Evening star., 1901-12-16
Reached It's Crest at Pittsburg Early
This Morning.
THE COLD SNAP Was OPPORTUNE
But for That Much Damage
Would Have Been Done.
HIGH WATER ELSEWHERE

I'll ISBCE EG. Pa, December 1N.-The
crest of the flood and the lowest point
touched this winter by the mercury were
both registered at the same hour. s am,
when the Smithfield street bridge marks
showed - feet $ inches OF water in the
Monongahela river, and the government
thermometer indicated degrees above
zero.
The rivers are now falling here. and at
the headwaters, and the temperature is
steadily rising
A flood and cold wave at the same time
is almost unprecedented and only the sud
den drop in the temperature averted one of
the greatest floods I'm the history of Pitts
burg.
AS 1t was. the lower parts of the Point
district and Duquesne way and lowlands
along the Monongahela river south side.
were submerged. In Allegheny the river
front was entirely under water. including
Pittsburg and Western railroad, Lacocll
RobinSon, Hope, Balkan, Walnut. Cherry
Madison and River avenues. The cellars
IN many houses were flooded and people
were compelled to move
For the rivermen and dwellers along the
river banks of Pittsburg and Allegheny IL
was the most fearful night experienced I'm
many years. Similar conditions have been
practically unknown to this generation.
Suffering Among River Men.
Hundreds of men toiled all night. with gi-
gantlc coal tows, tied up to the land
ings on both sides of all three rivers in the
face of bitterly cold wind. Drenched at
times with the splashes of foam. their
clothes froze on them Immediately and the
suffering was awful.
Never in the history of Pittsburs was
there such a flood on such a night The
rains and snow of the past three DAYS
caused the upper tributaries OF the local
rivers to swell. and the result was a rise
almost unknown at this season of the year
Warning was sent out from the weather
bureau that a flood stage was possible and
even probable, but the suddenness with
which the cold air descended on Saturday
night Influenced the minds of the men who
were guarding the big coal fleets and he
rise came as almost complete surprise
to them. Usually a cold snap takes all the
lie and danger out of flood Ii failed To
do SO yesterday, and as result the fresh"t
will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
that might have been saved.
The damage to goods in the wharvee IN
warehouses, stores and private houses In
the two cities will never be known. IL will
probably reach s60.G0o. In addition to this.
many mills and factories along both rive-s
were forced to close down temporarily, and
thousands of men and women will be out
OF work from one to three days. and much
damage done to machinery and finished
stock.
Damage mt Other Points.
AT all points along the rivers reports OF
damage from the high water have been
received. For a distance of half a mile
along the river at Brinton the cellars of
houses were completely filled with water
last night, and in some instances covered
floors of the buildings. Water stood two
and one-half feet deep in the pits of the
American Steel and Wire Company's plant
at Braddock and the floors were partly in
undated. The plant of the Monongahela
Light and Power Company, at Rankin,
were also flooded.
AT McKee's Rocks. in all the cellars west
of CHARTERS avenue, the water stood three
feet deep.
In Esplen many cellars were flooded.
About six hundred feet of the newlv-built
northbound track of the Pittsburg and Lake
Erie railroad went down. An army of
ltailans was at once set to work to repair
the damage. The tracks of the Southern
Traction Company were covered with water
but the cars were not prevented from run
ming
Herr's Island was partly submerged. but
Il was not necessary to remove the cattle
from the stock yards. AT Sharpsburg Gel
lars were Hooded and in many houses the
water was on the first floors
As result of the flood several plants
along Penn avenue and In the West End
are closed today, throwing thousands of
employees idle.
Plants which Were Inundated.
Among the more important of these are
the United States steel plant, I'D street;
Carbon steel plant. 32d street Bailey Brown
pudding works. 10th street: American steel
and wire plant, 9th street: Diamond steel
plant and Zugs sable iron works 18th
street.
Between 29th and 33d streets all the Gel
lars of the houses are flooded In most in
stances the water rising to the height of
three feet.
In the West End several departments of
the Singer-Nimick plant OF the Crucible
Steel Company were closed and Painters
No. cotton tie mill of the American Steel
Hoop Company was idle.