Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-01-25
FLOOD REACHES EBF
Pittsburg and Allegheny Still
Partly Submerged.
HIGH WATER IS NOW SUDSIDIN(
Riots Caused by Want of Fuel II
Flooded Districts-DesOlation In
All Parts of Two Cities Where
Water Has Receded.


Water Has Receded.
PITTSBURG, Jan. 25.-The flood has
in a great measure passed this point
but portions of the two cities are still
submerged and will not be freed from
the water for some time to come.
The Mo%nongahela gauge at 8 O'Clock
registered tw~enty-tsree feet and falling
at the rate of about siX-tenths of a foot
per hour.
The biting cold weather that has pre-
vailed all day augmented the distress
which exists in the flooded sections.
In Allegheny the gas supply was er-
ratio, and the distribution of coal by
the city authorities in the poorer neigh.
borhoods brought about a riotous con.
dition. When the fuel was dumped In
the streets men, women and children
fought for its possession, requiring d
strong guard Of police to restore order.
Desolation exists in all parts of the
two cities from which the waters re-
coded. Wreckage and huge cakes of ice
strew the streets. A thick settlement of
Shiny mud mingled with ice makes
many districts unfit to walk through.
Huge timbers, portions of doors, stair
ways, barrels, boxes, cans and other
debris washed upon the streets by the
flood have rested where the water left
them.
Street car service has been resumed
between Pittsburg and Allegheny, but
is operating under difficulties in some
of the lower lying portions of the roads.
The big coal companies have been
busy all day preparing their fleets for
coal shipments to the south. There are
thirty towboats in the harbor ready TO
start, and 1t is estimated that fully
10,000,O00 bushels of coal will have
started by noon.
Much excitement was caused by a
fire which completely destroyed the
packet Elizabeth, the towboat Ollvette
and two house boats. These craft were
moored in the Allegheny for safety just
above the Union bridge at the Point.
From some unknown cause fire started
in the Olivette, and in spite of desper-
ate efforts by the crew to control the
flames they soon had complete posses
sion of the boat and quickly spread to
the Elizabeth and the two house boats.
The Elizabeth was sent adrift and in
passing under the Union bridge set fire
to that structure. This fire, however,
was o controlled. The burning hulk
Of the Elizabeth continued down the
Ohio until she sank.
The continued rise in the Allegheny
river caused the, water to force its way
into more than forty-three manufacture
ing establishments, including mills.
furnaces and factories of various de-
scriptions, that line the banks of this
stream from the Point out to the
Sharpsburg bridge at Sixty-first street.
On account of the condition brought
about by the high water most of the
works will not be in shape for resump-
ton for Il few days. Some of the
plants are better located than others
for high water and will not be seriously
affected.
From the headwater points IN both
the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers
the reports show them to be either sta
tionary or falling. At Oil City the AL
legheny is thirteen feet and falling six
inches an hour, and at Warren the riv-
er is stationary.
At Greensboro, on the Monongahela,
the mark is 10 feet 6 inches and falling.
Colder weather, with snow, prevails.
A roundup of the damage done in
the Pittsburg district demonstrates
that owing to the timely warming given
of the approaching high water the ac-
tual damage done will not reach the
high figures at first given out and will
probably not exceed 100000. To this
amount. however, must be added the
loss to the factories and mills through
forced shutdowns and to workmen
through suspended wages, which will
run the total close to the $1,000,000
mark.