The San Francisco call., 1907-01-21
LOUISVILLE FACES
GREAT DISASTER
Flood Pours Over Levees,
Inundating Districts Oc-
cupied by the Poor
THOUSANDS HOMELESS

LOUISVILLE KY, Jan. 2O-With
the Ohio relentlessly pouring it's flood
southwark, Kentucky streams contrib
uting their volume from the mountains,
high wind blowing upstream all
day and preventing the rapid passing
of the current, Louisville tonight faced
flood situation which promised to
| equal. before the crest is passed, the
| stage of 1884, the greatest flood ever
\ known to the city
- Thousands of people are homeless
! and are housed in school buildings,
warehouses and other structures. Fac
tories in this city, Jeffersonville and
New Albany are closed. throwing hun
dreds of people out of work Stocks
of merchandise in the business houses
along the river front are ruined; much
lumber has been washed away and
many small houses and their contents
toppled over into the water. A con-
servative estimate of the damage done
with the crest of the flood yet two
days away is a quarter of a million
of dollars. Street cars in several parts
of the city are entirely stopped, while
trains on nearly all the railroads are
arriving from three to ten hours late
Late this afternoon the backwater
from Bear Grass Creek forced its way
out of it's banks at Broadway and
was soon spreading over the Louis
trict is within a few blocks of the
fashionable residence section, and it
is many years since that part of the
city was oVerfowed.
The water is within two feet of the
Seventh street station, which is the
terminal of the Illinois Central, South
and and Baltimore and Ohio South
western, Big Four and Chesapeake and
Ohio. The tracks of the Illinois Cen
trail, the Baltimore and Ohio South
western and Southern Railways are
still two feet out of water.
All night at the cutoff" where the
greatest danger was supposed to CEN
ter, men were on duty to watch for a
break The levee withstood the pres
sure. but at daylight the rapidly in
creasing flood drove the watchers from
their position, and the water began to
pour over the embankment into the
valley of homes known as The point'
Between 1900 and 400 houses occupy
that portion of the city. For the most
part they are the abodes of river men,
people injured to all sorts of hard
ships.
All day long the water poured over
the embankment a foot deep and,
quickly seeking its level, transformed
a large majority of the poorer resi-
dence section into vast inland sea.
Melwood avenue, from Sixteenth
street to the Country CiuD, is under
water, which in some places is enter
ing the second stories.
During the afternoon a force of po-
licemen was sent to a point within
three blocks of the flooded area, where
they stopped all sightseers fearing loss
of life should the embankment be cut
off,
The scene in the western part of the
city is one of desolation. Here the
water reaches not only to the first and
second floors, but in some instances to
the chimneys. Thousands of people
abandoned their homes in this section
two days ago and the majority were
unable to take any of their effects
with them, it was impossible to
secure enough boats and men to effect
the removal Last nigatsA high wind
prevailed and the waters today car
ried number of houses, which were
loosened from their foundations, down
the stream.
The city officials have been working
hard and have the situation well in
hand and are feeding the sufferers
who are unable TO provide for them
selves
The weather OFFERS little hope for
the next two days, the weather bull
letin reading: The water will con-
tinue to rise and will probably reach
a 40-foot stage at Louisville and a
56-foot stage at Madison, Ind, Mon
day"
The crest of the storm is expected
Tuesday. but owing to general rains
1t is very difficult at present to say
just when it will reach Louisville.