Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-19
BIG DAMAGE ALONG SHORE
Factories Close Down and River
Front Traffic Stopped.
LIVES SAVED BY WARNING
People in Lower Section Of City
Move to Upper Stories-Lit-
tie Girl Drowned.


flood danger point was passed during the
morning and the Ohio river is now sta
tionary at twenty-five feet, two inches.
Loss due to the flood is estimated at
100000. Three vessels in the local har-
bor valued at s1250O. were sunk. Mines.
potteries, tube mills and factories along
the Allegheny. Monongahela. Kiskimini-
tbs. Youghiogheny and Cheat rivers have
closed down due to high water Thou
sands of men are idle as a result. Traffic
on steam roads entering Pittsburg along
the river fronts is demoralized
Tons upon tons of water are pouring
into the Ohio and the Allegheny rivers
where. thirty miles above this city. the ice
gorge at Freeport broke last night. The
Allegheny. bank full of soft. spongy ice,
crumbled into small foes by its tumble
over the dam after the gorge let go. is
rushing by the city and forcing the Ohio
river up-at the rate of two feet an hour.
Forming for Months.
For two months the gorge had been
forming at Freeport. Ice fifteen inches
thick had piled up fifteen feet high. and
as the recent SHOWS on the Allegheny
watershed melted. with the high tempera-
lures Of the past forty-eight hours, the
water was held back untilft had reached a
depth OF seventeen feet and covered acres
Of lowiand around Freeport The warm
rains had disintegrated the solid ice, and
while it was appalling in appearance no
danger was feared Shipping was Sc
cured, however. and the boats were re-
moved from the Allegheny around it to
the MonOngahela.
Wharfboats and coal barses, boat clut
houses and houseboats that had perma.
nent moOrings were watched all through
the night and steamers were kept In
readiness to answer any appeals for help
Riveymen stood watch throughout the
night, taking up lines and putting out ad
ditional hawsers, but no trouble was ex-
perienced.
Warning Sent Out.
AS soon as the gorge broke Henry Pen
nywitt. the local forcaster Of the weather
bureau. sent out warnings by telephone
The police. too. notified the residents and
business men Of the downtown district,
and as it was expected "a feet, two
above danger mark, would be reached
by noon today. there was a scurrying to
move furniture and stock to upper floors.
At Wheeling, w. Va, Mr.. Pennywitt said
row. This is one foot below the food
mark there All night long the steamers
played their search lights up and down
the river. and when the sharp rays of
the lights fell on the gorge the picture
was most poIa rescue. The rush of waters
appeared first in a white ridge across
the river, about foot high. early this
morning. 1t appeared to be small wave
Just breaking its crest. AS II hit the
piers of the bridges that span the river
within the city limits 1t broke, and
seething and foaming tumbled away
into miniature whirlpools. AS the pieces
of ice struck against boat hulls. piers
and the river bank they would crumble
and spatter away into slush.
Flood in Monongahela..
From out the Monongahela. too. there
is slight rise. and from all sections
along that river communities report
flooded streets in the river bottoms. Be-
low the city number of mills have been
forced to shut down. but no serious dam
age besides temporary loss of employ
ment is reported
One death reported is that of Pearl
Hodgson. aged eight. of Turtle Creek.
who. while playing in flooded cellar,
slipped off a raft and was drowned.
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad station
in Allegheny is submerged.
Edward Jennings and his two sons
early today pulled three men. two women
and tiny baby from a housebOat to
the Coraopolis bridge over the Ohio
river by ropes just as the honseboat
turned turtle in the ice forced against
the bridge piers. The houseboat had
been carried against the bridge on the
crest of the Freeport ice gorge.