Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-20
FLOOD AT PITTSBURG
Continuous Rains in Vicinity Cause
Rivers to Boom.
WOMAN DROWNED At CARNEGIE
Fears That the Mill Section Will
Be Inundated.
MERCHANTS MOVING GOODS

ern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West
Virginia since o clock Thursday afternoon,
and as a result all the streams are beyond
their banks and the greatest flood since
1884 is feared. At 10 o'clock this morning
the Monongahela river marks registered -
feet and rising at the rate of inches an
hour. Old river men look for % to 80 ieet
at this point, while those not so conserva
tive are predicting from 50 to 80 feet. The
danger line is % feet. and stage of 30 feet
would inundate the lowlands about Pitts
burg and Allegheny, submerging all the
mills and factories lining the Allegheny and
Monongahela rivers for miles, and enforc-
ing idleness on thousands of workmen, be-
sides rendering hundreds of families tenn
porarily homeless. A stage of 80 feet would
flood the entire lower district in this city
from 9th street to the Point.
The weather bureau has sent out warn
Ing to all the residents on the river fronts
to prepare for the high water. Already great
activity prevails and everything Of a per-
ishable nature is being removed to places
of safety. Dispatches from the headwaters
report rainfall for the last twenty-four
hours of from 1 to 2& inches and all
streams rising rapidly.
Flood Came in the Night.
A flood swept down on Carnegie and the
whole CHARTERS valley, six miles southwest
said never to have been known. Already
one human life has been lost. an unknown
woman having been found floating in Char
tiers creek at Woodville at 9:25 o'clock this
morning. Railroads are washed out and
trains are caught in the flood. unable to
move either way. Carnegie and the whole
valley are in a panic this morning. with
business and traffic of all kinds suspended,
while people are rushing to places of safety
and seeking to save their lives without car
ing great deal for their property.
The main street of Carnegie, as well IS
all the other streets. Is under three feet
of water, and people are going about in
skiffs. Trees, boxes, parts of fences and
lumber of almost every description foated
through the main thoroughfare this morn
ing. The food swept into business houses
and homes far too fast for the people to
save much of their property and stock,
and the loss will run away up into the
thousands Merchants could not pile up
their goods quick enough to get them out
of the way Of the flood, for though every
body expected very high water. the rush
of flood has gone beyond their greatest
fears.
Carriages and wagons were hitched up
early today, and immediate steps taken to
haul them away to places of safety. Cars
of the Southern Traction Company We're
caught on the streets in the flood, and are
standing there now, those Main street
in three feet of water, unable to move
either way.
Railroad Washed Out.
All along the Washington branch of the
Panhandle railroad the condition could
hardly be worse. The road is practically
washed out. There are. washouts at Bower
Hill, Bridgeville, Meadow Lands and Ar
den on the Washington branch. and on the
Bishop and Millers Run branch, which
cuts off from Bridgeville to the mining ter
ritory, there is no possibility of traffic
owing to the washouts and the flood that
runs over the tracks To save the bridges
the railroad company officials cars
Loaded with heavy stone on to them this
morning, with the hope of holding them
down by sheer weight.
None Of the trains which went up the
Washington branch during the night
reached their destination, they being un-
able to get farther than Canonsburg. What
is worse, these trains could not come back,
and are caught in the country, unable to
move either way. The last train for Wash
ington, Pa, which left at midnight is in
such plight.
AS yet the woman who was drowned near
Woodvile is not identified. Her body was
caught floating in CHARTERS creek at 9.25
o'clock this morning by some men who
were at work there. 1t was dragged to
the banks, but where the body came from
has not yet been discovered The news of
this drowning added to the panic that pre-
vailed at Carnegie, because it is very easy
for life to be lost in that town. Water is
running through the streets with great
force in some places. Carnegie lies rather
low, but this morning s flood sWOOped down
on the town more rapidly and with more
force than any other flood which has been
known there In many years. and. indeed.
it is claimed, within the memory of the
oldest Inhabitants.
Situation at McKee's Rocks.
At Mckee's Rocks a somewhat similar
condition prevails, but in more exaggerated
FORM owing to CHARTERS creek entering
%l,o
bank which lie very low We're already part
ly submerged this morning and the inhab-
itants were making preparations to move
out If the water got much higher. The
water rushed out of the mouth of the creek
with almost torrential proportions. Tele-
phone and telegraph communication has
been seriously interrupted by the falling Of
poles. The residents Of lower Allegheny
for the first time in many years have be-
come anxious at the threatening prospects
for flood. Those nearer the river bank
spent the morning In so preparing and
packing their household effects that they
could be moved to place of safety at
short notice.
At the western penltentiary, while the
officials profess that they are not in the
slightest perturbed, consultations and con-
ferences are being held as to the best
steps to be taken for the safety and secur-
predictions be realized. The danger line
at the penitentiary bank is twenty-seven
feet, and at II o'clock this morning the
Ohio had reached a height of twenty-one
feet and was rising at the rate of ten
inches an hour. Jacks run is reported to
be rapidly becoming rushing torrent and
fears for the safety of houses along the
bank Of the stream are entertained. The
tracks Of the Pittsburg and Western and
the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg rail-
roads are under water, although traffic has
not yet been completely stopped.
At noon it was still raining hard. There
were twenty-five feet of water in the AL
legheny river at that time and 1t was ris-
ing more than a foot an hour. Predictions
are now confidently made that the great
flood of 1884 will be reached and possibly
passed before twenty-four hours. The vol
ume of water here is greater than in 1884
and is rising four inches an hour faster
than in that year.
Warning to River Residents.
Shortly after II o'clock the police ofiicials
began to realize that the flood would be
much greater than was at first expected,
and Immediately set about to lessen the
certain danger as much as possible. A sec
ond warning was sent out to every resident
on the river side streets and, among 9TH.
ers, those were specially warned who re-
sided In Allegheny on River avenue, Isa-