Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-27
RAILROADS ARE HEAVY
LOSERS IN FLOOD
TrestIes, Bridges and Tracks
Washed Away in
Many Cases.

Traffic between Washington and the
middle west and communication Of all
kinds with the flooded districts of Ohio
Indiana and western Pennsylvania and
West Virginia today was in the midst
of the worst tie-up in history.
Only three trains from the flooded dis
tricts arrived in Washington during the
morning and all Of these were hours
behind their schedules and reached
Washington by roundabout routes. Pas.
sengers on them brought stories of tres
ties and, bridges and tracks washed
away, of interrupted communication, and
scenes Of general devastation.
Accounts brought in were that the rail-
roads passing through the flood district
face enormous losses. Estimates made
by railroad men placed the probable
losses at from $4,000, 600 to 81, 900, 600
Valuable railroad bridges in number OF
points have been completely destroyed
Miles Of trackage have been destroyed.
Trains Are Hours Late.
The only open route to the west being
used was by way of Pittsburgh, and
through Cleveland to Chicago, by way
of the Lake Shore line. The Chesapeake
and Ohio got one train through to Wash
ington from Cincinnati this morning, but
1t was four hours late. The Panhandle
route of the Pennsylvania. which con-
meets with Dayton and other points in
the center of the Hood district. was COM
pletely tied up
Because of the crippled condition Of the
telegraph wires of both the Western
Union and Postal Telegraph companies
very little definite information about
trains from central Ohio and Indiana was
available. Both the telegraph companies
accepted messages for the food districts
with warnings that they would be de-
layed. Only few messages were gotten
through to points in the flood zone.
Few people attempted to get to points
further west than Pittsburg and Cincin-
natl. Tickets over all roads to Chicago
the warning that the roads would not
guarantee through passage. One train is
due to arrive this afternoon over the Bal
timore and Ohio from Cincinnati and
St Louis at 4:1O o'clock. and another
was due to leave over the Pennsylvania
road for Pittsburgh and points west at
$40 o'clock.
Reports of how a landslide caused by
the excessive rainfall endangered the
Chesapeake and Ohio train from Cincin-
this morning were brought by passengers
on the train. The train was due at 7:15
o'clock this morning. The landslide oc-
CURED at Backwater. near Allegheny. Pa.
The train was forced to stop while the
tracks were cleared of the dirt.
Passengers on this train said that con-
ditions were not bad at Cincinnati yes
terday afternoon, but that most tracks
and bridges west and south Of Cincinnati
were washed away, and there was no
railroad traffic.
Water in Detroit's Streets.
Pullman coaches from Chicago were due
to arrive this morning over the Pennsyl-
vania road at $40 o'clock, but when the
train got in finally at 1888 o'clock. there
was one coach from Detroit, but none
from Chicago. Passengers on the Detroit
coach said that there was water in the
streets of Detroit and Cleveland. and that
the Baltimore and Ohio station in Cleve-
land was partly under water. The tracks
along this route were comparatively safe.
they SAID but at Sandusky. between De-
troit and Cleveland, there was trouble in
protecting the tracks from the flood.
One train scheduled to arrive here at
$40 o'clock this morning over the Penn
sylvania from Oil City and Buffalo got in
at 1855 O'Clock, but passengers on it
said the OIL City coach could not get
is in Pennsylvania, about midway be-
tween Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Tracks
and bridges near Oil City were all washed
away or badly damaged, they said.
Additional stories of the devastation.
which extends as far north as Cleveland
and Pittsburg, were brought to Wash
ington this afternoon by Representative
Rainey of Illinois and other passengers
on q Pennsylvania train which arrived
here at 1850 this afternoon, three hours
late. Mr.. Rainey said that at Beaver
Dam, near Altoona. Pa, passengers on
the train this morning saw wrecked
houses floating down the Monongahela
river.
Mr. Rainey declared that in Cleveland,
Alliance, Pittsburgh and other points
along the route floods were noticeable in
every direction. Water covered the streets
in the lower part of Pittsburgh. At sew
eral points houses had been blown from
their foundations
This train came to Washington over the
Lake Shore line to Cleveland and then to
Pittsburgh and then here. 1t is the only
train through from Chicago which has
arrived TODAY