Flood of 1907: Backpage Intelligencer News from March 15

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- from The Intelligencer, March 15, 1907, p. 6
 

SOUTH SIDERS IN TOILS OF FLOOD

MANY AFFECTING INCIDENTS ATTEND THE HIGH WATER

Caldwell's Run Residents Among the Worst Sufferers in the South Section.

On the South Side the flood has done all kinds of damage, and will do much more before the water recedes and the river once more gets back into its banks. From the Stone bridge down to Forty-eighth street the streets were inundated with water in many places several feet deep. Traffic was practically suspended on all streets up to Chapline, and in some the sheet of water extended up onto Eoff.

At the Belmont department of the Wheeling Steel & Iron company all mills were closed down yesterday morning and all hands put to preparing for the flood. The big mill was shut down at 8 o'clock on account of the water getting into the pits and the other two mills and the blast furnace were closed down shortly after 10 o'clock.The whole of the tenderloin district is flooded and in many of the houses in the vicinity of Twenty-third, Twenty-seventh, Market and Main streets, the water reaches nearly to the ceiling of the first floor. One sad feature of the flood was the removal of many sick people, who in many cases had to be carried from their homes on cots and taken to places where the water did not reach.

Owing to the fact that the water came up with incredible rapidity, many of the South Siders were taken unawares, with no preparations for the flood made. As early as 7 o'clock yesterday morning the water had backed up onto South Wood street and was flowing into some of the cellars of the residents before they were out of bed. At Forty-third and Jacob streets traffic was suspended yesterday afternoon about 3 o'clock, as the water reached the entire length of Jacob street from Thirty-ninth to Forty-eighth was covered with a sheet of water varying in depth from about two to four feet.

Caldwell's run at Twenty-ninth street overflowed its banks and did much damage to residents of this district. At Wood and Twenty-ninth streets, where a small bridge spans the run over which the City railway cars traverse, an accident was narrowly averted which might have result in the loss of a few lives. The earth which supports the track at one end of the bridge gave way just as a car was about to cross the bridge. The whole track was undermined, and, the car would doubtless have gone into the run, had it not been for Mr. Barnes Stailes who saw the danger and flagged the car in time to prevent the accident.

Many people who were in the flood district who had no place to remove their household goods to protect them from the ravages of the high water were accommodated by Bloch Bros. Tobacco company, who permited them to place their goods on one of the floors of their factory. A great many more people used the rooms of the different school buildings of the South Side.A large number of the South Side business houses also suffered severely and lost much of their property. The Wheeling Canning company especially were heavy losers. All kinds of prices were offered for labor, but little was to be had at any price as in most cases men did not feel disposed to work.
 

 - from The Intelligencer, March 15, 1907, p. 6
 

TOO MUCH WATER

The Common Complaint Ties Up All the Packets With But Two Exceptions

The common complaint of too much water yesterday tied up all the packets on the Ohio with but two exceptions. The Keystone State sought the willows or where the willows should have been at Pittsburg. The Ben Hur tied up at East Liverpool and the Royal never left Clarington. The only departures were the Bedford for Parksburg at 10 a.m. and the Greenland for Pittsburg at 2 p. m. Both were going at a very slow rate of speed so as not to make any great amount of wash that would damage the property in the submerged sections.The

The Clarimond, the local towboat, dropped down to the wharf from the Slacktown water works and last night was moored in front of the Windsor hotel. As for the wharfboat it was sparred out against the railroad wall at the Pan Handle depot and was approached only by boat as sections of submerged track and platforms separated it from the solid ground. This fact in a measure relieved the pressure of visitors, but a megaphone was brought into use and information was disseminated. As for the telephones one man was kept constantly busy answering queries, which ranged from the really sincere to the over anxious inquirer who made his remarks in haste, and with a result that they were something ridiculous.The claims of the wharfboat were first for a stage of 50 to 52 feet and later modified to 50 feet.The Intelligencer, March 15, 1907, p. 6

The claims of the wharfboat were first for a stage of 50 to 52 feet and later modified to 50 feet.

-from The Intelligencer, March 15, 1907, p. 8
 

FLOOD IN WHEELING'S RED LIGHT DISTRICT

Inhabitants Had the Time of Their Life — Docks and Pontoon Bridges Built

The denizens of Wheeling's red light district had the time of their life yesterday as the water gradually accumulated through the Fifth and Sixth ward districts. To facilitate their pleasures pontoon bridges and docks were constructed about the various houses and connecting them, while in skiffs many a boat ride was taken. In fact, it has been many a day since such gay times have been seen the red light district, and it is many a day since other such times will be experienced or permitted. Their boat-riding was confined to the district not frequented by the general public.

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