Evening star., 1902-02-28
High Water Expected at Harper's
Ferry.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
HARPER'S FERRY, ". Va, February
2S.-Both the Shenandoah and the Potomac
rivers are rising slowly The government
gauge shows sixteen feet above low water.
This is falling of eight feet since Thurs
day morning. when the river reached twen-
ty-four feet. The water has left the lower
part of the town, which was entirely under
water. The reports from both rivers above
indicate much higher water than Thursday.
Residents in the lower portion are now
moving to places Of safety.
1t has been raining here and on both
rivers above since midnight, the govern
ment rain gauge showing seventy-five hun
dredthS of rainfall in four hours All
streams from the mountains are pouring in,
and many creeks are swollen SO they are
impossible.
The Chesapeake and Ohio canal has been
damaged considerably, by breaks In it's
banks. The Shenandoah at Woodstock,
Va, is reported within two feet of the
high water of 1880. Not much rise Is ex-
pected here until about midnight.
The Flood at Pittsburg.
PITTSBURG, February 2S-The great
gorges in the Allegheny river are broken,
and the ice is sweeping down on this city.
The first break occurred at Montrose about
$3.50 o'clock this morning, and an hour later
the gorge Sandy creek broke with a
roar like that Of heavy artillery, and began
to move slowly down the river.
Caught In the swiftly moving ice packs
were two steamboats,. the D. r. Watson
and the George Browdy, with a crew Of
four. The Watson was reported from
Montrose, fighting her way against the
heavy Ice in the middle of the river.
1t is considered extremely doubtful
whether she will be able to survive. The
Browdy is off the mouth of Sandy creek in
an exactly similar position.
Residents Of Towns Warned.
The residents Of the river towns have
been warned of the approaching ice, and
preparations have been made to fee to
higher ground In the event of the ice gorging
again. causing the river to overflow. The
water at this point has only risen about
foot since yesterday, and at 10 O'clock the
river was free of Ice, the head Of the gorge
not having reached the city.
Reports at 10 o'clock were that the ice
had gorged again at Montrose, Six-Mile
still intact at Brilliant station. At Mont
rose it is piled thirty feet high from shore
to shore. The Freeport road is under two
feet of water and all the houses along the
was completely wrecked and two sand boats
badly damaged. The lower sections OF
Verona and Cheswick are under water and
many houses flooded.
Storm in Northern Ohio.
CLEVELAND, February 2S.-One Of the
most violent gales experienced in years
prevailed throughout northern Ohio early
today. At the local weather bureau office
the wind, which was from the southeast
registered velocity Of sixty-four miles an
hour. Telephone and telegraph poles and
wires we're prostrated in many places, with
the result that the service Is seriously
affected. 1t will probably require several
days to fully repair the damage.
ASHEVILLE, N. c., February 28--An
railway traffic In the mountains ID COM
pletely paralyxed as a result OF last nights
storm. The French Broad river is the high
est ever known, and all manufacturing