Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-03-19
P|IISBURC FLOOD
BEGINS TO RECEDE
WATERS OF THE MoNoNGAHELA
AND ALLEGHENY FALLING
AND WORST is OVER.
FIRE ADDS TO THE
CITY'S SUFFERING
Millions of Dollars Damage Caused in
Surrounding country-Death and
Suffering Reported in Other Flood
ed Sections.


Suffering Reported in Other Flood
ed Sections.
Pittsburg, Pa March 16.-After SO
hours of anxiety over the greatest
food that has been known in Pitts
burg since the stages of water have
been taken the waters of both the
Monongahela and Allegheny rivers are
receding and at two o'clock Friday
stage of 1876 feet was reported from
the Market street wharf where at
three o'clock in the morning there
was 36.5. Hundreds of thousands OF
tons of ice are rushing out the Allie
gheny into the Ohio and the mum
dated streets of the cities of Pitts
burg and Allegheny have already be-
gun to show the effects of the falling
stage.
Street car lines that have been
tied up have resumed service and are
renewing their regular schedules as
fast as the receding waters will per-
nit. Railroads which have been Sc
riously hampered are also beginning
to run trains, but it will be several
days before telephone and telegraph
conditions are normal.
No material damage has as yet
been reported by the rush of ice out
of the Allegheny, although some fears
are still felt for the piers of some OF
the bridges that cross this river, be-
fore all the ice has passed out
Pumps and fire engines are still
in operation in an endeavor to sal
wage stocks, and machinery in the
buildings of the down town section,
while some of the police are patrol
ling their beats in skiffs. The rate
of the fall is about two-tenths of a
foot an hour but it is expected that
the rate will soon be slightly in
creased.
Fires Increase Suffering.
To add to Pittsburgers' sufferings
two fires destroyed 25 business blocks
and dwellings, among the latter a
number of crowded tenements in
Mount Washington, across the Monon-
gahela river. The firemen expert
enced difficulty in fighting the flames,
owing to a shortage of water in the
mains caused by the floods, which had
demoralized the pumping works.
Two attempts were made to stop
the flames by dynamiting buildings,
but the wreckage soon caught fire
again. The flames were fought with
chemicals and bucket brigade. The
fire had practically burned itself out
at noon. Insurance men estimated
the loss at 100000.
The other blaze destroyed the plant
of the American Sheet and Tin Plate
company at the foot of South Four
teenth street and slightly damaged
the bolt works of the Oliver iron and
steel works adjoining. The loss to
the tin plate company was about $25,
900 and to the Oliver company $1,000
The fire originated from car O
lime, which was set on fire by the
high water.
Conditions Fearful Around Pittsburg
The situation outside of Pittsburs
is serious. Damage running into mil
lions of dollars has been done. Man.
towns are entirely cut off from THU
city and upward of thousands of fam
flies have been forced from theil
homes. These conditions, it is eS
pected, will prevail for several days
At Wheeling, w. Va, great damag
has been done. Train and TELEGRAPH
service is out of commission. TIL
residents are panicStricken. TIL
crest of the flood has not passed tina
point. The situation hourly grow
more serious there.
Family of Four browns.
Parkersburg, W. Va, March 49,
Four persons were drowned in an e
fort to escape to place of safety frol
their tottering home at Riverside. Wi
liam Francis, his wife and daughte
Esther, aged Is years, and son, Johl
aged nine years, were the victim
The Francis family had remained i
its home until the last minute. The
feared to venture out to RATS thu
were being used to save the flood-in
periled citizens of Riverside, which
completely inundated. Finally the f
Their succeeded in getting hold of
rowboat, in which he placed his vii
and children. They had proceeded onl
few yards when the torrent owe
turned their craft.
Cincinnati Feels Alarmed.
Cincinnati, O., March 16.-The Obi
continued to rise slowly Friday, recor,
ing stage of 54.5 feet at ten oclocl
four and half feet above danger lin
Cool and clear weather gave som
promise of relief, but the fullness
the rivers above held a threat of wors
to come. Such reports as were +
ceived early in the day simply CO
frmed the previous reports of foe
damage, which is widespread
Railroads Suffer at Columbus.
Columbus, o., March 16.-Friday sa
little improvement in the flood stu
ton as far as the railroads We're CO
RAWI FICH'S