The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-24
GREAT DAMAGE BY FLOODS
RAILROADS ARE CRIPPLED AND
 TRAFFIC DEMORALIZED.

Cleveland and Pittsburg Road Compelled
 to Abandon It's Depot at steubensvIIle. Q.
 Houses Washed from Their Founda-
 lions at Delaware-Disastrous Floods In
 Indiana-1,0oO Homeless People.
 Cincinnati, March 2S.--A flood is ill., ing the banks of the Ohio river, a pe- culiar feature of which is that from Wheeling to Cairo no tributary on the left bank of the river makes the slight est 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 equalled that of 1884, perhaps surpassed it. The stage of water at Plttsburg is phenomenal. Nearly all roads in central and southern Ohio are either crippled or totally disabled for the present This is because of wash outs, dangerous and destroyed bridges and the like all over Ohio and Indiana Except perhaps in the extreme north- ern parts railroad traffic is demoral- ized. The Muskingum, the Hooking. S-~O ~SAoeO 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.
 Steubenville, O., March 23-The Ohio river has risen to a higher stage to- night than any time since 1883. The Cleveland and Pittsburg railroad has abandoned it's depot here and traffic will be entirely suspended, as there are three landslides The Wheeling and Lake Erie tracks are submerged and all traffic was suspended last night. Several bad washouts have occurred on the Pewiky railroad and several bad washouts have occurred on other roads. Along the Ohio river parts of the En- pire, Ontario and Cumberland road are inundated
 Delaware, O., March 23.-Torrents Of water were to-day pouring through the business streets here Four squares of business houses are under water and the stock is either damaged or corn- pletely ruined. The rushing waters re- moved buildings from the foundations, while scores of wagons and foot bridges have been carried away. It is stated tonight that the village of Waldo, north of here, 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 $50,00O.
 Indianapolis, Ind, March 2S.-The heaviest rainfall of the year occurred yesterday, which brought the total pre- cipitation up to 2.36 inches. White river, Big Eagle and Fall Creek are out of their banks and hundreds of acres of low lands are overdowed and many families have been driven from their homes. Several bridges are re- ported washed away. The railroads are suffering as a result of flooded roadbeds. Nearly all trains are late while others have been abandoned. Re- ports from all over the state tell of de- struction by floods. Many towns are temporarily cut off and trains have been entirely abandoned on some roads. A special from Greensburg es- inmates the damage in that locality at $1O0,000. Nearly 1000 people were fore ed out of their homes on account of Z the flood. Word was received at noon that the river was rising six inches an hour and the approaches to the Big Four railroad bridge at that place are weakening.