Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-14
RISING RAPIDLY
Ptttsburg and Allegheny Towns Are Inundated : Water Is
 Over Danger Mark
AFRAID OF TYPHOID

Pittsburg, March 14.-At 5. Q o'clolcl
 this morning the stage of water
 reached in the rivers here was 30
 feet and rising eight inches an hour
 The stage at that time was eight feet
 over the danger mark. The lower
 portions of Pittsburg and Allegheny
 and surrounding towns were inun-
 dated. Skiffs and wagons are being
 used to convey people throughout the
 flooded districts and,if the rise con
 tinues at the same rate for the next
 couple of hours, the wagons will have
 to be dispensed with.
 At the local office of the United
 States bureau this morning 1t was
 said that the present flood is the most remarkable on record. Telephone and telegraph wires are kept busy sending warnings throughout the
 flood districts. According to the off, cial the flood water is rising beyond all expectations and the situation is serious
 The health bureau is engaged in notifying the people to boil the drink ing water. In statement issued this morning it is said that the water is poisonous. owing to the flood con- ditions and a typhoid fever epidemic is feared if precautions are not talk en. All the dirt and filth from the river banks above Pittsburg is being washed down. The water here at present is muddy and not fit to be used. Alarming reports are being received here from all parts of west ern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Every stream is overflowing It's banks Many towns are almost submerged; hundreds of houses are surrounded by water and the people are living in the second floors. the coal mines along the rivers in the Monongahela valley are flooded and thousands of miners are idle: mills and business houses, have from one to three feet of water in their first foors neces- sitating suspension of. business. Damage to property in the suburbs and above the city will be heavy Unoficially this damage is estimated already at $500.0O0. In Allegheny county several fatalities have occur red on account of the high water and number of deaths are reported from the river.
 The danger to Pittsburg and vicin- ity is greatly increased by heavy ice gorges in the MQnogaheia and AL legheny rivers about 25 miles above the city. One ice gorge alone in the Clarion river at Parker, Pa. 30 miles in length and continued rains and high temperature threatens to start 1t toward Pittsburg at almost any moment. The Youghiogheny and Kiskiminitas rivers are swollen as never before remembered and the large volume of water is causing the Monongahela river to overflow its banks with great force and territory not heretofore affected by flood wa ters is inundated. All the railroads entering Pittsburg. except the main line of the Pennsylvania and Pitts burg and Lake Erie are crippled.
 On the Baltimore & Ohio train ser vice is almost suspended and on the branch lines of the same road above the city there Is complete suspen- sion. Trains on the West Pennsyl- | vania division of the Pennsylvania | railroad are being brought direct into | the city as they are unable to reach | the Allegheny station. Street car lines in the suburbs are either sus- pended or are running spasmodical- ly and many persons are having diff | ficulty in reaching the city.
 The flood is one of the largest since | 1884 when the highest official record | ever taken here was 33 feet six | inches. At the rate the water is now rising this stage may be passed. some time before noon.
 It was estimated early to-day that | the loss from the closing down of plants alone would exceed half million dollars. and the damage to property from the high water would be as much more.
 Nine deaths are attributed to the food SO far. This includes the three trainmen who lost their lives by the collapse of the Harnarsvile bridge and the two men drowned last night when the towboat Cruiser in the Ohio river. The oth- er fatalities reported are: Lloyd Weyand. aged 30 years and William Beers. 40 years old, drowned near Somerset while trying to ford a stream.
 George Johnston, aged years. drowned In Girtys run. Milvale.
 Annie Shuti, aged years. drown sd in Blue Baker creek near Hastings.