Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-18
Thousands IN PERIL
As result OF FLOOD
WATER IN RIVERS AND LOW
LAND PASSES DANGER MARK,
MANY LEAVING HOMES.
TOWNS IN MANY
STATES MENACED

Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, indi-
ana and New York Among Com
nonwealths to Feel Effects OF An
nuaI DeIuge from Thaws.
Pittsburg, Feb. 17.-With stage
Of over 20 feet Saturday and rapidly
rising at the rate of a foot an hour,
the Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio.
Youghiogheny and Kiskiminetas riv-
ers Sunday slowly spread over the
low lands of Pittsburg and western
Pennsylvania points. The danger
mark was reached and the local
United States weather bureau predict
cd stage of 80 feet by nightfall. The
damage to river craft and property
located near the rivers was heavy.
Large ice gorges in the Allegheny and
Youghiogheny rivers above this city
were momentarily expected to break,
wrecking and demolishing craft in their
path. Some alarm is also felt for a
number of bridges. At Wheeling, w.
Va, and Steubenville, o.. serious
flood was expected to occur. Word
from steubenville was that stage
Of 40 feet would be reached.
Floors Submerged by Water. /.
At points here the high water rose
TO the floors of business houses and
dwellings,. Throughout the night
hundreds Of people were actively en-
gagged in removing their household
goods to places of safety. Before
evening several railroads and street
car lines were forced to abandon
service in this city owing to the water
covering the tracks. All the small
streams in towns surrounding Pitts
burg were beyond their banks and the
water rose rapidly. Thousands OF
families at Sharpsburg, Etna. Aspin-
wall, Charleroi, Oakdale, McKees
Rocks and numerous other places have
been compelled to remove their house
hold goods to the upper floors. In
some of the towns skiffs are being
used as means of transportation to
many homes.
Outlying Country Affected.
Several heavy landslides happened
along the Pittsburg, Virginia &
Charleston railroad from the rain de-
laying trains and making transporta-
ton dangerous On the north side
the rolling stock of the Pittsburg &
Western division of the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad was moved out os
the danger zone. The tracks, freight
houses and station Of this road have
been abandoned. A number of pave
ments along Penn avenue have col
lapsed and cellars are rapidly being
filed with water. The concert of the
Pittsburg orchestra in the hall of the
Pittsburg exposition, Duquesne Way,
was called off and all traffic in the vi.
entity of the building halted. Many
coal mines along the river bank are
flooded and thousands of coal miners
are compelled to abandon their work.
In Allegheny squad of picked pa.
trolmen, or the "skiff patrol" are
guarding the inundated territory in
boats. The Bessemer railroad at
Greenville is out of commission, and
the trolley system demoralized. Tel.
egraph wires ase down, causing mucn
Inconvenience.
Ohio in Fearful Condition.
Springfield, o., Feb. 17.-Buck creek
10 higher than since 1898 and fully 11C
houses in this city were flooded No
lives have been lost, but boats were
kept busy all night carrying people
out of their submerged homes. All
suburban traction lines entering the
city were put out of commission. No
care were running on the city lines
the power houses being flooded The
main line of the Big Four road be
tween this city and Cincinnati has
been kept running though the tracks
are submerged much of the way be
tween Springfield and Dayton. The
Sandusky division of the Big Four had
no trains running, there being one OF
two bad washouts between this city
and Urbana. The Detroit, Toledo &
1ronton has been able to keep trains
moving north, but south the line suf
fered. More than mile of it's main
line through Springfield is severa
feet under water. A heavy, wet snow
is falling, melting as it falls, and keep
ing the streams swollen.
Indiana Reports Suffering.
Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 17.-While
northern and central Indiana was
swept by snow and wind storms Sat
urday the southern part of the state
suffered from floods. Reports from
Princeton, Vincennes, Evansville ant
other points expressed fear of
still higher stage of water. Rivers
we're out of their banks and In severa
counties bridges have been carrie.
away and buildings in the lowland,
are under water. A dispatch from
Bloomington says the flood there il
the greatest since 1888. The Monol
railroad lost bridge near Salem an,
half mile of track was washed out
The rain changed to snow. At Bed
ford bottom lands overlooked. Rura
mat routes were abandoned Satul
day
Damage Extenos t.ato Kentucky.
Lexington, KY, Feb. 17-Stream
throughout eastern Kentucky rose raj
idly as result of the four days rain
and great damage was feared by lun
Der concerns along the Kentucky, tn
Red Cumberland, Licking and BIZ
Sandy rivers. River men put extr
forces of men at work Strengthening
log booms to hold the thousands q
logs which swept down upon then
Cincinnati Doctor Is Killed.
Cincinnati, Feb. 17.-Dr. Leo Dan
ziger, prominent German physician
was shot and instantly killed Frida,