Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-27
Heavy Loss of Property Along Rivers
Meeting There.
RESULT OF RECENT HEAVY RAINS
Two Men Drowned While Rowing
Across the Allegheny.
BRIDGE WASHED AWAY

PITTSBURG, Pa, November 27-After
three days of incessant rain, a flood I'M
precedented for this season Of the year and
quite unexpected in its fury swept down
the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers last
night In their mad rush the waters ruin
ed hundreds of thousands Of dollars worth
OF property, caused the loss of at least
three lives, temporarily threw out Of en-
ployment thousands of workmen by the
forced suspension of the many Industrial
establishments lining the banks OF both
streams and rendered hundreds of families
homeless.
The fatalities are:
Frederick Koppman aged sixty-sx years:
tripped and fell, breaking his neck. while
removing goods from his home.
Joseph Davis.
Joseph Flocker, mill worker: drowned by
the capsizing of skiff in the Allegheny.
Flood Was Unexpected.
A November flood 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
had been heavier than usual in the noun
tains at the headwaters of both rivers,
however, and 1t was not until late yester-
day that the warning was sent out that
both streams were getting beyond their
banks and that there was dangerous flood
threatened. The result was the fast rising
waters caught many wholly unprepared,
and much valuable property that was tied
up for only moderate stage was carried
away
The danger line is "a feet. and this was
passed about o'clock this morning, and
seven hours later. at IL am, the marks at
Davis Island dam registered 25 feet and Z
inches. Both rivers were stationary. and
1t was thought that the worst was over and
before nlghtfall the waters would be re-
ceding The low lands in Pittsburg, Alla-
gheny, sout-. Pittsburg. Sharpsburg and
Mckeesport are iErrdated. and nearly
every plant fronting the two rivers has
been forced to shut down.
Hundreds of Families Homeless.
Hundreds Of families in these districts
have either been driven from their homes
or are living in the upper floors and using
skihs. There were many narrow escapes
from drowning during the night. and sew
eral men are reported to the police as miss
Ing, but the only known fatalities directly
traceab,e to the flood were those Of kopp-
man, Flccker and Davis, reported above.
Davis and Flocker, with three compan-
iers. attempted to row across the Aile-
gheny in a skff. which became unmanage-
able and colided with a coai boat. The
men were thrown into the river and Davis
and Flocker drowned. The others clung to
the upturned boat and were rescued after
being carried two miles down the river.
At Neville Island the four-span railroad
bridge in course Of construction was
swept away during the night. 1t was being
erected for the American Steel and Wire
Company, and was also to be used for pas
senger traffic by the Pittsburg and Lake
Erie Railroad Company.
Ohio River Rising Rapidly.
PARKERSBURG, w. Va. November q.
To-day opened clear after weeks steady
storm of rain and snow. The Ohio river u
rising rapidly and reached a stage Of fifteen
feet six inches at am. today. The stage
of the Little Kanawha at Creston and
Grantsville was fifteen feet, but fears
are entertained thus far of serious food.