Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-12-19
STORM WAS GENERAL
Much Damage Done by Wind and
Flood Yesterday.
LOSS IN COAL REGIONS GREAT

LOSS IN COAL REGIONS GREAT
Rivers In Some Places Have Risen IS
Feet Above Their Level, and inun.
dated Lowiands-sridges Are Conc
and Traffic Suspended.
Philadelphia, Dec. IA storm,
which for severity and destructiveness
has not been equalled in this section
for 25 years, visited eastern and cen
traa Pennsylvania on Saturday night.
causing almost unprecedented dam
age. The havoc in the coal regions is
enormous and the loss to railroads
and mining companies will amount to
millions of dollars. The Schuylkill.
Lehigh, Susquehanna and Juniata riv-
ers have risen as high as 15 feet above
their level, and all of their tributaries
have overfiowed. inundating the sur
rounding country in more than dozen
counties.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Dec. 16.-The
heavy rains Of Saturday night caused
the SusQuehanna river to rise rapidly.
At 8 O'Clock last night 1t was 20 feet
above low water mark and still rising.
All the lowlands on the west side Of
the river opposite Willsesbarre are
covered with water from two to five
feet deep. The town of Westmore is
entirely surrounded by water, and
many of the inhabitants are leaving
their homes in boats, fearing that II
the river should continue to rise dur
ing the night the city dwellings may
be swept away.
All railroad traffic east and west Is
suspended. A big washout occurred
on the Lehigh Valley railroad at Vos-
burg tunnel. and the water is running
over the tracks depth of several
feet. A bridge for crossing the creek,
In close proximity to the SusQuehanna
river, in the northern part of this
city, was greatly weakened by the
food and no attempt will be made to
run trains over it until 1t is put in
condition. A washout occurred on
the Central Railroad of New Jersey
at White Haven, which completely
crippled that road.
/ In the rural districts the wind blew
down small buildings and fences and
uprooted trees. After the wind ceased
early Saturday night the rain came
down in torrents and continued until
yesterday morning. Yesterday there
was q sudden change in the weather.
the temperature falling rapidly, and
last night the residents of the Wyom-
ing valley were experiencing touch
of the western blizzard.
Pottsville, Pa, Dec. 16.-The great.
est food Schuylkill county has ex-
perienced in 25 years occurred on
Saturday night resulting from a con-
tinuous rain of several days, which
caused the Schuylkill river to over
flow its banks. The total loss is esti-
mated at over a million Of dollars.
Forty-eight collieries of the Philadel-
phia and Reading Coal and Iron COM
pany and other corporations are flood
ed and will be idle for at least a
week. In the Bast colliery, at Ash
land, 80 mules were drowned. A score
of township anl railroad bridges were
washed away, including three in New
castle township belonging to the
Pennsylvania Railroad company. Sew
eral destructive landslides occurred
along the Pennsylvania railroad and
the Philadelphia and Reading railway.
Traffic north of Pottsville is at a
standstill. At Schuylkill Haven the
water reached the second stories of
residences.
Allentown, Pa, Dec. 16.-The most
destructive food in the Lehigh valley
since 1862 started yesterday morning
at 8 o'clock, following two-days'
drenching rain, which melted the snow
| In the mountains, causing the Lehigh
river to become a raging torrent. The
traction company's power houses were
flooded with seven feet Of water,
which drowned the fires under the boil
ers. The Adelaids silk mill sustained
a loss of over $4,000 by the food.
Eight feet of muddy water is on the
first floor, completely covering the
warping and winding machines and
running all the silk on the machines.
No through trains are running north
of Allentown, and communication by
wire is completely cut off.
Hazleton, Pa, Dec. 16.--Great havoc
was wrought In the Lehigh ragion by
the storm. John Burns. a miner, OF
Oneida, near here, was washed from a
bridge and drowned. Over 100 mine
mules were drowned in the various
collieries in this vicinity, and the ma
jority of the mines are flooded. The
damage in this section Is estimated
at $200, 900. Both tracks of the Lehigh
Valley railroad between Weatherly
and Black creek, east OF this city, were
washed away, and the Pennsylvania
railroad lines south of here were Sc
verely damaged. Not train arrived
here yesterday.
Bethlehem. Pa, Dec. 16.-In six
hours the Lehigh river overfiowed the
canal and the adjoining railroad tracks
on both Sides Not since 1841 has the
hack water from the river wrought