The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-01-22
Danger Line Was Passed by
One Foot This Morning
Four Feet More
AYER-LoRD CoMPANY's FLEET
In Danger at Its Mooring on Owens
Island, Where Water Is Creep =.
ing Up Rapidly. sF
BALLAsTING AT WEST POINT.

The crest of the flood is passing
Paducah now and will grow in volume
for the next two or three days. The
river rose a foot and three-tenth5
since yesterday morning on observa-
ton this morning at Z o'clock. The
stage is Al feet.
Water from the Cumberland river
is adding its part to the flood. The
prediction of 40 feet looks as prob
able today as it did yesterday, but
owing to ample warning, even that
stage Will do little damage. The
river is up to the bottom of the Illi-
nois Central trestle at First and JEFF
ferson streets and another foot rise
will inundate it and part of Jeffer-
son street.
Traffic over that part OF the rail-
road, consequently, will be stopped
Eat a great inconvenience to many Of
the river front industries. Whenever
the water gets twelve inches over tho
trestle. it is impossible to see what
condition the track is in for traffic
and the indications are that cars
can be handled over that line only
through tomorrow. Among the in
dustries seriously affected by the ces-
sation of traffic on First street are
the Paducah Ice company, NJ. Liv-
Iingston's wholesale grocery and sew
Ieral brokerage concerns, Armour's
meat depot, Paducah peanut factory,
lJackson's foundry, Baker. Eccles
G company, grocers, Weaks Bros,
grocers, Hawkins Bros, grain deal
Iers. Exall & company, brokers. Lang
staff Orme mill and numerous other
mills along the river front.
Fleet in Danger.
The situation facing the Ayer-Lord
Tie oompanys feet Of boats and
barges tied to ovens island, is seri-
GUS if much higher water comes.
owens island is completely inun-
dated with depth of ten to fifteen
feet and the current sweeps across
the island against the barges almost
.unbroken by the trees. At present
there are hundred barges and boats
tied to the island, and another seri-
GUS problem is how to secure them
there. As the water rises, the trees
show less and less out of water, and
therefore the available fixed property
to which the barges can be tied,
grows less.
Without exception, the river men
who were out in Saturday nights
storm report it to have been the
worst in their memories. The Cas-
Italia of the Ayer-Lord fleet was kept
under steam with a full crew all
Saturday night, and at many times
it looked as if the boat would be
swamped. The swells rolled across
the guards of the boat a foot high and
the vicious gusts Of wind made the
situation dangerous.
While backing away from one Oh
the swells, Captain Berry, of the Rus
sell Lord, who was on the Castalia,
fell into an open hatch and seriously
bruised his side. He will be stir
from the bruises for few days. At
the present stage of the river, the Is
land affords no protection to the
fleet at all and it probably is one OF
the most exposed places on the river,
but in al 1.-The years the company has
used the island, not single barge
has gotten away.
On the south end Of owens island
a high mound was raised on which
the house in which the keepers OF
the island live, was built. Only
little of this mound is above water
and it probably win be submerged
before the river recedes.
An Exciting Experience.
Joe Perry, formerly an Illinois