverside Hotel large four-story
ouicing. built b. Henry Docher. This hotcI Is
generally occupied daily all the year round, beng
not only transient hosiery but families also i've
mere IL IL feared that the hotel has been washc1
away.
The levee was bull, by the Government and was
REGARDED as impregnabe. hence the people nae
,wSk k no precautions against possible hoou,
wnen the river Is its normal stage IL IS one
pressure Is brought to bear on the levee during
reshets. Several during a nood me
uSde nowed over the evee ard ne streets w,be
ened and built UP afteryarG and the town has