The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-24
Railways in Half "a Dozen States Grip
pied, and some Forced to
Abandon Trains.
SEVERAL TOWNS FLOODED
A NUMBER OF LIVES LOST AND
MANY PLACED IN PERIL.
Heavy Loss at Pittsburg and Vicinity,
Where Three Great Rivers Are
on the Rampage.

CINCINNATI, o., March pa peculiar
and remarkable flood is filling the banks
of the Ohio river 1t is peculiar in that
from Wheeling to Cairo no tributary on the
left bank of the river makes the slightest
contribution to this 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, if, perhaps surpassed it, The stage of
water>at Pittsburg is phenomenal. There
has been steady rain here since last Satur-
day during which time 2.46 inches have fall
len at this point, of which four-fifths of an
inch fell within the last thirty-six hours.
News from central points in Indiana, and
from Springfield, Troy, Urbana and Zanes-
Vile, O., indicates a fail of from 31a to Az
inches at these places, with one-half this
precipitation within the last thirty-siX
hours. Nearly all railroads in central and
southern Ohio are either crippled or totally
disabled for the present. This is because
of washouts, dangerous and destroyed
bridges and the like. All over Ohio and
Indiana except perhaps in the extreme
northern parts, railroad traffic is democrat
lied. The Muskingum, the Hooking, the
Scioto 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 destruction. Reports from In
diana indicate that the same may be said
of rivers and streams in that State. To-
night at Cincinnati with the mercury at
As, a drizzling rain is falling and the clouds
are threatening. The stage of the river at
o'clock tonight was AZ feet inches, a rise
of nine inches in the last three hours. 1t
will be over fifty feet by daylight, and with
out further rains will probably reach fifty
five feet.
OF the railroad situation here tonight it
may be said that the Cincinnati, Hamilton
& Dayton road is cut off from Dayton, To-
ledo and Detroit, but all it's other branches
are intact; the Big Four had no trains in
or out to-day, and tonight the Pennsyl-
Nania is unable to reach Dayton or Column
bus, makes it's west connections at Aen1a
and it's east connection at Morrow via the
Muskngum Valley road; the Baltimore &
Ohio is unscathed. except on it's Midland
division to Columbus, which is crippled. No
other roads centering here have suffered in
terruptiOn thus far.
The passenger steamer Bostonla, with one
hundred cabin passengers, bound for Louis
vile, colided tonight with the Kentucky
pier of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
bridge and dislocated her starboard wheel
The passengers were at supper. The crash
caused big panic, which was brief. The
boat put to the Kentucky shore, where half
the passengers returned bye street cars TO
Cincinnati and half remained on board to
resume the trip to louisville tomorrow.
The following brief kilograms give Il brief
summary of the flood situation in the cities
named therein:
Belaire. Driver rising eight inches an
hour, which threatens repetition of the
flood of 1884. All river towns in this Vicin-
ity are partly submerged.
Dayton, O.-The city is in darkness. Elec-
trio light plant flooded. Two thousand
families driven from 1ome and cared for in
private houses, the arTi1ory and other pub
Tic buildings. Over six hundred dwellings
submerged in North Dayton. Cottages
swept down the river, No casualties yet re-
ported. Railroad business has been entirely
stopped. The river is falling and the worst
is over. The Panhandle is the only road
that has clear tracks east and west. No
trains arrived over the Erie to-day. Re-
pairs on all roads will be made rapidly.
Middetown, O.-This town is on an island,
from which egress is Impossible. The Big
Miami is still rising. go The state dam has
been washed away. Farm lands are great
ly damaged by the overflow. No casualties
have been reported yet, but alarm is gen.
eral Such is the apprehension of danger
that few people in Middletown will sleep to-
night.
Newark, OH C. Ross, of East Newark,
was drowned and John II. Kinkead is miss
ing and believed to have been drowned The
Pennsylvania bridge has been swept away
and many bridges in the county are de-
Stroyed.