Evening star., 1902-03-01
POTOMAC RUNS HIGH
Does Much Damage to Prop
erty Along Course.
BEGINNING TO RECEDE
CITIZENS OF CUMBERLAND BEGIN
TO MAKE REPAIRS.
People of Williamsrort Frightened at
Outlook-Still Rising Here-The
Floods Elsewhere.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Evening Star.
CUMBERLAND. Nd, March 1.-At Loon
today the water is twenty feet above the
Baltimore and Ohio tracks at Sir Johns
run, fifty miles east of here. and is rising
two inches an hour At Cumberland the
Potomac is gradually falling. The BaIti-
more and Ohio officials say it is the worst
flood in their history, and they fear the
damage is appalling. Much apprehension is
felt regarding steel bridges They are all
weighted. but despite this the Confluence
bridge went out last night loaded with ten
steel cars of coal At Sleepy creek there is
seven feet of water over the Baltimore and
Ohio tracks.
1t is feared the immense tannery Of the
United States Leather Company al Paw
Paw Is entirely washed away. The COM
pany lost 800 tons of bark at their inundat-
ell Cumbs rland plant. The Baltimore and
ono has several thousand men in the
Hooded district awaiting the receding of
waters to work OH restoring the track. 1t
is not likely there will be any trains from
the east before tomorrow night.
AT Dry Wall, Conductor G.. "A. Zimmerlys
train was water-bound fourteen hours sur
rounded by five feet of water The train
men expected every moment to b. washed
away. Another freight IN the same locality
was enSulfed by the water washing the
bank from under it The trainmen escaped
up the hillside. Ii is expected trains VIII
be pushed through on the Pittsburg division
this evening.
Cumberland Cut OFF From East.
Cumberland is completely isolated from
the east. the Bedford division of the
Pennsylvania. running here, Is also COM
pletely tied up. The Cumberland and Penn
sylvania which suffers severely will likely
to be able to run trains through by the
middle of the week. The flooding of the
mines along this line is one of the most
serious results of the flood. as several thou
sand men are affected The Ocean mine
is the largest in the region.
No word has been received as to the con-
dition of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal.
II Will take about a week to fully explore
the banks and ascertain the damage which
officials here believe will be great.
the floods have receded in Cumberland.
from business houses. Pavements. some of
them almost square in length, We're COM
pletely washed out. Below Cumberland the
river and canal were one
On Pot Liquor Level, a Suuatter section
along the canal, where poverty reigns un-
der best conditions. the distress is awful
rs all the shanties some made out Of the
hulls of old boats, We're completely sub
merged.
Heavy Loss at Hancock
entire inundation of the west end of that
town. AT least forty houses are under wa
ter. some being almost entirely covered
The loss there will be heavy.
The work of restoring the West Virginia
Central railroad started this morning The
landsides west of Piedmont have been re-
moved and train went through to Elkins
from Piedmont. The main trouble is be-
tween Cumberland and Piedmont Tele-
no NVnct
Central have been delayed here several
days.
Rumored Loss of Life.
Most narrowing reports received of
suffering at Hyndman, town of 1000 peo-
pie fourteen miles northwest of here
reservoir used for water supply broke and
added to the torrent of Wills creek that
swept through the mountain valley in
which the town is located. Scores of houses
were moved from their foundations and
some are badly wrecked. The flood came so
suddenly that the people were unable to
secure their belongings.
Lives are reported lost, but as all the
wires are down this cannot be confirmed
Two big steel bridges on the Baltimore and
Ohio at Hyndman We're washed away The
town is in the midst of a water famine as
the mains are broken. The wells were filled
up when the water works We're introduced
Many Baltimore and Ohio engines are
dead there for lack of water.
1t Is said that outside aid will have to be
called TO relieve suffering.
Alarm at Williamsport.
HAGERSTOWN. Md, March 1-At l
O'Clock this afternoon the Potomac river
at WilIamsport was twenty-eight feet
above normal and still rising at the rate
OF six inches an hour This second rise
In the river within week is unprsce-
dented and has caused the greatest alarm.
The water is eighteen inches above the
top OF the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
aqueduct over the COnococheague creek
AT no point for miles above or below Will
Transport can any trace of the canal be
seen Several of the large warehouses at
Williamsport are flooded.
No trains have been running on the Cum
berland Valley railroad between Hagers-
town and Harrisburg since noon Yesterday
as the result of three big washouts An
ofhcial of the road stated today that at
the earliest passenger traffic could not be
resumed before tomorrow noon All traffic
1s also tied up on the Norfolk and Western
railroad between Hagerstown and Roa-
noke.
At Hancock, twenty miles above VIII
Transport, the river was rising six inches an
hour at noon.