The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-22
ICE Moves.
Gorge in the Allegheny Breaks
40 Miles Above Pittsburg.
Everything Indicates Worst
Flood in the City's History.
FLAT BOATS CRUSHED.
Scotia River Has Passed the
Danger Line.
The Miami Has Left Its Banks
at Hamilton.

The Miami Has Left Its Banks
at Hamilton.
Pittsburg, Pa, Jan. 22-Preparations
to meet what may be the worst flood
in Pittsburg's history are about COM
plete. No food ever gave more warn
ing than the one that is now impend-
ing. Early yesterday rlvermen ana
business men whose interests are along
the river were warned that the long
deferred January thaw was at hand.
Many of the residents along the river
fronts and the inhabitants of the low
lands have already deserted their
houses, while the others have removed
their household effects to upper floors.
In the mills and factories every pre-
caution has been taken. In some places
furnace fires have been drawn and in
all preparations were made to pump
out the overflow. While many of the
plants will be compelled to shut down.
it is not likely that any great property
loss will result.
In the local harbors the river men
have everything snug and are ready
for the worst
The conditions are all favorable to
unusually high water and possibly a
record breaking stage. The weather
continues mild and rain is still falling.
with the streams rising here and at all
points between this city and the head
waters of the Allegheny and Mononga-
hela rivers Just how much water to
| to expect it is impossible to say at
this time Forecaster Ridgeway of the
weather bureau says it will be late
today before any definite report can
be made. At Pittsburg the water is
rising nearly one foot an hour, and at
this rate before evening the danger line
viii be reached. From all parts of the
Pttsburg district the message came
this morning that the ice was moving.
j and it is now passing this city. So far
| damage has hRRn r6nnrf66
| A GreenSborOugh, Pa, dispatch stated
/ that the ice broke in the Cheat river
about $50 a. M, and is coming out with
/ 30 feet of water back of it. The ice
/ is running over dam No. 2, on the Mo-
nOngahela river.
! Forecaster Ridgeway has received a
! telegram stating that the ice gorge at
| FreepOrt, 40 miles north of this city
on the Allegheny river, started with a
rush early this morning. The weather
IS warm and everything indicates one
of the worst floods in the city's his
| tory. The police department has pa
trolls out notifying residents and busi-
ness houses in the threatened district.
The ice gorge of Springdale, 16 miles
north of this city on the Allegheny
! river, began to move at 7:40 this morn
ing. The start Of the ice caused a
great deal of excitement and appre-
hension. Squire J. r. Hemmelwright
said that it was the greatest mass of ice
! he had seen there in the forty years of
his residence at Springdale. Flat boats
along the river side were caught and
/ crushed So far no damage has been
done to the Springdale dam, and it was
thought by experienced observers that
the water was too high for any to be
wrought
PASSED DANGER MARK.
Columbus, O., Jan. 22.-The Scotia
river has passed the danger mark and
now stands at 171a feet. The lowlands
have been inundated and the levees are
being closely watched to prevent the
entire west side from being flooded. Ar
rangementS have been made to meet this
emergency should it arise and there is
much uneasiness. No damage has as
yet resulted from the ice going out of
the river. The electric street lamps
We're dark during the. night, the electric
so as to be above the danger line in
case the levee breaks. They will be out
Of service until the danger is passed
MIAMI LEAVES ITS BANKS
Hamilton, O., Jan. 22.-The Miami
river has left its banks and is rising
rapidly.
The water inundated the tracks of the
Cincinnati, Dayton &Toledo traction
road in two places and through ser
vice from Cincinnati to Dayton has
been abandoned
The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton
roads depot at North Hamilton was cut
off and abandoned.
ICE GORGE BLOWN OUT.
Sandusky, O.. Jan. PAN ice gorge
formed in Mills creek and a bridge Of
the Big Four has been carried away.
The The gorge did much damage. 1t was
blown out with dynamite.
RESCUED BY BOATS
Logansport, Ind, Jan. 22.-The Eel
and Wabash rivers have overflowed
their banks as the result of the break
ing of the ice and much property has
been destroyed in this city and coun-
ty. At the village of Georgetown, resi-
dents were rescued by boats. At Ad-
amsboro, a dam was swept away and
much property was destroyed. while
sections of Logansport have been flood
ed and many homes have been aban-
doned. The water is still rising and
rain is still falling.
RIVER CHOKED WITH VESSELS.
Cleveland, O., Jan. pa gorge broke
above the city today and a flood of
water swept down the Cuyahoga river
tearing three of the United States Steel
: company's big steamers from their
fmoorings. The vessels. were carried
down the stream and crashed into the
drawbridge of the Superior street via
duct The boats were all badly dam
aged by the collision and the founda-
: damaged. The river is completely
blocked by vessels jammed about the
piers of the viaduct
CINCINNATI ESCAPES DAMAGE
Cincinnati, o., Jan. 22.-The break
!. up of the ice gorges in the Ohio river
at this point has been accomplished
with comparatively small loss. So fal
r few barges have been crushed and a
few others torn from their moorings
This escape from heavy damage is
largely due to the fortunate breaking
of the gorge below the city first, and
! to the checking of the ice above tbs
, city, so that it did not really become
entirely free until late in the night.
PEOPLE ARE TERRIFIED.
Buffalo, N. Y, Jan. 22.-Within tht
past As hours western New York has
been subjected to meteorological con
ditions such as have not prevailed in {
score of years and the situation now
is terrifying the residents of low lying
t sections, particularly in the river val
leys and in the food district south O.
Buffalo. After a heavy fall of wei