Barton County democrat., 1901-04-26
THOUSANDS MADE IDLE.
Raging Floods in the Ohio Valley
Have Wrought Disaster to Man
ufacturing Interests.
MANY CITIES ARE STILL IN DANGER.
Critical Stage Will Be Reached at Cincin-
natl Tuesday-Total Damage In Pitts
burg and Allegheny Will Aggregate S3.-
OOO,OOO-Abject Misery In tho Sub
merged Districts-Ohio Fruit Killed.


merged Districts-Ohio Fruit Killed.
Pittsburg, Pa, April 23.-Pittsburg
and Allegheny are slowly emerging
from the murky flood. Conservative
estimates of the total damage in this
district is between $2,OOO,000 and $3,-
100000. Fifty thousand workers are
suffering from enforced idleness. The
loss to the railroads entering Pitts
burg from flood, landslides, wrecked
bridges, heavy snow and the interfer-
ence with traffic is roughly estimated
at 81, 100000. On the Fort Wayne the
worst was snow blockade between
Salem and Massillon. The submerged
districts in Pittsburg and Allegheny
are a scene of abject misery. Gel
lars, and in some instances the first
floors of stores and dwellings are COW
cred with water, where the flood has
subsided, and it has left behind a
greasy, yellow scum two or three
inches deep. It will take two months
of hot summer weather to thoroughly
dry out these houses.
Great Damage About Wheeling.
Wheeling, W. Va, April 23.-The
river is rising two inches an hour and
Wheeling is shut entirely out of out
side communication by rail and only
the big Cincinnati liners are able to
run and irate residents along the
river bnks are firing frequently at
the boats because the swell from
them is washing the foundations away
from their houses. In Wheeling,
Bellaire, Bridgeport, Benwocd and
Martins Ferry about 500 houses have
been entered by the water, most of
the families moving to upper floors.
Nearly every manufacturing estab-
lishment in the Wheeling district is
shut down. At Martins Ferry the
water destroyed 100000 brick at the
Belmont Brick company. The Ohio
River railroad has several landsldes
and considerable washed out track be-
low Wheeling, involving big loss.
Worst to Come at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, April 23.-The danger
line has been reached here in the Ohio
river flood which started at the head
waters last week and did so much
damage at Pittsburg and intermediate
points. The crest of the Pittsburg
rise is not due here till Tuesday but
the extent has been closely antici-
pated and preparations made accord
ingly. 1t is generally conceded that
the fruit crop throughout the Ohio
valley is gone and the damage to crops
is very great.
At Portsmouth, o., merchants in the
lower districts are submerged and
hundreds of residences have been
abandoned in that vicinity. Public
schools were dismissed so as to use
the buildings for sheltering the home
less. The schools were dismissed at
Ironton for the same purpose.
Vessels Saved from Disaster.
Chicago, April 23.-A great storm
of wind, snow and rain which pre-
vailed in the middle east Saturday
swirled around unexpectedly Sunday
and swept over Lake Michigan into
Chicago. It did much damage to prop
erty, blew down trees and shrubbery
in the parks and boulevards, crippled
electric wires and whipped the lake
into the heaviest sea of the season.
Shortly after sunrise the wind raised
and began to increase in speed until
by noon it was racing over the city
at the rate of SO miles an hour. Early
in the day the signal service foresaw
trouble ahead. Warning signals were
flung out to mariners in the city and
all along the lakes. Obeying them
saved more than one vessel from what
would have proved disaster.
Georgia Mountains Capped with Snow.
Atlanta. Ga, April 23.-The weather
bureau reports light frost in the vi
cinity of Jacksonville (Fla.), Meridian
{Miss.), and at Charleston Is. c..
Snow is reported at Gainesville, in
northeast Georgia, the mountain tops
being capped with white. Albany, in
south Georgia, reports the estimated
damage to cotton at so per cent
Americus, in southwest Georgia. wires
that considerable replanting of cotton
will be necessary.
Worst Storm for 60 Years.
Erie, Pa, April 23.-The snowstorm
of Friday night and Saturday and
the sleetstorm of Saturday night was
the worst known here in 60 years and
surpassed the famous blizzard OF
March, 1883. There is 12 inches OF
snow on the level.
Great Suffering Reported.
Huntington, w. Va, April 23-Ohio
river is So feet and rising Is inches
an hour. News of suffering and great
damage continue to come from many
points along the streams. Numerous
neighboring towns are flooded.
Stin Showing In Tennessee.
Huntsville, Tenn, April 23.-There is
from four to six inches of snow on
the ground here and it is still snow.
ing. Much fruit has been killed by
the cold. A COW was frozen to death
in the streets yesterday.
Good Jobs In the Philippines.
Washington, April 23.-Announce.
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