Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-24
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Pittsburg the Center Of a Watery
Picture Of Human Misery
and,Property Loss.
DAMAGES WILL FOOT UP MILLIONS
worst Is over in That Resion-Cincin.
mutt Now Expects Trouble-Rc-
markuble April Weather.

Pittsburg. April 22.-The city was
center Saturday of widespread
and disastrous storm. For a radius Of
$50 miles in western Pennsylvania,
eastern Ohio and West Virginia rain
or snow had been falling almost with
out intermission for, three days. Noun
tain streams had become torrents,
creeks were swollen and out Of their
banks. and the. big rivers were oceans
Of turbid water. The financial loss
cannot be estimated. In addition to
the hundreds of thousands, and per-
'haps millions, of dollars 1t will cost to
put large manufacturing plants iii
commission again, tens of thousands
OF skilled wOrkmen are thrown out Of
employment and lose their wages just
at time. when all the iron and steel
mills are rushed with orders.
Flood Has Cost millions.
But Pittsburg and Allegheny are
slowly emerging from the murky
food. At SIP. m. yesterday the rivers
were receding nearly foot an hour.
Conservative estimates of the total
damage In this district is between
s.. 100000 and $3,00OOOO. Fifty thou
sand workers are suffering from en-
forced idleness. While there have
been greater floods at this point, there
was never one that caused SO much
financial loss and discomfort. This
was due to the denser population
caused by the recent rapid growth of
the two cities, and to the fact that all
the manufacturing plants on the river
banks We're in active operation, most
of them working night and day, until
the rising water put out the fires and
drove the workers to higher ground.
The loss to the railroads entering Pitts
burg from flood, landslides, wrecked
bridges. heavy snow and the interfer-
cnce with traffic is roughly estimated
Mt 81. 100000.
In the.suhmerg. d Districts.
The submerged districts in Pitts
Bhrg aHa Allegheny are scene of alb
ject misery. Cellars, and, III some in
stances, the first floors, Of stores and
dwellings, are covered with water;
where the flood has subsidized 1t has left
behind a greasr yellow scum two to.
three inches deep. The res,tonts spent,
all Saturday irving to restore their
homes to some le;-rcc OF deccncy and
comfort. The dsnlagc to furniture
Hand buildir"s in Allegheny is estl-
mated Mt about ser 600. 1t will take
two months of hot summer weather
thoroughly to dry. out these hous s.
In Pittsburg tie loss to residences AID
stores and goods and the cost of Glenn
ing up Will amount -fn ahout S2In.0G0.
Storm Itnd .ten,ars nbie Frntwre-.
The STERN has passed ara Jas. left
zone Of ruin 300 miles in d.ameter.
1t was, unusual Iii. that 1t Possessed
so many different fcaturos. Cities
seventy miles from Pittshurg we're
tied,ilps by lone of the worst slow
storms ever, known. While the snow
fall was from eighteen inches to three
feet deep, which is not extraordinary.
the snow was so wet that 1t chung In
welghty masses to shade and fruit;
trees and. electric wires and poles,
bearing them to the earth. A few
niles away from these unfortunate
towns were municipalities in. Jest as