The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-01-25
Fate of River Towns Now
Rest in the Clouds
Ohio Passes Forty-Four Foot Stage
and viii Go No Higher Unless
=. Augmented.
CONDITION ON WATER FRONT,

AiNCI SbdSt may NC Ihc hdoe oIlo"
before the food stage. AS all the
present rise is the result of excessive
rains, to have more now, especially
il they are general, will make. all
previous estimates of the probable
stage here, seem the work of novices
ip river forecasting. In the clouds,
the extent Of the high water rested,
and they have decided for still larger
damage and distress.
The river rose nine-tenths of a
foot in the last "a hours. For two
days the rises have decreased slight
ly, which may be considered as an in
dcation of less volume of water
above, though the enormous territory
1t is necessary for rise in the river
TO cover now, may easily account for
the lower figures. The stage this
morning was 44.3.
The government report issued
from the Office in Cairo yesterday
shows that even those experienced
observers are not altogether assured
of their figures. 1t predicted a stage
of 44.5 or As feet for Paducah and
the end of the rise Saturday or Sun
day. Neither are likely to be real
lied. and the former already has
been distanced in part.
The plain truth is, there Is no pos
tive telling where the river will go
at Paducah, and all predictions COM
paratiyely are guesses. Interviews
with residents of the city in the 1884
food reveal the fact that conditions
attending the present high water are
remarkably like the conditions in
1891 Then as now. failing con-
dition above caused the river proph-
cts to predict sure fall, but it never
came when they predicted and the
river kept on rising until slxiffs were
the most fashionable mode of convey
ance because the only kind.
II is not meant to assert that 1884
Will be duplicated on the river here,
for it would require ten feet more to
do that-an apparent impossibAity
unless extensive and heavy rainfalls
ensue. 1t cannot be told What effect
today's rain and sleet will have on
the river, until tomorrow's report is
received. The steamer Kentucky
coming in at O'clock this morning
from the Tennessee river reported
that the rain started up that stream
at 3 o'clock this morning. Fortu-
nately the weather is in state
where a turn for colder is more GER
tain than for warmer.
That Paducah is situated on an
unusually advantageous point for
high water is indicated when the re-
ports show SO much distress at points
above and nothing more than little
Inconvenience here. The rain com
ing down on the river flood refugees,
who are camping out, will farther in
crease their distress.
It has not been sufficiently consid-
cred in making up predictions of the
probable stage here. that the falls at
points above, with the single excep-
ton of Pittsburg, are Insignificant.
A fall above of several feet would be
felt Immediately here, but all the
p falls have been in the decimal points
of a foot. There Is not house ON
Paducah's river front this morning
from Langstaff's mill to the sand
chute at Monroe street. that is not
being Tapped by the river.
On the north end of the Western
District warehouse between Jefferson
and Monroe streets, there is paint
ed high water mark. though the date
could not be read. The river is only
three feet from that ark today.
Four rect more OF water will put
1 the river in the Office of the Paducab
Marine Ways company. though the
Office is not in the higher part of the
yard. To get to the dry docks. It is
necessary to walk nearly block over
flats and RATS over the water on
First street. The mills depending on
the First street switch OF the Illinois
Central have that avenue of raw ma
terial closed and should RATS by river
cease. as has been known to occur,
some may have to quit operations.
Between z6 and AZ feet are expect
ed in the river here.
May Abandon Shawneetown.
Carmi. III, Jan. 25.-Should the
+. Ievee give way this time under the
i force Of the sweeping food, it is prac-
tically conceded that no attempt
would be made to rebuild Shawnee