The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-25
Danger Stage of II
Feet Predicted by
State Water Supply
Commission
RIVER RISING 4
INCHES AN HOUR
Cellars Will Fill and Lowlands in
South Harrisburg Will Be Covered
Water Will Back Up in the Mar
ket Street Subway

Unexpectedly big rises this morn
ing in the various tributaries caused
the State Water Supply Commission
late this afternoon to predict a stage
of seventeen feet in the Susquehanna
river in Harrisburg by tomorrow aft
ernoon.
That is the danger mark for Har-
risburg. When the river reaches that
point, cellars in South Harrisburg begin
to fill with water backed up from sew
ers. the lowands about the old Lo
chiel furnaces become flooded and the
water starts to back out of the sewers
in the Market street subway.
A decade ago 17-foot river stage
here made it necessary to 60 about the
streets of South Harrisburg in boats,
but much of this danger has been elm
mated recently by the Paxton creek
food control in Wildwood Park, which
diverts much of the water.
Rising 4 Inches an Hour
The water in the river at this point
was rising to-day at slightly more than
four inches an hour, the mark at 2
O'Clock, according to Weather Bureau
officials, being 1875 feet, as against
go feet at O'Clock this morning.
The Weather Bureau forecasts fif-
teen feet by o'clock tomorrow morn
ing. This is not the maximum stage
looked for by Weather Bureau officials,
who expect the river to continue rising
until tomorrow afternoon. The State
Water Supply Commission fixes the
maximum at II feet. In the twenty
four hours previous to s O'Clock this
morning the river had risen 3.S feet
here.
There was rising action in the
streams throughout the entire Susque-
hanna watershed this morning, accord
ing to reports sent to the weather bu-
reau, but the upper branches far up
State, are expected to begin receding
tonight. The main river, however, will
continue to rise until this water has
moved off.
There were no food stages in the
valley this morning, Wilkes-Barre com
ing nearest to it with a margin of but
seven inches. Every station reported
moderately heavy rain, but none of the
up-river places had as much as the
country Immediately surrounding Har-
risburg.
Much of the water is from melted
SHOWS along the west branch. This
snow was in the mountains near Will
Transport. Until week ago this snow
lay to the depth of twelve inches. Un-
usually high temperatures were expert
enced in the last week and the rainfall,
which averaged more than half an inch
over the valley, was sufficient to melt
most of the snow.
The storm responsible for the rain
fall has moved off the New England
coast and fair weather, with lower tenn
peratures will follow here.
The statement issued this morning by
the State Water Supply Commission
followsf
''In the Susquehanna basin, maxi
mum stage of eighteen and one-hah
feet is indicated for the West Branch
in Williamsport. On the North Branch
as tage Of about seventeen and one.
half feet for Towanda, twenty five feet
for Wilkes-Barre and twenty feet for
Danville; fourteen feet for Newport on
the Juniata, and probably about seven.
teen feet for Harrisburg on Friday aft.
ernoon."
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