The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-30
new ORDERS OUT LOSS IN MILLIONS
Floods and Ice Gorges Devas.
tate Along Ohio River.
Widespread Destruction Farm
Lands and Steamboats,.

Cincinnati. O., Jan. 30.--Mi1lions of
saellars loss in property damage has
been caused by floods in Ohio, Ken
lucky, Tennessee and West Virginia in
the past forty-eight hours as a result
of huge ice gorges which damned
streams and then broke.
Several lives have been lost Re-
ports from New Richmond, Ohio, early
today state that a captain and fire.
man of a ferryboat were drowned
when they jumped into the water
after the ice crushed their boat. They
had remained aboard all night to keep
up steam.
Under the force of the flood, pour
ing down from the swollen West vir-
ginia tributaries. the ice locked Ohio
river is breaking in all the towns
above here and heavy damage is
threatened.
At 4:30 a. M today the ice gorge
broke at New Richmond, Ohio A
carried away because of the ice
around it. The water rose ten feet
1t is feared the water will reach many
homes. s
At Ripley, Ohio. thirty-eight miles
from New Richmond, the water rose
twelve feet, carrying away the wharf
boat, loaded with freight.
The first wave has passed Manches-
ter and Higginsport, Ohio, and Mays
vile, KY, sweeping away the wharf
boat at each place.
$I,OOO,OOO Vessels swept Ava y.
Evansville, Ind, JAM. 30.-River
vessels worth more than million dol
lars have been swept by this city
total Ioss-in the rush of water and
ice following the breaking up of ice
gorges along the Ohio river. The
largest part of this loss was at
Paducah, KY. Among those lost were
the Spread Eagle and Gray Eagle. of
the ST. Louis Packet line-largestf on
the river
Vessels worth millions of dollars are
anchored in the mouth of Green river
and should the ice gorge at Rochester,
KY, break, they would be lost.
The river is rising and river men
fear that the ice will break before
nightrall. Vessels worth $4,000 are
anchored in the local harbor, but they
are in no present danger
Gorge at Cincinnati Breaks
Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 3o.-The ice
gorge at this point broke at 1910
O'Clock this morning and began slowly
moving down stream. The first boat
to be taken with it was the large
packet, City of Louisville It swung
loose from its moorings and crashed
into the government boat Ottawa.
The Ottawa, however, did not break
loose. The City of Louisville soon
sunk.
Man and Woman Drowned.
The first authentic loss of life in
the floods was reported from Logan,
w. Va, where Mrs. A P. Bais and
William Clark were drowned late yes
terday.
Points affected by a flood extend
from Pittsburgh down the Ohio river
to Gallipolis, Ironton and Portsmouth,
Ohio, thence to Paducah. KY. and as
far down as Cairo, ILL.,. at the juno
ton of the Ohio and the Mississippi
Last reports were that Morgantown,
w. Va, was flooded when an ice
gorge broke in the Monongahela river
yesterday. The town is still cut off
from communication.
Many Rivers Raging.
The Tennessee, Cum berland, Ohio,
Kanawna, Monongahela and the Big
Sandy rivers are raging and towns
along their route are threatened.
Bridges and railroad tracks. have been
washed out, towns and small villages
isolated and in some cases even sub
merged. The outskirts of Nashville,
Tenn, are under water.