Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-01
Pennsylvania UNDER WATER
Large sections Are Flooded and Dame
aEe TO Property Is EnOr-
mons.

PIrTsBURG, Feb. 2s.-Pittsburg and vi
cinity are tonight threatened with disas-
trous flood. The great ice gorge in the AL
legheney happily passed out today without
doing any serious damage, but the great
volume OF water behind II which Is being
augmented every moment by swollen creeks
makes II apparent that much damage must
result before the waters subside. At 1890
p. m. Government Forecaster Ridgeway
issued a bulletin stating that the rivers had
reached the danger point and were rising
fast. He sent out warnings 70 ell river
men, railroad companies and others inter-
ested to prepare for at least twenty-five
feet by morning, and predicted a miximum
OF thirty feet. This stage, II reached, will
completely submerge the lower parts of AL
legheney and this city and put out the hres
in many mills and factories.
All residents. Of the down town districts
have moYed to second floors.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. ga thunder
storm, accompanied by an unusually heavy
fall of rain, burst over this city at 1 o'clock
this afternoon. Every section Of the city
suffered from foods. Steam railroads and
abe street railways we're briefly interrupted
while the water covered the tracks. The
Schuylkill river. which had been unusually
high for several days past, was out Of its
banks tonight aad considerable damage was
done to property.
JoHNsTowN, Pa, Feb. 2s.-The high
water is playing havoc here, The two rlv-
ers, the Little Conemaugh and Stoney
creek, which are in confluence at the Great
street bridge here. are almost bank full
and still rising. Business has practically
been suspended and thousands Of people are
watching events. The Great Cambria mills
are completely paraiyzed. The ice gorge
above this city broke this morning and
came tearing down the stream. 1t swept
away two foot bridges here.
At $3.50 the rivers are still rising. A
heay doYnpour Of rain has been on since 9
o'clock. Telephone and telegraphic com
munication to all points in the mountains
is paralyzed and reports Of conditions there
are unobtainable.
CoNNELLsvILtE, Pa, Feb. 2s.-Thc
highest stage of water known in several
years has made the Youghiogheny a raging
torrent tonight. At s O'Clock this morning
the water was at flood stage and ksing at
the rate OF a foot an hour. By noon the
water began to flood the lower portion Of
New Haven and people began to move from
their houses, which were rapidly surrounded
by water. Tonight all the lower portion OF
New Haven is submerged.
Men are now toiling to save stock from
the valuable lumber yards, people are NOV
ing out into the. darkness and the raging
river makes 1t a night Of terror. Traf1c
on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad is sus-
pended. The wind last night tore down
telegraph wires and stopped the running OF
trains. 500 3gs,N
BEDFORpdNRs Feb. 2s.-4The heavy
" 6G6eT have changed
reached the
high water slsfKs1 A number Of railroad
bridges have been washed away and the
tracks in lower places covered for miles
and, as a Consequence, no trains have beer
gotten through today ana the Indications
are that all traf1c between here and Cum.
berland Will be suspended for several days
READING, Pa, Feb. 2S~.-pispatches from
Tamaqua, Pa, say that the worst noot
since 1850 visited that place today. TIL,
business section OF the town is under water
LEBANON, Pa, Feb. 2s.TThis city toda!
experienced the worst food in its histor!
and tonight the tow is in darkness. tn
electric light plant and the gas works ar,
flooded. The main streets are flooded AM
travel Is suspended. Hundreds Of fan1ilie
are held prisoners in their own houses.
SCRANTON, Pa, Feb. 2S.-Heavy rain
and warm weather today changed the insig
nihcantf Lackawanna into a mighty river. !
dozen small bridges on the Lackawann
were washed away and there was DANCE
Of the big Carbon street bridge going a
any time. The water was up to the dec
Of the bridge at 3 o'clock and was still
rising. The Delaware & Hudson, ontari
q Western and Jersey Central tracks ar
washed out at various points and train
are stalled all along the valley.