The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-03-15
All Over Ohio, Causing
Great Damage.
CAME SUDDENLY.
Losses 10 and Around Springfield
foot Up 500, 900 Hundreds
Homeless al GAINESVILLE.

Cincinnati. March 1.-THE worst
hood In decades threatens the lower
Ohio river valley. II Is expected that
the 65-foot stage recorded in January
will be reached to-day, if not sur
passed. Only February, 1884. saw a
higher flood mark The worst feature
Of the present situation is the sudden.
ness of the rise. the waters finding
many communities unprepared for a
repetition of their January expert.
ences.
The Muskingum, Scioto. Great and
Little Miamis from the north and the
.Sanawha, Big Sandy and Licking
rivers from the south have not only
poured their surplus into the Ohio. but
have laid waste farms and villages
along their banks. Breaks In the big
oil and natural gas pipe lines we're re.
ported at q number of points between
the West Virginia fields and the Ohio
towns depending on them.
In this city the river has begun to
encroach on the lower business sec.
tions.
All railroads in the valley are in
trouble, delays to many trains and the
annulment of others being general.
Cincinnati railroads we're driven from
the central passenger station.
GAINESVILLE, o., March 15.---The Mus.
kingum river at this point had reached
q stage OF 81 feet at o'clock Thurs.
day afternoon and was rising one and
a half inches per hour. The high stage
OF 1898 was 36.S feet. The Licking
river is still rising slowly. However a
IL ..l.
at S o'clock was that the river at that
point had dropped four feet during the
afternoon. This is expected to partly
relieve the flooded districts in this
city. providing the expected rise In
the Muskingum does not Offset the fall
In the smaller river.
Reports from Coshocton, 30 miles
north. where the Tuscarawas and Wal
bonding form the Muskingum, are that
tie two former rivers are rising rap.
Idly and q downpour of rain has con
tinued all afternoon. II is expected
that the MuskinguD at this point will
not reach its highest point before
noon to-day.
Mayor Deacon has sworn In 30 extra
police to work in the Hooded districts
Many complaints were made to the
police Thursday that owners of boats
were charging exorbitant prices for
moving persons from homes in the
flooded district, so an order was is
sued to patrolmen and fremen to con.
fiscate all boats whose owners were
found charging more than reason.
able rate. Fees of from 81 to sl5
were demanded for removing families
from their homes to places of safety
before the officers took u hand.
Springfield, o.. March 1.-THE Mad
river lowlands TO the north Of this
city and In some instances TO the
southwest, are vast lakes, caused by
the almost unprecedented rise OF that
river and its tributaries. II Is esti.
mated that the total food loss in the
farming districts and in the flooded
districts Of this city will reach $780,
600. More than 200 houses were
flooded, but the waters have slowly re-
ceded and many families are moving
back, or from the second to the first
stories While the local foods have
reached slightly higher stage on one
or two former occasions. streams have
never before risen with such unexpect'
ed rapidity.