The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-12-20
SEVERE EASTERN STORMS
MANY LIVES WERE LOST
Eastern and Central Pennsylvania Suf-
fered Enormous Damage Rivers Be
yond Their Banks-Bridgss Gone aud
Mines Flood ed-Parts Of Pittsburg In
undated-CentraI States Suffer.

Philadelphia, Dec. ia storm, |
which for severity and destructive |
ness has not been equaled in this sec
ton for % years, has visited eastern
and central Pennsylvania, causing al
most unprecedented damage and re-
sulting 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
Schuylklyy. Lehigh, Susquehanna and
Juanita rivers have risen as high as
Is feet above their levels, and all OF
their tributaries have overlooked, in
undating the surrounding country in
more than a dozen counties
Innumerable washOuts have occur
red on the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
& Reading, Northern Central and
Lehigh Valley, New Jersey Central
and Lakawanna railroads. Bridges
were carried away and traffic is at
standstill.
The delegates to tie convention OF
the American Federation of Labor are
storm bound at Scranton, with no idea
when they will be able to leave.
The force of water weakened the
supports Of bridge spanning a creek
rear Williamsport and as a result q
freight train was wrecked and three
n en- killed. At Oneida, near Halle
ton, miner was swept from a bridge
and drowned.
In the Schuylkill valley As mines
were flooded and in the Lehigh and
Lakawanna regions the destruction
is equally great. Hundreds of mules
were drowned in the cOlleries, and t
will be weeks before many of the
mines can resume operations. In
some sections the water reached the
second stories of dwellings, and the
town of Westmore, near Wilkesbarre,
is submerged. Many of the residents
Rave left their homes in boats. Sim
liar conditions exist along the Juanita
river farmers being compelled to
abandon their homes.
The flood was rendered more dis
estrous by the melting of the snow on
the mountain sides. The storm broke
with great severity yesterday after
noon, after rain had been falling in
Cessantly for several DAYS.
At POttsville and other places in
Schuylkill county three inches of rain
fell in "a hours. The high wind accom-
banying the rain unroofed MANY
1ouses, and the individual losses will
be considerable.
Pittsburg Dec. 16.-The remark
able weather conditions that have pre-
vailed in Pittsburg and western Penn
sylvania during the past week culmin-
ated Sunday in a decided drop of the
temperature, accompanied by flood
stage of water in the three rivers,
which caused some suffering and
many thousands of dollars worth of
damage. Parts of Allegheny and
Pittsburg were submerged, stores and
dwelling houses being flooded.
The low lands along the Allegheny
side of the Allegheny river were the
first to be submerged by the rising
water. Later tonight the river began
also the encroach upon the low parts
of Duquesne way, on the Pittsburg
side
The constant dropping of the Their
mometer indicates tonight that the
rise will be over by morning.
Fifty loaded boats were torn from
their moOrings today and went down
the Ohio river at a terrific rate of
speed. In going over the dam thew
carried with them the signal lights
and a portion of the machinery. What
other damage they may infiict before
their course is checked cannot be pre-
dicted at this time.
At DuQuesne a fleet of 25 barges
moored at the dock of the Carnegie
steel works broke away and went
plunging down the Monongahela river
They were heavily laden with coal
and when they struck the pier of the
Pennsylvania railroad bridge just be-
low Point Perry, all were completely
smashed, completely blocking the
channel at that point.
Galveston, Texas. Dec. 16.-Galves
ton is experiencing the coolest wea
ther that has visited here in two
years. The thermometer registered "a
degrees, and ice was everywhere.
Billings, Mont, Dec. 12.-Eastern
Montana has been envelOped in one
of the heaviest snow falls ever known
Averages are from two to six feet on
the level, and railroad traffic will be
interrupted for the next few days.
q II