14 Feb 1884
Page 1
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Newspaper
The Indianapolis Journal
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
Date
Feb 14, 1884
Page
1
Thursday forecast calls for clearing conditions after local rains or light snow. Citizens may contribute clothing for the inundated districts along the Ohio River by leaving items at the designated relief collection point.
The Indianapolis Journal reports Chicago trading as speculators lift corn with dwindling receipts and bullish district reports. May pork edges higher, with forecasts of $25 for pork this year amid strong hog prices and declining hog numbers. Wheat closes near the prior day’s levels as export demand and New York telegraphs spur late gains.
The Ohio River flood roars through Cincinnati with water over seventy feet and rising. Portsmouth is submerged to building tops, with one hundred twenty houses swept away. Lawrenceburg escapes severe damage while New Albany Jeffersonville and downstream towns face a grim outlook and calls for relief.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal from Cincinnati reports the Ohio River rising through the night to 70 feet seven and a half inches near 1:30 am with an inch per hour in places. Flooding spreads across Covington, Trenton, Greenup, Catlettsburg and Huntington as towns become isolated and many people left homeless. Rescue efforts falter, provisions are needed, and relief supplies are coordinated via Grayson and Kanawha region depots as the river begins to fall in segments.
Steubenville and surrounding towns face widespread disaster from flooding. Damage in Jefferson county totals about $250,000 with roughly two thousand affected. Brighter relief work continues but new aid requests rise hourly as rains impede recovery. Bedding clothing and sustenance are most needed, with Steubenville residents expecting no outside aid.
At Wellsburg twenty miles above Wheeling the devastated population is destitute and seeks urgent relief. A congressman was asked to accelerate a $1000 War Department aid. Local aid totaled $25,000 in cash and similar value in goods, yet funds vanish quickly. Notable gifts include John W. Garrett 800 dollars, J Tilden 250, James Keene 250, Wheeling and Belmont Bridge Company 1000.
In Charleston West Virginia the town council plans a relief appeal with $5,000 target. Donations drafts should be sent to Masonic relief committee chaired by William Hastings. The State Fair Association reports a $20,000 loss and, being in its infancy, is financially ruined with no fair planned for September.
Portsmouth reports a catastrophic flood with entire neighborhoods under water up to rooftops. One hundred twenty dwellings swept away, over 500 wrecked, relief boats mobilized, supplies from surrounding areas arriving, telegraph to restore outside communication, Mayor McFarland and relief committee coordinating aid.
The Cincinnati area reports the Ohio River at seventy feet four inches by 10 PM with ongoing rain and cold weather threats. Relief efforts expand under General Beckwith, with funds from Lebanon Ohio, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. R R Springer leads as the city’s top donor. Thousands along the river face hunger and displacement as Harmar, Ohio, seeks aid. boats and life-saving crews are being organized for rescue and fuel relief.
The Catlettsburg area is underwater with eight to ten feet of floodwater, banks ruined, and banks evacuated. Mails stopped for six days as Ashland National Bank safeguards funds. Nearby towns like Augusta Dover Ripley and Point Pleasant suffer extensive inundation with homes lost and roads washed away. Relief steamer Kate Waters returned with supplies and farmers aid efforts continue.
Cincinnati reports floods disrupt rail service with freight trains halted except for Cincinnati Northern. Express firms handle surge in light freight. Ohio and Mississippi Express builds boat to move freight to steamers. Beef supply scarce as rail and river links fail. Canal used to transfer to C H D trains. Telephone lines along riverfront ruined. exchanges submerged. operators ferried by boat.
Northern towns Lawrenceburg and Aurora reel from a Tuesday night wind storm and rising river water. Homes float away as rainfall ceases and relief arrives. hundreds need aid while rail links risk being cut. The Western Wave steamer sinks near Lawrenceburg with no insurance. Forty thousand bushels of corn submerged in Hardentown. Governor Porter’s visit offers encouragement amid widespread ruin.
New Albany reports another day of flood misery with the water rising to seventy one feet six inches and the rate at one inch per hour. About one hundred more families fled their homes, many rescinding to upper stories and still evacuations continue as the flood spreads across the south and north sides of the city.
A devastating flood swells through the city as last night’s wind and rain drive hardship. Officials estimate up to a thousand families displaced, with many sheltering in open air or ruined homes. Relief efforts are insufficient. the river continues rising and more dwellings and out-buildings may be swept away. Trains halt, mail delivery delays persist, and substantial aid remains scarce amid growing distress.
Jeffersonville Indiana endures extreme flood as the river overruns streets and halts commerce. Losses loom at over 125000 including plate glass works and a new steamer project. Relief committees travel to Washington for aid while residents seek help from nearby towns. Weddings and disaster news mix with grim forecast as waters rise.
In Shawneetown Illinois floodwaters reach five to fifteen feet, forcing residents to flee and causing extensive damage. Across the region towns like Uniontown and Owensboro face submersion or evacuation as embankments hold and farms move stock to safety. Drowning reports remain unconfirmed, while harbor boats remove corn and residents seek higher ground.
In Cairo on February 13 at 6 p m the river stood at 47 feet 9 inches and rising about half an inch per hour. Rain and sleet fell this afternoon and colder air brings a forecast of a freeze. The scene was quiet as observers note the rise may not match last year. By midnight the river reached 48 feet and began freezing, with a nine inch rise in the prior twenty four hours.
Reports explain how river stage figures differ along the Ohio due to bed changes and anchoring for pilots. In Cincinnati, zero depth is set on Four mile bar and Rising Sun bar, causing channel depths to exceed published numbers by up to thirteen feet. A Powhatan, Ohio geyser near Captina creek erupts with sand and mud jets rising to fifty to sixty feet, terrifying residents and drawing crowds.
Vincennes reports the Wabash River rising to nineteen feet with water covering three to six feet of prairie. The Board of Trade and local leaders meet at the E. A. to coordinate flood relief, aiming to mobilize funds and a large crowd of donors from wealthy citizens.
Secretary Lincoln directed four Columbus officers to Cincinnati to aid in relief distribution under General Beckwith. Captain St Ty Cushing moves to Pittsburgh to supervise supply purchases and distribution. Two more officers join the Pittsburgh relief boats, as officials coordinate with town mayors via telegraph.
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