January 1907
Still Raining.
Louisville, Ky., Jan. 19. – The flood situation at Louisville and throughout
all eastern Kentucky grows more threatening with each hour. There has been no
cessation of the general rains, and even if there should be no further rainfall
the Ohio and its tributaries will continue to rise for two days. Five hundred
families in Louisville are homeless.
The Newark Advocate, Newark, OH 19 Jan 1907
Thousands Homeless.
Louisville, Ky., Jan. 21. – With the Ohio river maintaining a steady rise of
an inch an hour, Kentucky streams contributing their volumes from the mountain
regions, a high wind blowing up stream all day, damaging shipping and preventing
the rapid passing of the current, Louisville faces a flood situation which
promises to equal, before the crest is passed, the stage of 1884, the greatest
flood ever known to the city. Thousands of people are homeless and are housed in
school buildings, warehouses and other structures. Factories in this city,
Jeffersonville and New Albany are closed, throwing hundreds of people out of
work; stocks of merchandise in the business houses along the river front are
ruined, much lumber has been washed away and many small houses with their
contents toppled over into the water. A conservative estimate of the damage
done, with the crest of the flood yet two days off, is a quarter of a million
dollars.
The Newark Advocate, Newark, OH 21 Jan 1907
Situation at Louisville.
Louisville, Ky., Jan. 22. – The worst seems to be over in the flood
situation in Louisville and vicinity. Unless there should be a sudden resumption
of general rains in the upper Ohio valley the river, according to the
calculations of Weather Forecaster WALZ,
will come to a stand today and then slowly decline. While the waters spread
farther out over low portions of the city, there were no casualties. The damage
to property, already heavy, was further augmented. Only one railroad has as yet
annulled all its trains, the others keeping up a weak and laggard service.
The Newark Advocate, Newark, OH 22 Jan 1907
Articles transcribed by Rosemarie
Thank you, Rosemarie!
WATER REACHES CHIMNEYS
LOUISVILLE, KY., SWEPT BY RAGING WATER OF THE RIVER
Louisville, Ky., Jan. 20.--With the Ohio relentlessly pouring its flood
southward and maintaining a steady rise of an inch an hour. Kentucky streams
contributing their volumes from the mountain regions, a high wind blowing up
stream all day damaging shipping and preventing the rapid passing of the
current. Louisville tonight faces a flood situation which promises to equal
before the crest is passed the stage of
1894, the greatest flood ever known to this city. Thousands of people are
homeless and are housed in school buildings, warehouses and other structures.
Factories in this city, Jeffersonville and New Albany are closed, throwing
hundreds of people out of work; stocks of merchandise in the business houses
along the river front are ruined, much lumber has been washed away and many
small houses with their contents
toppled over into the water. A conservative estimate of the damage done, with
the crest of the flood yet two days away, is $250,000. Street car service in
several parts of the city is seriously interfered with, while trains on nearly
all the railroads are arriving anywhere from three to ten hours late.
Late this afternoon the backwater from Bear Grass
creek forced its way out of its banks at Broadway and was soon spreading over
the Louisville & Nashville's Cincinnati tracks. This district is within a five
blocks of a fashionable residence section and it is many years since that part
of the city was overflowed.
The water is within two feet of the Seventh street
station, which is the terminal of the Illinois Central, Southern, Baltimore &
Ohio Southwestern, Big Four and Chesapeake & Ohio railroads.
The tracks of the Illinois Central, the Baltimore &
Ohio Southwestern and Southern railway are still two feet underwater
All night at the 'cut-off' where the greatest
danger was supposed to center, men were on duty to watch for a break. The levee
withstood the pressure, but about daylight the rapidly encroaching flood drove
the watchers from their position and the water began to pour over the embankment
into the valley of homes known as "The Point." Between 1,300 and 1,400 houses
occupy that portion of Louisville. For the most part they are the abodes of
river men inured to all sorts of hardships.
All day long the water poured over the embankment a
foot deep and quickly seeking its level, transformed a large territory of the
poorer residence section into a vast inland sea. Melwood avenue, from Sixteenth
street to the Country club is under
water, which is in some places entering into second stories.
During the afternoon a force of policemen was sent
to a point within three blocks of the flood area, where they stopped all
sightseers, fearing a loss of life should the embankment at the cut-off give
way.
The scene in the Shippingport, in the western end
of the city, is one of desolation. Here the water covers the houses, not only to
the first and second floors, but in some instances the chimneys are the sole
visible evidence of a house. Thousands of people abandoned their homes in this
section two days ago and the majority were unable to take any of their effects
with them, as it was impossible to secure enough boats and men to effect the
removal. Last night's wind toppled over several houses and the waters today,
carried them with their contents down stream.
This cold weather is causing much suffering among
the people. The city officials have the situation well in hand and are feeding
all the sufferers who are unable to provide for themselves.
Last night's storm did much damage to telegraph and
telephone wires, and gangs of men were busy today repairing the damage in all
sections of the city. Wires are down in many directions and little or no news of
conditions above and below the city was received.
Morning World-Herald, Omaha, NE 21 Jan 1907
Transcribed by
Connie. Thanks Connie!
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