Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-08


The water is dropping fast at all
points above, and the danger of Mon
days snow causing a large stage is
averted. When the river starts to fail
it takes a very large rise from rain
fall or thaw to catch up with it. The
water reached it's highest point at
O'Clock yesterday morning, the
marks showing % feet 8 inches.
1t remained stationary at that
point until some time between 10
and II o'clock, when it started to fall.
At O'Clock p. m. there was 2S feet OF
water. The stage was not as high as
anticipated by about three feet. Both
the upper rivers are also falling very
fast. By Friday the water will be
back at a normal stage.
Rivermen claim the weather Monday
night on this section of the river the
toughest that has happened for great
number of years. The wind drove hard
west by north, making landings on the
Virginia side of the river of an espe-
cially hazardous nature. The high
wind, accompanied by the driving snow
and sleet, rendered it almost impossible
for the pilots to see where they were
going.
Boats arriving yesterday report
many exciting experiences during the
rough weather. The Bedford met the
storm midway between Parkersburg
and this city. The force of the wind
was so great that the boat was COMPEL
cd to seek the bank and tie up until
the storm had abated somewhat. She
finally got started again and reached
this city about twelve hours behind
time. She got away for Parkersburg
at 3 p. m.
The Lexington managed to weather
the gale and arrive on time. She LETT
on schedule time with an excellent trip
for Matamoras.
1t is reported that the Queen City
knocked the upper half of her pilot
house off by its coming in contact with
the kenova bridge. The high water
rendered it rather dangerous for the
larger packets to pass the bridges.
The Greenwood's stack struck the
Parkersburg bridge and as a result one
was knocked down, barely missing Mrs
Of an Groom who
was standing on the texas when the
accident occurred. The boat was put
into harbor Immediately and all dam
age repaired.
The Ben Hur, in making landing
at this place, attempted to back down
to the wharfboat from a point above
the suspension bridge. AS she swung
around the heavy wind caught her
broadside on and smashed her against
the bank. She got out of the predica-
ment, nevertheless, having only the
guards on her port side mashed very
badly.
Both the Virginia and the Queen city
were caught down on the lower end or
the river by the extremely high water,
and as a result they are both far behind
the schedule. Notices were sent out
Yesterday by Capt. Henderson at Pitts
burg that until the boats could get
back on their regular schedule they
would leave that point as follows: Key
stone State, Monday at p. m; Viz
ginia, Wednesday at 4 p. M; Queen
City, Saturday at 4 p. M.
The Keystone State, well named the
"Old Reriable," has the reputation
along the river of being the fastest
packet on the down trip that ever
fioated on this end of the river.
On her down trip Monday night she
clearly demonstrated that fact. She
was very late in getting out OF Pitts
burg. On the way down she had six
stops to make, and at each stop it was
necessary to lose more or less time in
taking on and putting off freight. The
whole time consumed for the run,
which aggregates about 100 miles, was
seven hours and ten minutes.
OTHER RIVER ITEMS