The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-27
RUSH OF WATERS.
Unprecedented Flood Sweeps
Down on Pittsburg
After Incessant Rain Of Three
Days Duration.
THREE LIVES LOST
And Hundreds of Families
Rendered Homeless.
Vast Amount of Property Ruin
ed and Work Stopped.
THREE LIVES LOST

Pittsburg, Nov. 27.--After three days
of incessant rain, a flood unprecedented
for this season Of the year and quite un-
expected in its fury swept down the
Monongahela and Allegheny rivers last
night IN their mad rush the waters
ruined hundreds of thousands Of dollars
worth of property, caused the loss of at
least three lives, temporarily threw out
Of employment thousands of wortkmen
by the forced suspension OF the many
Industrial establishments lining the
banks of both streams, and rendered
hundreds Of families homeless. The IA
taiities are
Frederick Koppman, aged 66 years;
tripped and fell, breaking his neck, while
removing goods from his home.
Joseph Davis and Joseph Flocker,
mill workers, drowned by the capsizing
of a slif in the Allegheny.
A November Rood is quite common,
but it rarely reaches the danger line,
and for this reason the steady rains of
the past few days caused no alarm. The
precipitation mad been heavier than
usual in the mountains at the head
waters of both rivers, however, and it
was not until late yesterday that the
warning was sent out that both streams
were getting beyond their banks and
that there was a dangerous flood threat
ened- The result was the fast-rising
waters caught many wholly unprepared
and much valuable property that was
carried away. The danger line is "A
feet. and this was passed about 3 o'clock
this morning, and seven hours later, at
IL a. m, the marks at Davis island dam
registered 25 feet and inches. Both
rivers were stationary and It was
thought that the worst was over, and
before nightfal the waters would be re-
ced1ng- The loWlandS IN P1ttSburg,
Allegheny, South Sharpsburg and Nc
KsespOrt are inundated, and nearly
every plant fronting the two rivers has
been forced to shut down Hundreds of
families in this district have either been
driven from their homes or are living
In the upper floor and using SkiffS-
There We're many narrow escapes from
drowning during the night and several
men are reported to the police as miss
ing, but only three fatalities are known.
Davis and Flocker, with three COM
panions, attempted to row across the
Allegheny in a skiff, which became un-
manageable and collided with a coal
boat The men were thrown into the
river and Davis and F'locker were
drowned The others were rescued after
being carried two miles down the river.
At Neville island, the fOur-spal
railroad bridge in course of construction
was swept away during the night. 1t
was being erected for the American
Steel and Iron company, and was also
to be used for passenger traffic by the
Pittsburg & Lake Erie railroad COM
pany.
STORM WIDELY EXTENDED.
severity swept the states east OF Illinois
during the past thirty hours, causing
numerous disasters on land and water
and entailing heavy property loss. Wind,
rain and snow combined to make the
storm one of the worst of the year.
Wires throughout New York West
Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee
and other states are still in a crippled
condition and il is impossible to tell
how great the loss of life will prove.
Many alarming rumors have gained
credence. but confirmation of several
reputed disasters can not be obtained.
New York City was all but isolated
from the rest of the world a great part
of yesterday.
On Lake Erie the gale was severe, a
number of vessels being wrecked or
driven ahsore. Twenty-foot waves
swept in from the lake. causing serious
the water front. At Lorain, Ohio, the
heaviest sea in many years destroyed
the government pier, threatening to
ruin the harbor.
A section Of the wall Of the Erie canal
near Rome, n. Y, was broken, letting
the water out of the sixty mile level. All
vessels in this section of the canal will
until the damage is repaired and the
canal refilled.
The waterworks reservoir near
Chauncey, Ohio, broke and the flood
swept down on the town, one mile away
destroying a number OF buildings and
flooding the city
Throughout Ohio and West virginia
all streams We're flooded and overf1owed
their banks. carrying away bridges and
trestles, severely interfering with rail-
road traffic@