The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1902-03-08
HIGHEST POINT N YEARS
ALLEGHENY RIVER FLOODS.
Fifty Thousand Men Temporarily
Idle BY Forced Closing Down Of
Mills-PeOple Were Warned-Alle-
gheny City . Modern venice-Eire
Protection Unavailable.

Pittsburg. Pa, March, 2.-The Al
legheny river marks show 1926 and
the river Is still rising. The food
marks of 1884 will. in all likelihood.
be passed, and IS feet, the highest
point ever reached by the water here
Tin 1882 may be equalled. It is Ger
tain that the great damage done by
the 1884 food will be exceeded BY
many thousands Of dollars. A reli-
able estimate of the money damage
can not be made at this time. but
it will be very heavy. Already 60.-
600 men have been made temporar-
lily idle by the forced closing down
Of mills, factories and other indus
tries, and the number is likely to be
greatly increased by Monday. To
the timely warnings given by the
government weather bureau ofIlcials
to all interested may be credited the
lack of fatalities. In most instances
business men and other residents
were prepared, consequently no drown
ings or serious accidents have resulted
up to the present.
The Allegheny Is a modern Venice
and every sort Of improvised wafer
craft is in service. Every street In
the low lying districts Of the city from
Henry's island to the western side has
more or less water in 1t. In some
places it is from two to four feet deep,
forcing the householders either to
abandon their homes or move to the
upper floors. In numerous instances
families have taken their cook stoves
to the attic and have prepared to camp
out, as it were. until the waters sub
side. All Of the railroad tracks except
the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chi
cago are submerged, and many factor
les have been closed down. The west
srn penitentiary is in particularly bad
shape. The water has flooded the
underground portion of the institution
running much fine machinery, includ-
ing the air renovating and electric
lighting plants. The building Is now
without heat and the only light in II
Is from candles and lamps. A small
sized iceberg has been deposited in the
grounds and the warden's house has
been rendered untenantab'e.
Pittsburg proper, from the Point ia
Ninth street and as far back as Penn
avenue, everything is flooded. Skiffs
and wagons are being used by resi-
dents to go to and from their homes
Few Pittsburgers have ever before
seen the water SO deep on these
streets. The Hotel Lincoln has two
feet of water in It's basement. while
the Victoria and Boyer hotels are In
almost as bad shape. Water sur
rounds the Anderson, but no particula,
damage has been done. The Duquesne
and the Alvin theaters were forced tt
abandon their performances tonight
and business in the districts has beeG
suspended since noon. Every mil
along the Allegheny river as far a.
Thirty-third street. in the Allegheny
valley. railroad tracks are submerged
and every cellar in the district haf
water in it,
On the south side many Of the mills
have shut down, the plants Of Jones &
I.aughlin and the Republic Steel com
pany being the only extensive works
to escape. From Homestead to Nc
KEGS Rocks, the Pittsburg & Lake Dril
tracks are under water and the Pan
handle tracks are being used to ge'
trains in and out of the city.
| Notwithstanding the fact that ths
south side is literally swamped. there
is not drop of water available To-
home purposes or for fire Nighttime
should it become necessary. The Mon
ongahela Water company supplies thil
section of the city and this evening tn
Monongahela river took possession O
the company's plant. putting out tn
fires under the boilers and forcing ,
shutdown.
Pittsburg, March The great hoot
is gone and the turbulent waters Of tn
Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio river
are again within their NATURAL channels
All the larger mills have resumed opera
tions or will be running as usual within
the next "a hours.
Mob of symathixers.