The San Francisco call., 1901-12-16

iii which for severity and destruc-
~ tiveness has not been equalled in
II this section in twenty-five years
visited Eastern and Central Penn
sylvania last night. causing unprecedent-
ed damage and resulting in the loss of at
least four lives. The havoc in the south
ern region is enormous. and the loss to
railroad and mining companies will
amount to millions of dollars. The
Schuylkill, Lehigh, Susquehanna and Ju-
niata rivers have risen as high as fifteen
feet above their levels. and all of their
tributaries have overfiowed, inundating
the surrounding country in more than
dozen counties.
Innumerable washouts have occurred on
the Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia and
Reading, the Northern Central, the Lee
high Valley, the New Jersey Central and
the Lackawanna railroads. Bridges were
carried away and traffic is at standstill.
The delegates to the convention of the
American Federation of Labor are storm
bound at Scranton, with no idea of when
they will be able to leave.
The force of water weakened the sup
ports of bridge spanning a creek near
Williamsport, and as a result freight
train was wrecked and three men were
killed. At one place miner was swept
from a bridge and drowned.
In the Schuylkill Valley forty-eight
mines were flooded and in the Lehign
and Lackawanna regions the destruction
is equally great. Hundreds of mules were
drowned in the collieries, and it will be
sumo operations.
Entire Town Is Submerged.
In some sections the water reached the
second stories of dwellings, and the town
of Westmore, near Wilkesbarre, is sub
merged. Many of the residents have left
their homes in boats: Similar conditions
exist along the Juniata River, farmers
being compelled to abandon their homes.
The flood was rendered more disastrous
by the melting of the snow on the noun
tot IN hn w
severity yesterday Afternoon after the rain
had been falling incessantly for several
days. AT Pottsville and other places in
Schuylkill County ten inches of rain fell
in tWenty-four hours. The high wind ac-
companying the rain unroofed many
houses, and the individual losses will be
ALLENTOWN, Pa, Dec. 15.-The most
destructive flood in the Lehigh Valley
since 1862 started this morning at o'clock,
following a two days drenching rain,
causing the Lehigh River to become a
raging torrent. The traction companys
power-houses are flooded by seven feet OF
water, which drowned the fires under the
boilers. No trolley cars have been run
since 10 o'clock this morning, and Allen
town is tonight in darkness. The AIDE
laide silk mills sustained a loss of more
than $4,000 Eight feet of muddy water
is on the first floor, completely covering
the machines and running all the silk. The
American Steel and Wire Company,s wire
and nail plants are under water and thou
sands of dollars damage has been done
there. All other industries along the
course of streams suffered heavily by
water flooding the Easements and first
floors, damaging the machinery and stock.
BETHLEHEM, Pa, Dec. 15-In six
hours this morning the Lehigh River
overflowed the canal and adjoining rail-
road tracks on both sides. Both the Lee
high Valley and the New Jersey Central
railroads were forced to suspend traffic.
Not since 1S41 has the backwater from the
river wrought such serious damage. The
canal bank bosses say the damage to the
canal will reach $50 900, while 200 private
residences in the flooded district were
damaged to the extent Of $4,000. Both the
electric and gas companies are without
poWer and the churches were compelled
to suspend services tonight.
The Lehigh River was seventeen feet
above low water mark here before the
people realized their danger. No loss OF
human life is known.
VICTIMS OF COLD WEATHER.