The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-01
Low Lands Already Overlooked and
Fires of Mills and Factories
May BE Put Out.
SOME TOWNS IN DARKNESS
SEVERAL LIVES LOST BY TRAINS
RUNNING INTO wASHOUTS.
Railways in the Mountainous Regions
in Bad Shape-Trafiic on Some
Roads Suspended.

PITTSBURG. Feb. 2S.-Pittsburg and vi
cinity is tonight threatened with a dis
astrous flood. The great ice gorge in the
Allegheny happily passed out to-day with
out doing any serious damage. but the
great volume of water behind a.. which is
being augmented every moment by swollen
creeks and mountain streams. makes it ap-
parent that much damage must result be-
fore the waters subside.
At 1880 p. m. Government Forecaster
Ridgway issued a bulletin stating that the
rivers had reached the danger point and
were rising fast. He sent out warnings to
all river men. railroad companies and 9TH
ers interested TO prepare for at least
twenty-five feet by morning. and predicted
a maximum of thirty feet. This stage. if
reached will completely submerge the lower
parts of Allegheny and this city and put
out the fires in many mills and factories.
The residents of the downtown districts
have been preparing for months for the
food which they thought inevitable. All
have moved TO second floors. The Lincoln
and Boyer hotels and the Y. NJ. c. \. to-
day vacated the ground floors in anticipa-
lion Of being flooded tomorrow. The mer-
chants along Penn avenue have installed
steam siphons i'm order to keep cellars dry.
The Fourth-ward school will also be closed.
Building operations along Penn avenue will
be seriously interfered with. The exposi-
ton buildings will be inundated by morn
ing. In Allegheny the Pittsburg & West
ern tracks are all under water. traffic be-
ing suspended to-day as early as l o'clock.
People living along the river are moving
into second stories. going out in boats.
The ball park is flooded and much damage
is feared.
The river coal combine attempted 10 make
a shipment of coal south to-day, starting
the Boaz down with eight boats OF coal.
four barges of iron rails. etc. They had
just passed Davis island dam fifteen min
utes before the gorge overlook them. neces-
stating "A tie-up and causing apprehension
for the fate of the feet. AS yet few coal
flats have been swept away.
Reports from Johnstown. McKeesport,
Bedford, Connellsville, Newcastle. OH City
and all other nearby points report like
conditions, with indications of a big flood.
Reports from Sharpsburg say the food is
doing great damage there. Before II o'clock
tonight the water had reached Ferry street
and submerged the first floors OF the big
tenement houses. There are over one hun
dred negroes occupying the flats. and all
were compelled 10 vacate Pine creek was
rising rapidly at midnight. and it is ox-
pected by morning that the water will reach
the fires Of the Spang-Chalfant Company
in Etna, causing a shutdown. The new
Spang-Chalfant mill at Sharpsburg will
also have TO close.
In Millvale Girty's run at midnight had
swollen to the size OF a river and was car
rying down with il all kinds OF debris. The
creek has filled all the sewers. and should
the river reach the twenty-six-foot stage,
as predicted, the entire lower part of the
town viii be inundated.
At Tarentum the river was rising rapidly
and all small creeks and runs I'm the VI
cinity are pouring out great volumes OF
water. Reports from Freeport are that the
water is rising one foot an hour.
Greenville, Pa. reports the ice I'm the
Shenango gorged below the Main-street
bridge and backing the water up over the
flats. Race street is completely under
water, and damage there is considerable.
The water is rising tonight about three
inches an hour. The Bessemor & Lake
Erie tracks are under four feet OF water at
Osgood and passenger trains are being sent
over the Pennsylvania
Railroads entering this city were moro or
less affected by the high water. the B. *
O. the most seriously. Train No. 10 on
that road did not leave the station az All
tonight owing 10 washouts and land
slides The Wheeling division was intact.
The Chicago limited on the Pennsylvania
was one hour and thirty minutes late enter
ing Pittsburg. The Pennsylvania. the PAN
handle and the Fort Wayne lines are all
reported as slightly affected by the pre-
vailing floods.