The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-25
GREAT ICE CORGES
BLOCK SUSQUEHANNA
Flooded Districts of the East
Are Not Yet Out of
Danger.

WILKESBARRE, Pa, Jan. 24.-An
| ice gorge has formed in the Susaue-
hanna river and from Sunbury to
| Greasy, a distance of thirty miles, the
river is entirely blocked and the water
| is backed up. Nearly the whole town Of
| Rupert Is submerged, and on Water
! street the water comes up to the second
story. The Pennsylvania railroad de-
pot is surrounded by water, several
foundations, and the great majority of
farms are under water.
The Delaware, Lackawanna & West
ern railroad tracks between Catawissa
| and Upper Lime Ridge, twelve miles,
are under water. At Catawissa the
electric light plant is under water and
the town is in darkness.
At Bloomsbury the ice is jammed
up forty feet high and a report received
here tonight says the large bridge over
the Susquehanna at that place has been
moved five feet and is expected to coll
lapse at any moment.
-One-third of the town of Blooms
burg is submerged by the waters of the
Susquehanna and Fishing creek.
The village of Espey, two miles north
of Bloomsbury is partially submerged.
The Columbia and Montour trolley
tracks between Catawissa and Berwick
are entirely under water. Many fam
lilies have been driven from their homes
by the rush of waters and many had
narrow escapes. Farmers in many in
stances had all their horses, COWS and
other live stock drowned
Crest of Flood Swell Reached.
WHEELING, w. Va, Jan. 24.-The
crest of the flood swell was reached
this afternoon when the stage was
forty-four feet and two inches. Fully
one third of the homes in the city were
wholly or partially inundated, and the
sharp fall in temperature, with result
ant formation of ice, accompanied by
shutting off of natural gas in the flooded
districts, has caused great deal of
suffering.
Nearly all the mills and factories are
on the river front and the damage to
them will be the most severe. In many
instances resumption of work will be
delayed for days or weeks, and hun
dredS Of men will be temporarily out
of employment.
The weather remains cold and many
halls and churches have been thrown
open for the accommodation of those
who are suffering. Freight and passen-
ger traffic of the railroads along the
river is still tied up. None of the
depots can be reached. Traction lines
are also tied up and telephone COM
munication with q number Of suburban
4<rr L..
not a single block that is high and
dry. and the 5000 people there are
living in second stories, or on the hill
sides, while the suffering is intense.
In Bellaire, Bridgeport and Martins
Ferry, on the Ohio side, the situation
is not SO bad, as the ground is higher.
Industrial activity is paralyzed in all
the towns, however.
No loss of life or serious accident in
cident to the flood has been reported.
Flood Passes Pttsburg.
PITTSBURG, Pa, Jan. 24.-The flood
of yesterday has in a great measure
passed this point, but portions of Pitts
burg and Allegheny are still submerg-
ed. The biting cold weather that has
prevailed increased the distress that
exists in the flooded section.
In Allegheny the fuel supply is
scare and the distribution of coal
among the poorer sufferers brought
about a riotous condition. When the
fuel was dumped on the street, men,
women and children fought for it's pos
session, requiring a strong guard Of
police to restore order. Desolation re-
mains in all parts Of both cities from
which the water receded today. Wreck
age and ice foes strew the streets.
Many districts are unfit to walk
through.
Gorge at VaIiona Still Firm.
MEADVILLE, Pa, Jan. 24.-The ice
gorge, still unbroken, dams the water
back on Vallona, where there is much
suffering, because Of the fuel, gas light
and water famine.
The temperature this morning was
2 above zero and at o'clock tonight 8