New Britain herald., 1920-03-06
Houses Inundated, Inmates Rescued From Second Story Windows-Another tie-up in New York.

Philadelphia, March 6.-Freezing temperatures which came on the heels of a raging snow, wind and rain storm were expected today to check the floods which last night broke over eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware, causing heavy damage and driving many persons from their homes.
 The storm, which ragged from o'clock last night until shortly before daylight. was one of the most severe of the winter. Driven by a strong northwest gale, the snow piled up in big drifts and brought the trolley service in this city to a standstill. Aft CT midnight the Market street elevat- ed was the only line operated. Hun dreds of night workers living in out lying sections were forced to spend the night at hotels. Shipping on the Delaware river was also impeded.
 Marooned in Own Homes.
 Virtually every stream in this sec tion of the state overflowed its banks yesterday and ice gorges broken by the high water swept away bridges and railroad tracks. Telegraph and telephone service was put out of com- mission in many places and a num- Der of towns and cities were in dark ness last night by the flooding of power plants. Trolley service was badly crippled and several lines were forced to cease operations entirely be- cause of washouts. Scores of houses along the banks of the swollen streams washed away and many mills and factories had to shut down be- cause of flooded boiler rooms. Men. women and children marooned in their homes, were rescued in boats, some of them being taken from sec one story windows.
 Towns along the Schuylkill and Sus- quehanna rivers appeared to he the heaviest sufferers. Reading, Lancas- ter, Harrisburg, Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre reported heavy damage. Parts of all the towns were inundated and much of the surrounding lowIand was under water. Most of them were without suburban trolley service.
 Bridges Swept Away.
 The breaking of two ice gorges in the Schuylkill river above Reading caused all the industries in that city using electric power to close down Bridges and houses were swept away at Lancaster and the city's filtration plant was threatened. All the streams in the Wyoming valley overfiowed and low lying sections of Wilkes-Barre were under water. At South Wilkes 
 suspended and scores of families were marooned in their homes. The pump ing station at Allentown was flooded and the city was without water for several hours. The Lehigh river was packed by ice brought down from the upper valley districts.
 Entire blocks were inundated to the second story at Wilmington when the Brandywine overfiowed it's banks. Oc- cupants of the houses were rescued by police, fire department and volun- teer workers. The refugees spent the night at the fire houses and police stations. The power plant was under water and the city was in darkness.
 Rises Foot an Hour
 Nearly all the mills in the north west section of Philadelphia had their basements or lower floors flooded and many of them were forced to close. Parts of the driveways in Fairmount park were also under water. The SchuN kill river rose foot an hour and early today was - feet above normal in he Manayunk section. Fifty feet of new bridge that spans the river at ConShohocken. Pa. was torn away by the food.