Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-03-11
RIVERS ARE ON A RAMPAGE
WORST FLOOD KNOWN THREAT
EMS HARRISBURG, PA
Streams Slowly Continue to Rise .
Great Suffering Reported
from Middletown.

Harrisburg, Pa, March 9.-Harris-
burg Tuesday faced the worst food in its
history. Weather Observer Domain pre-
diets that the stage of water in the sus-
Quehanna will exceed that of last FRI
day. The situation all along the river Il
critical and residents Of lowlands are
moving to higher ground. The river ia
gradually rising and will probably con-
tinue to rise for "a hours.
River conditions above this city are
hourly becoming more alarming. The
great gorge in the north branch Of the
eusquehanna at Sunbury is still solid.
In the west branch the ice is running
thick en- q nine-foot flood. Reports from
Wilkssbarre are that the ice moved for
two hours Tuesday morning AID then
gorget solidly and remained stationary.
The river at that point has risen nearly
II feet in the last "a hours.
At Williamsport the river is rising one
inch an hour and at Lock Haven e
went up i've feet in "a hours. There has
been . rise Of nearly five feet In the river
at Selin's Grove with very little Ice rum
ming. The gorge at Tunkhannonhock
started to move Monday night and the
river rose six feet in 20 minutes. AT
Towanda the river has reached a stage
Of 1875 feet above low-water mark and
Is slowly rising.
Conditions are slightly improved bs.
low Harrisburg except at High Spire
and Middletown, at which points the
water is higher than at any time. There
Is a channel Of 600 feet in the middle O
the river at Wrightsville near Columbia
with the ice on each side intact Their
is an immense gorge on the breast of thu
old Columbia dam and the river is grad
ually rising. The ice is packed up agains
the Pennsylvania railroad bridge at Co
lumbia and has damaged one of the piers
While the Susquehanna river con
tinues to rise, the Juniata has been rap
Idly falling and the situation along 1t
banks is much improved.
Suffering at Middletown.
| At Middletown the suffering is great
or than in any other portion Of tn
| flooded region. Borough council ha
subscribed $500 for the relief Of the foo
sufferers and the Y. M. c. A. building ha
been transformed into temporary hos
| pital There is much sickness anon
the residents Of the lowlands. Ten pei
sons are being treated at the temDorar
hospital. The famous old Middleton
| ferry, which has stood many foods, wa
washed off It's foundations Monda
/ night.
Lancaster, Pa, March 9.-The ice Il
the Susquehanna river at Marietta ha
passed OFF without doing serious dam
age. 1t was thrown 80 feet high alon
the banks. The river Monday was re
| ported clear from the new bridge q
schocks to a point below Columbia
Monday morning, the series Of gorge
from Washington borough to Turke,
hill gave way, and the ice moved dow
to Turkey hill, where it is firmly gorged
The lower section Of Washington
borough is submerged and the tracks Q
the Port Deposit railroad are unde
from two to six feet Of water. The rail
road bridge over small stream empty
ing into the SusQuehanna at the lowe
end Of Washington borough was car
ried away. No further damage is an
ticipated there except from back water