Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-09
RAGING FLOODS.
Ice Gorges Raise Waters in
Pennsylvania State.
City Of WiIkesbarre Threatened With
Great Damage.
Anthracite Coal Mines Flooded and
Lowlands Inundated.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, March S.-The Wy
oming valley is, tonight, in the grasp of
another mighty flood. The situation
has been serious since late, last night.
and it is feared the worst is yet to
come the gorges in the Susquehanna
river to the south of this city and the
great mass of ice to the north being
menace 50 long as they remain intact
as they do.
Wilkesbarre all day long has been
completely cut off from the rest OF Wy
oming valley. Tonight. there ore but
few people in the homes of the flooded
districts.
At o'clock. this afternoon, the wa
ter reached the 20 $40 feet mark, only
two lower than the highest point of the
great food of 1902.
The current is raging on all the low
lands i'm the southern resident section
of this city, many houses being COM
plctely wrecked by the huge cakes of
ice jamming against them.
On the west bank of the river be-
tween here and Kingston. the water is
now up to the first floors and many
houses are surrounded with huge piles
Of ice. The Market street road be-
tween here and Kingston, is under six
feet of water.
The railroads are again severe suffer-
ers and communication with all the
contiguous towns is cut Off
The gorges south of this city are
holding back the great body of water
which is coming down from the upper
regions and unless break soon occurs
a more critical danger point is feared
The river fell slightly, this evening, but
is again slowly rising, registering 2S.i
ut S o'clock, tonight
Washington, March S.-The following
special river bulletin was issued, to-
night
The river at Pittsburg reached a
stage of % feet at 3 A. NJ. Tuesday. and
| now stationary. Warnings have been is
sued for stage of about 81 feet at
Wheeling, Wednesday morning.
The Susquehapna at Harrisburg fell
during the day, due to "a break in the
gorge near Middletown. The stage at
s p. NJ. was 17.3 feet and rising. The
river at Wilkesbarre reached q stage Of
| 30 feet ut noon, about four feet less
than the highest heretofore recorded.
There has been a fall of about foot
since that time. The situation at
bloomsbury and Catawissa is still very
| serious.
Harrisburg, Pa. March S.-Thc situ-
| alton in the flooded region is critical
and the people are preparing for the
| worst. The river has been rapidly ris-
i,- Sincn Monday MOL, i-
| feet above low water mark. Opposite
| this city the ice is still intact but has
| started to move below.
At DuncannOn the iron company *
| blowing holes through the ice with
dynamite in the cndcavor to open Il
channel. The gorge at Sunbury still
holds and there is no sign of n break
| in the heavy jam at Safe Harbor.
| ut Midd!etown the suffering IL
greater than in any other section Of
| the flooded region. The borough coun-
| Gil has subscribed $500 for the relief
of the flood sufferers and the Y. NJ. c.
A. building has been Transformed into
a temporary hospital. There is much
| sickness among the residents OF tho
lOwlands. Ten persons arc bcin.,
| treated at the temporary hospital. The
| famous old Middletown ferry, which
rs stood many floods, was washed off
its foundations. Monday night.
At High Spire the water is one foot
| higher than it has ever been and is
| rapidly rising. There is much suffer-
ing among the residents of the low
lands.
Lancaster. Pa. March S.-The ice in
the Susquehanna river at Marietta
| moved at midnight and passed off with
out doing serious damage. 1t was
thrown 80 feet high along the banks.
The river is now reported clear from
the rev bridge at Schocks to point
below Columbia. Tuesday the series
of gorSes from Washington borough to
Turkey Hill gave way and the ice
moved down to Turkey Hill, where it is
firmly gorged. The lower section of
Washington borough is submerged and
the tracks of the Port Deposit Railroad
are under from two to six feet OF wa
ter. The railroad bridge over a small
stream elnptying into the Susquehanna
at the lower end of Washington bo-
rough was carried away. No further
damage is anticipated there except
from back water.
The gorge from cambridge near Co
lumbia is unbroken and water is four
feet to six feet on the tracks of the
Pennsylvania railroaod at that place.
Another gorge has formed below Safe
Harbor and the back water is spread
ing. Two miles above Safe Harbor be-
low Columbia gigantic gorge has
formed, flooding the tracks of Columbia
and Port Deposit railroad.
Trenton. ~ J.. March S.-The water
in the Delaware river has fallen sew
eral feet since Monday night, and the
river is now almost entirely clear OF
ice. Trains on the Pennsylvania rail-
road are running on schedule time and
no further interruption is anticipated.
Buildings along the river front are
still under water, but the damage Will
be small.
The most serious damage was expe-
rienced by the United Ice CO.. whose
big brick stables were washed way.
-
South Britain. Conn.e March S.--Part
of the trestle work in 90 s. %aiddle Of the