The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-12-20
RUlN0US FRESHETS.
Damaging Floods in Pennsylvania
and New York.
PROPERTY LOSS REPORTED HEAVY.
Iish Water the Direct Cause OF
Loss of Four Lives-Much Suffer-
ing from Extreme Cold
ID Reported.

has not been equaled in this section
for Is years visited eastern and CEN
trail Penns ylvania Saturday night,
causing almost unprecedented damage
and resulting in the loss of at least
four human lives. The havoc in the
coal regions is enormous and the loss
to railroad and mining companies will
amount to millions of dollars. The
Schuylkill, Lehigh, Susquehanna and
Juniata rivers have risen as high as Is
feet above their levels and all OF their
tributaries have overfowed, inundat-
ing the surrounding country in more
than a dozen counties. 1nnumerable
washouts have occurred on the Penn
sylvania, Philadelphia & Reading,
Northern Central, Lehigh Valley, New
Jersey Central and Lackawanna rail-
roads. Bridges were carried away
and traffic is at standstiu.
Damage by Freshet.
Allentown, Pa, Dec. 16.-The most de-
structive flood in the Lehigh valley
since 1862 started Sunday morning at
three O'Clock, following a two days
drenching rain which melted the snow
in the mountains, causing the Lehigh
river to become raging torrent. The
traction company's powerhouses are
flooded with seven feet of water, which
drowned fires under boilers. The
Adelaide silk mill sustained loss OF
over $4,000 by flood. Eight feet of
muddy water is on the first floor, COM
p.etely covering the warping and find
ing machines and running all the silk
on the machines. The American Steel
and Wire company's wire and nail
plants are under water and thousands
of dollars damage has been done
there. All other industries along the
course of the streams suffered heavily
by water flooding the Easements and
first floors, damaging the machinery
and stock. No through trains are run
ming north of Allentown and communi-
cation by wire is completely cut off.
No loss of life has been reported.
There are many washouts along the
railroads. Superin tendent Wentz, OF
the Central railroad, of New Jersey,
is stalled in his private car somewhere
north of Allentown. Lock-Tender Will
liam Hufferts' house and stable near
Allentown were swept away. The fam
lily escaped, but two horses were car
ried with the stable into the Lehigh
river and drowned.
Losses Heavy.
Bethlehem, Pa, Dec. 16.-In six
hours Sunday morning the Lehigh
river overflwowed the canal and the ad-
joining railroad tracks on both sides.
Both the Lehigh Valley and Jersey
Central railroad were forced to sus-
pend traffic. Not since 1S41 has the
backwater from the river wrought
such serious damage. The canal bank
bosses say the damage to the canal will
reach $4,000, while 200 private resi-
dences in the flooded district suffer to
the extent of nearly $50,000. Both the
electric and gas companies are with
out power, and the churches were COM
PEELED to suspend services Sunday
night. Although many head of live
stock has persisted no loss of human
life is known hereabouts. The Lehigh
river was II feet above low water
mark here before the people realized
their danger, hence the severe loss to
personal property.
Houses Unroofed.
Lancaster, Pa, Dec. 16.-A rain and
windstorm of great fury ragged here
druing the early hours Sunday morn
ing. Many houses were unroofed, in
Guiding Fulton's opera house, Hotel
Lincoln, the Stevens house and St.
Mary's Catholic church. Some streets
were strewn with limbs torn from
trees and bricks of dismantled Chin
neys. Throughout the county the
storm was not so severe, though at
Columbia roofs were blown from a
number OF houses.
Farmers Suffer.
Huntingdon, Pa, Dec. 16.-Satur-
days excessive rain fall has precipi-
tated a destructive food throughout
the Juniata valley and through the
low:lying country traversed by the
Raystown branch. The line of the
stream has become obliterated in
many places by the overflow. The
Juniata river has risen IA feet and
the Raystown branch much higher.
The farmers along these streams
have sustained an incalculable loss to
fences, growing grain and other prop
erty. Many farmers were forced to
abandon their homes temporarily.
The public roads to the south and
east of Huntingdon are impassable.
In York State.
New York, Dec. 16.-Warm weather
and rain followed by high winds have
resulted in fearful damage all over
New York state. On Saturday the
SHOWS in the northern sections thawed
rapidly, causing the rivers and creeks
to rise and the valleys were inundated.
Heavy rain followed, during the night,
accompanied by winds of great veloc-
ity. Trains were blocked for many
hours, landslides were frequent and in
the lowlands and valleys hundreds of
,,o.o u.hi1o tho no .