New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-30
GRAVE PERIL MENACES i.
OHIO VALLEY CITIES
All River Front Buildings in
Cincinnati Partly Submerged
Kentucky Nearly Isolated.
THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS
Loss of Life So Far Small, but
Enormous Property Damage
Done-Railway Service
Partially Abandoned.

1
5000 persons in the towns on the
Kentucky side Of the Ohio River driven
| from their homes by the rising yellow
tide that is sweeping down the ohio
Valley, and with more than 800
homes altogether or partly submerged,
the food situation in this vicinity is as
/ suming graver proportions hourly.
The river front buildings here are all
partly under water and much damage
has been done. All increase in the
I river stage at this point will mean the
complete isolation Of the city from the
| Kentucky side and the stoppage of
train service in this direction. Late
! to-day the government gauge showed
/ siXty-seven feet. and, according TO the
Weather Bureau. the indications we're
that before many hours there would
be sixty-eight feet in the river here.
| So far only one life has been los;
here as a direct result of the high
waters. Miss Anna Smith, the first
victim, was drowned in an attempt TO
| reach Newport in a skiff that capsized
in midstream. Her three men compan-
ions were rescued while swimming to
shore.
Newport and Covington, opposite,
virtually are surrounded by water.
| Conditions there are worse than else
where. and nearly ten thousand persons
| have been driven from their homes.
Relief measures. however, are ade-
ouate. Manufacturing plants in the
| lowlands have ceased operations
! In these two cities the only fear is
that health conditions will be seriously
affected because of the clogging OF the
sewage system and the stagnation of
| back water. AS yet the waterworks
have continued in operation. The cleo
trio light plants have had TO cease
operations. but the gas plants are not
! interrupted.
| In the Kentucky towns of Dayton.
| Ludlow. Bellevue and Bromley identi-
/ cal conditions exist but i'm their cases
all communication with Cincinnati.
/ Newport and Covington has been sus-
pended These towns will be isolated
until the water has fallen sufficiently
| 10 permit the operation Of strcetcars on
/ the south side OF the river.
In these towns two thousand persons
are being cared for by relief commit
tees. and more than five hundred homes
have disappeared under the waters
I Property damage will be immense.
/ especially as this is the second time
within three months that the Ohio Val
ley has suffered from high waite.
| S,reetcar officials here announced
that when the river has reached sixty
eight feet the power plants which op-
crate the car lines TO the Kentucky
shore Will be out of commission and
communication with Cincinnati will be
cut Off. SO far only ;wo of the five big
bridges across the Ohio at this point
have been seriously affected by the
high water The other three are so high
that ii Will require more than seventy
two feet Of water to prevent their use.
Railway service into and out of Gin
cinnaii virtually is at standstill
Louisville & Nashville trains are leav-
ing the city for the West on time. but
arriving trains are much delayed The
| Cincinnati. Lebanon & Northern re-
ports that IL now is operating trains TO
! Dayton, but not beyond that point.
Every hotel in this city is crowded To-
| its capacity while every moving van.
auto truck and freight strectcar has
been pressed into service removing
families from the flood area
Rcassurng word from packers. COM
mission men and general produce
merchants came carly to-day. when II
was estimated that Cincinnati had
enough food supplies to last at least
ten days without MISUNDERSTANDING any
one
The telephone operator AT Aurora
Ind. notified Cincinnati authorities late
to-day that the rising waters Of the
| Ohio River had broken over the Icves
| ut I.awrcnceburg, Ind and residents
were fleeing To the highlands The
operator received message from
Lawr"nceburS soon after o'clock. say
Ing that tho leyee ~ pclhtcwn. n short
distance above there. had broken. and
the waters We're sweeping over the
lowlands toward Lawrenccburg.
The known dead in the four little
| villages Of Harrison, Cleves. Valley
Junction and Now Bethlehem. at the
mouth Of the Great Miami. where il
cmptics into the oIic. number twenty
| two. Twelve bodies were recovered AT
! Harrison, two at Gloves. six at Valley
Junction, and two At New Bethlehem.
Lexington. Ky, March 29.--Fully one
mountain valleys ere reported drowned.
and immense quantities of logs have
the rapidly RISING Kentucky rivers
Many towns are uHGcr water. At High
bridge one fatality has been reported
jefferson City. Mo-. March o9,-C;ov-
crnor Major ordered Adiutant General
O'Meara to-day To take three com
panies Of the Missouri National Guard
to Mississippi County to protect prop
erty from threatened floods.
Louisville March 2y-Nifh the Dhin