Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-04-22
IN THE JoBB1NG DISTRICT.


The Work of Removing Goods Was
Still in Progress Al Day Yester-
day-Men Were Well Paid.
All through Saturday night and dur
ing major portion of Sunday, there
was a scene of unwonted activity
among the business houses on Main
street, between Fourteenth street and
the creek. Some cellars were cleared be-
fore 6 o'clock Saturday, but this was
only accomplished when early starts
were made in the morning In most
instances the work of clearing cellars
and first floors continued until day
light.
A great many merchants along the
street appeared to discredit the reports
as to the probable stage Of water, al
though past experience should have
taught them better. They delayed
starting the work of removing goods in
some cases until after o'clock, and as
a result they had to augment their force
of employees. Able-bodied men were in
demand all along the street, and all
who presented themselves had no diff
Guilty in securing employment. They
were paid from 5 cents to as high as
a dollar an hour, and were furnished
with coffee and sandwiches at mid
night.
Several jobbing houses on Main be-
tween Twelfth and Fourteenth streets
until late in the afternoon, apparently
determined not to move goods until 1t
was found absolutely necessary and the
morning reports from above were not
reassuring. Each foot added to the
maximum stage increases the number
OF flood victims, and it is interesting to
note the degree Of anxiety with which
people inquire whether the water will
probably reach certain height or not.
Nearly every Island man knows just ex-
actly the stage that will put the water
in his house, and the same thing is
true of Main street merchants and per-
sons living in the low-lying districts.
A great deal of the merchandise that
was stored in cellars is now piled up
along Main street, and in Alley B, south
of Twelfth. In front Of Jacob Snyder's
Sons there are piles of structural iron.
On Fourteenth street there are boxes
and barrels, and on Twelrth street sew
eral hundred kegs of nails.
While the invasion of the cellars of
jobbing houses will do very little d.
rect damage, the loss to merchants in
the way of suspension OF business and
expense of moving, will amount to
thousands of dollars in the aggregate.
T. B. Potts show boat, which was
moored at the lower end Of the wharf.
was tied to the Schmulbach fountain,
and rope gave way Saturday hight,
The boat was secured with another
rope. however, and prevented from
floating down stream
A big force of men removed all the
merchandise from the floor of the Pan
Handle and Ohio Riyer railroad freight
depot, at the foot of Fourteenth street.
which a 45-foot stage would have COW
cred. This precaution proved to be I'M
necessary, however, as the water did
not touch the floor.
The water overlooked the bank at
several points in the morning. Below
Twelfth street tbs tracks of the ". &
E. G. road were submerged to a depth
of several feet last night. The cars
during the day turned back from the
foot of Twelfth street
The creek overfoged its banks. and
the water backed in around South street
at the intersection OF Main, but did not
do any damage, as it did not reach the
first floors OF buildings in that vicinity.
All the cellars were flooded. but all
goods and merchandise had been pre.
viously removed
The B. & o. track ofHcisl. took extra
ordinary and, as events demonstrated
unnecessary precautions about the
creek. Eighty gondolas and boxcars
were run out on the Hempfeld bridge.
no doubt prevented that structure from
damage. Passenger Agent T. c. Burke
was determined not to lose the tsmpor-
airy depot and CONTIGUOUS buildings
with the rehabilitated station q near
ready for use. Under his direction, the
platform and buildings were attached
with hsavy wire to the rails on both
sidss of the platform The water eou,i
not have lifted the buildiass without
also tearing up the heavy track. and