Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-19
MENACED BY RIVERS
Pittsburg Territory Alarmed
Over Sudden Rise.
DANGER MARK Is REACHED
Possible Stage of Thirty Three Feet
Is Forecasted.
IT MEANS IMMENSE DAMAGE
All the Small Streams Are on the
Rampage Today-Railway
Traffic Disarranged.
T MEANS IMMENSE DAMAGE

| PITTSBURG, March 19.-With surpris-
| ing suddenness another flood of the rivers
is being experienced in Pittsburg and vi
cinty today.
| At 10 o'clock this morning the stage
reached the danger mark of twenty-five
! feet and the water was rising seven
tenths an hour.
According to the local Uniteu States
weather bureau possible stage of thirty
| three feet is expected here early tomor-
row morning.
| If the prediction of the forecaster ma
terialiZes the suffering and damage that
will result to this city and vicinity will
| be wholesale. Should thirty-t ee feet of
water come il will lack but three-and
one-half feet of the great flood of March
10 last year.
Many Prisoners in Their Homes.
All small streams are on the rampac
| today. Streets and cellars in the suburbs
are covered with water. High gum boots,
improvised RATS and small skiffs are at
a premium. Thousands of women and
children are prisoners in their homes.
Schools are lightly attended today
The lowlands of this city are inundated
and owing to the quickness with which
the high water came few persons were
able to take the precaution of saving val
liable goods
Railroad schedules are badly disarrang-
ed on account of the water and heavy
landslideS. On the ma lin line of the Penn
sylNania railroad between Larimer and
East Pittsburg. a distance of eight miles
| tracks l and are out of commission.
On the southwest Pennsylvania division
trains are moving at a snails pace on ac-
count of numerous waShouts
Flood Commission Meets.
The first meeting of the Pittsburg
Chamber of Commerce flood commission
was held today.
A determined effort will be made to
ascertain the cost, character and cause
of damage by flood. An attempt also will
be made to discover an adequate method
to protect the city as a whole or. if this
is not possible, to safeguard particular
sections. The proposed schemes of for
est reservation. reservoir and dikes will
be investigated.
An exhibit of interest was a table
comparing the floods of the first and last
half of the period since 1878 1t showed
that from 1873 to 1880 there were ~
stages of - feet of % / of 10 and
none Of ID feet: but in the last seventeen
years there have been - of ~ feet, II of
~ feet, ) of - feet and one of 30 feet
Fears for Dredge Crew.
Early today sand dredge belonging 10
the Pittsburg Plate Glass Company, broke
from It's moorlng at Tarentum, above this
city ana started down the Allegheny
river. The boat went over the govern
ment dam at Springdale. and it is not
known whether the crew, composed of
flve men, succeeded in escaping Moth
ing has since been heard of the men.
The Pittsburg. Virginia and Charleston
railroad between this city and California
Pa. is crippled. Seven landslides have
occurred and the tracks are buried under
tons of earth
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad has
moved all the rolling stock from the Pitts
burg and Western division. which rms
along the Allegheny river on the north
side of the city.
Flood Eating Away Fills.
In many places sections of track along
the railroads are doubly threatened by
the flood eating away the lower side of
the hil. while the precipitious banks on
the upper sides of the tracks are slip
ping down. and occasionally great boul-
ders are undermined by little rivulets of
water. and, avalanche like roll down upon
the right of way.
seven landSlldeS have already been re-
ported to the offices of the PENNSYLVANIA
company from the Monongahea division
Scores OF people sick from in
haling gas at Ben Avon and Avalon this
morning. while many more scores had
narrow escapes from dea tn and at least
eight places were either set on fire or
We're the scenes of explosion early this
morning as a result of a landslide which
washed away the regulator house of the
local light and heat company
Up until noon nearly 900 telegraph and
telephone messages were sent out to man
ufa cturers whose mills and factories will
be affected by the high rivers. Bulletins
are received every two hours by the
weather bureau. all of them showing that
the rivers are rising rapidly.
High Water at Philadelphia.
Special Dispatch 10 The Star.
PHILADELPHIA. March 19.-rhe heavy
rains throughout the state caused the
Schuylkill river from Flat Rock dam to
the Fairmount pumping station TO rise
eight feet between midnight and o'clock
this morning. The water is running with
considerable force today. although it is
not expected that it will reach a point
where any damage will result.
When the water commenced to rise
rapidly late last night watchmen at the
manufa curing establishments became
alarmed and got everything in readiness
for the removal of stock from the lower
floors to places of safety.