Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-03-06
FLOOD
IN THE SCHUYLKILL
RageS From Source to Mouth,
Distance of 1913 Miles.
WAS ANXIOUS NIGHT FOR MANY
One Life Has Been Lost in
Philadelphia.


The Damage is Expected to Reach Into
Hundreds of Thousands of DollarS-7he
Baltimore d Ohio Railroad Company
Probably is the Greatest sufferer.
Philadelphia, Pa, March 1.-What
is said to have been the greatest flood
| that has ever been experienced along
the SchuyllSill River, certainly the most
disastrous in recent years, tore its way
down that stream last night and early
| this morning, and from its source to
| its mouth 100 miles damage that
will reach into hundreds of thousands
dollars has been done. Ii was an
| anSiDus night for the residents and
property owners along the river. Thus
| far only one life has been lost in this
| city. Michael Igol, aged Al years,
WAS drowned at 7,30 O'Clock this morn
| ing in the kitchen of his home. at
Falls Of Schuylkill. The height Of the
| flood was reached at O'Clock this
morning, when the river which had px-
panded to twice its width, began slowly
to recede. Communication by telegraph
and telephone with the upper part Of
the river early today was cut off, and
| information as to the conditions in
towns situated on the river banks was
| meagre.
The melting of ice and snow, coupled
with the heavy rain of the last "a
hours, in the eastern section of the
State, was the cause of the rapid rise
in the water. A few days ago the
Schuylkill went up rapidly, then began
to fall slowly. The terrific rainstorm
yesterday, however, sent it up again.
| The flood was anticipated, and as re-
suit much property in the way of
manufactured stock and raw material
| stored in buildings along the river
banks was moved to places OF safety.
| Incalculable damage, however, has been
| done along the course of the river in
this city. The water came within
| few feet of the lower girders of the city
| bridges, and swept back from the
| wharf lines for three blocks in some
| places, surrounding dwellings and
great manufacturing plants, inundating
railroad tracks and causing Il chaotic
| condition that will take many days to
| eradicate. Several hundred sheep and
| hogs were caught in the food in their
| pens in the abattoir yards and drowned.
The yards are located on the west bank
Of the river above Market street. When
| the flood began to rise above the danger
mark, early last night, the cattle were
removed to a place of safety; but be-
| fore the attendants could reach the
small stock, all were drowned. Some
/ of the cattle, too, were lost, but most
of this stock was saved.
Probably the greatest sufferer is the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad CO., whose
tracks run along the eastern shore for
a distance of about three miles. This
road has abandoned service over its
main line, and is sending its through
trains via the junction railroad, which
runs along the western shore Just out
of the reach of the flood. It's other
trains are being sent from the Sixtieth
| Street Station, in West Philadelphia.
| The company's waitingrooms in the
main depot, Twenty fourth and Chest
nut streets, are three feet under water,
and in the train shed the water is as
high as the windows of the passenger
coaches. The superintendent Of the
division expected the flood yesterday
afternoon, and had every movable arti-
Gle taken to the upper floors OF the
station. Tho company's tracks arc
covered with water from Paramount
Park for distance Of nearly three
miles south to Wharton street, where
the tracks cross the Schuylkill River
bridge short distance below.
Lumber yards, in most instances,
were swept clean Of their stock, the
food carrying the lumber down the
river in great piles Thousands of tons
of coal and sand in the yards along the
river banks were swept down the river.
The city water works, located in Fair
mount Park, are under water, com
palling the stoppage Of the pumps At
| Arch, Race, Vine and Callowhill streets,
north of Market street. and SAMSON,
| Pima nn1 hand south nF