The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-02-18
LOSS YILL D: TaEiItADOUS
in piitsauTg 0is riCtiJ I'LL Amount
10 G5VGrai Millions
Scores of Cities and Towns Inundated
River Rising Half Foot an Hour
10000 Men Thrown Out of En-
ployment-NO Fatalities Reported
-RaiIrOad Tracks Submerged.


-RaiIrOad Tracks Submerged.
Pittsburg, Pa, February Is
Spreading ruin and disaster in it's
path, the annual flood of the rivers
and small streams of this section
holds PittsDurg in it's grasp tonight.
At 10 O'Clock the water had reach
ed a stage of 26 feet and was rising
4 half foot an hour. The weather
bureau predicts thirty feet by tomor-
row morning and possibly a foot
higher when the crest of the food
arrives late Sunday afternoon.
At the headwaters the rivers con-
tinue to rise and scores Of cities and
towns in Western Pennsylvania, Eas-
tern Ohio and West Virginia are par
tally inundated.
In the Pittsburg district alone the
damage, it is expected. will amount
to several million dollars.
The record flood of last year, when
the water reached a stage of 36 "a
feet, caused damage estimated at
sic, 100000, but sufficient warning
was given this year to save much
property. A conservative estimate
places the number Of men thrown
out Of work by the food here at 90
1000. This great increase 20 the ar
my of unemployed is expected to re-
suit in much suffering. The men are
employed in the mill plants. business
houses and coal mines located in the
food zone. For weeks charitable
organizations have been soliciting
funds for the unemployed and today
additional appeals were made for
contributions to assist flood victims.
The high water has been RESPONSE
Bile for numerous narrow escapes
and thrilling rescues, but up to late
tonight no fatalities have have re-
ported.
During the flood last year score
of persons met death.
All the low lands of Greater Pitts
burg are submerged. The tracks of
the Pittsburg and Western railroad
Bessemer and Lake Erie, Baltimore
and Ohio, Pittsburg, Virginia and
Charleston and several other roads
are under water at a aumber Of
puints. Along the latter line heavy
land slides have occurred making
transportation slow and dangerous.
Trolley lines in the flood districts
a-e crippled and on several lines ser
vice has been entirly abandoned.
A number of pavements COL
lapced in this city today and thous-
ands of cellars are filed with water.
A great number of families have
been compelled to move their house
hold goods to upper stories. They
go to and fro in skiffs. On the
northside of Pittsburg tonight the pO
licemen are patrolling the beats in
skiffs.
At Wheeling, West Virginia, Steu-
bensville, Ohio, and other points be-
low the city the food waters are ex-
rected to reach serious proportions
late Sunday night or Monday morn
ing.
Wheeling, w. Va, February ID
With the river rising at the rate Of
nine inches an hour tonight and a
stage now around the 27-foot mark,
Wheeling district in on the verge of
a destructive food that will bring
more suffering among the poor than
any similar visitation for many years.
Forecaster Pennywitt, of Pittsburg,
tonight predicts As feet on Monday
as the top notch of the food and the
preparations are being made all along
the line for at least that much water.
F'orty-five feet will flood much of
Wheeling Island, Southside, Benwood
Martins Ferry, Bellaire, Bridgeport
and the lower lying sections OF the
city proper, causing more than 1000
families to fee from their homes to
higher ground. This afternoon the
Wheeling board of trade relief COM
mittee conferred for over an hour
with Chief of Police w. Nj. Elkins,
preparing a program of relief work
that will be begun Sunday. 1t was
decided tonight to order immense
quantities of bacon, rice and other
food stuffs which will be put up In
small packages and distributed to
the suffering poor under the auspices
of the department. The board of
| trade will also assist in moving fam
/ lilies from their homes.
In the wholesale district and In a
| portion of the retail district hund.
| reds of merchants ere tonignc NOV
, ing out of the path of the rising wa
tsrs.
| Washing gton, D. c.. February Is
A special river bulletin issued to-
night by the weather bureau, apro-
pos of food conditions existing by
reasons of warn rains through the
east and south, says:
(Wabash river) q feet. flood
! stage being at Is: food stages viii
he exceeded by Sunday morning In