Albuquerque morning journal., 1907-03-16
BOATS ONLY MEANS
OF TRAFFIC IN PITTSBCRG

Pittsburg, March 14.-Serious flood
conditions prevail tonight in Western
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and east
ern Ohio. At Z o'clock the water
reached a stage of 34.6 feet at Herr's
island and 343 feet at Market street.
and at the headwaters the rivers are
now stationary. The crest of the
flood is expected to reach here about
midnight, when 35 feet will be re-
corded. This stage is 13 feet above
the danger mark. At four o'clock this
afternoon the 30-mile ice gorge at
Parker. Pa. broke and is moving to-
ward the city. The immense gorge in
the Clarion river has also started
down stream.
Conditions in Pittsburg are the
worst ever recorded. The whole lower
downtown district is under water.
Duquesne way, Pennsylvania avenue
and Liberty street, running parallel
with the Allegheny river, are sub
merged to a depth of several feet.
Hundreds of business houses located
in this district are flooded. In a num-
ber of instances the water is almost
up to the second floor. The Gaicty,
Belasco, Alvin and Bjou theaters are
surrounded by water and will be un
able to open for several days.
The guests in the Colonial, Lincoln
and Anderson hotels are either ma
rooned or compelled to use skiffs to
and from the buildings.
Trolley service between Pittsburg
and Allegheny was, suspended early
today and tonight at the Pennsylvania
depot are thousands of excited people
trying to board trains for Allegheny
and other suburbs.
Trolley elevated aud telephone SER
Ntfd 3r 1av It,yaI IN 1fffaUntNt
tions.
Within the last thrty-six hours
fourteen fatalities directly due to the
flood have occurred,
The damage to perishable goods
and property i'm the Pittsburg district
alone will amount to $1,000.
At Connellsville, Pa, the damage to
the coke region is estimated at
S2.000,000, and over 100000 persons
in that district are temporarily out of
employment.
The Westinghouse works, employ
ing 10000 men, are shut down, and
the damage to machinery is estimated
Mt 5O,OOO,0O0. All the mines along
the Monongahela river are flooded.
and 10000 miners are affected. The
steel and iron mills are at a stand
still. and fully $4,000 men are idle.
Hundreds of stores and business
houses In the downtown section are
partially submerged, and have closed
their doors The flood directly af-
fccts over 100000 people.
The situation in Plttsburg and the
immediate vicinity Is serious. Tele-
graph and telephone service Is Grip
Piled. Men are pumping water from
the dynamo room Of the Western
Union Telegraph company in the ceh-
ter of the city.
In the suburbs of Aspinwall, Sharps-
burg. Etna ana Mlllvae. over 500
families are living in the second story
of their homes. Many houses have
been undermined ana the foundations
weakened, and are In danger of col
lapsing. The greater portion Of
Monongahela. Pa, Is under water.
Hundreds of people are marooned
i'm Pittsburg. Restaurants and hotels
have been besieged all evening by
persons unable to reach their homes.
At midnight the Allegheny river
had reached a stage of 35.1 feet, and
was rising a foot an hour. The sud-
den rise was reported by the weather
bureau to be due, to the breaking of
the ice gorges at Parker and Free
port.
with this rise, a large portion of
the city Is flooded. Several 11ewspa-
pers have been forced to. call upon
their contemporaries to assist in get
ting out morning editions because
press rooms are flooded. and fire en-
gines have been called into service to
pump easements in an effort to save
property1oss
At midnight the damage done by
the flood is estimated at $40, 100000.
Fourteen lives In various Pennsylvania
towns have been sacrificed and more
may be lost, as the water Is steadily
rising
WHEELING ISOLATED BY
HIGHEST WAT1sIl IN YEARS
Wheeling. w. Va.. March H.
wheeling Is In the midst OF the worst