The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-23
ICE GORGES | CAUSE FLOOD Danger of Great Damage
 at PittSburg. BOTH RIVERS ARE RISING Height Will Probably Be
 Reached Late Today. Tow Boat sinks in 24 Feet of wate-, But the Crew Escapes-Coal
 Barges are in Great
 Danger.
BOTH RIVERS ARE RISING

Pittsburg, Jan. 23.-Pittsburg is sleeping this morning with the belief that warn ihgs of danger from the rivers has been exaggerated. This ~sense of security Is due to the rapid disappearance of ice and water from the upper Allegheny.
 But just before midnight the Mononga- hela river broke loose. Huge masses of ice. less broken than that which has been rushing down the Allegheny river, are choking the channel. Both rivers are steadily rising as a result of the new stoppase. The Allegheny is already three feet higher than the Monongahela' and a dangerous ice gorge ts forming just above the confluence of the rivers.
 From all points the streams were rising at midnight. The flood probably will not reach its height until late tomorrow. Con- siderable damage to property and the loss of several bridges have been reported.
 Poor May Be Hemmed In.
 Business men. mill owners. residents and river men are included in the list of possible sufferers. The poor in some of hemmed in their homes until Sunday night for there Is Ice enough in both rivers to keep the Allegheny and the Mononga- hela rivers well filled until Sunday.
 Forecaster Ridgeway in a statement is- sued just before midnight, gave no hope of subsistence. All of the coal barges and steamboats yesterday were sent into the Monongahela to gain the better pro- lection of stilier water. Already a barge containing 5000 bushels of coal has. sunk and the whole fleet, with nearly 275,00O bushels on board, is likely to go down.
 The ice is ramming with terrific force and the steamboats and tugs are power less now to so to the rescue if the fleet is torn from it's moorings.
 Another barge containing about 2S,00) bushels of coal passed at lock No. l with the fee last evening. and is still somewhere in the harbor jammed in the ice. but tho riveru1en are unable to tell where the barge is or to whom it be- longs. Ice IS inches thick is now piling UP where shipping is thickest along the Monongahela and close to the headwateFs of tha Ohio.
 Gorge e5 Feet neep.
 The ice gorge is % feet deep and is rest ing on the bottom of the river. Bargee Maine. Chester and Mississippi broke from their moorings and swept out into the ice-laden Mononghela last night. loaded wit hrailroad iron valued at $is0,000.
 A distress signal brought three tugs and for two miles the tugs raced down the ice-choked and raging Ohio to res cue the bargeS. After hard struggle, they were brought under control and tied up.
 The Mononaghela Coal and Coke Com. pany's towboat Hornet sunk in 24 feet of water. The crew escaped. The boat was valued at about $10.0O0.
 The Volunteer sank at Browns Station. The officers and crew leaped to shore. The Volunteer was valued at $l5,0O0.
 A riverman said that the damage wrought by ice would amount to many thousands of dollars. This. coupled with the losses sustained by railroads. busl- ness houses, manufacturers. street car companies, Government works and resi- dences. will likely put the loss around the q, ,o0o 900 mark.
 At midnight the Pittsburg and Western Railroad is out of business and the Bal- timore and Ohio system is sending its trains to Youngstown over the Lake Erie. The Allegheny River is over Du Quesne- way at Barker Place. and before daylight may be over the highway at Fourth and Fifth Street