USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 64
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472
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
The following is the roster of Portsmouth Postmasters with dates of their appointments:
July 1, 1808-John Brown, Sr.
March 7, 1812-Thomas Waller.
August 12, 1823-John R. Turner.
June 23, 1829-James Lodwick. February 9, 1842-William Kendall.
September 23, 1845-William P. Camden.
June 5, 1857-Margaret P. Camden.
April 17, 1861-Max J. Becker.
January 14, 1863-John Row.
November 13, 1866-William R. Smith.
March 1, 1867-Oliver Wood.
December 10, 1873-Lavinia Adair.
March 6, 1878-Frank C. Gibbs.
March 15, 1882-Louis C. Damarin.
May 5, 1886-William K. Thompson.
February 2, 1898-Philo S. Clark.
February 28, 1894-John Jones.
February 2, 1898-Philo S. Clark.
March 14, 1902-Philo S. Clark.
The Floods.
Every valley is bound to be flooded at sometime and the Ohio valley is no exception.
1772.
There was a great flood in the Ohio in this year, in February. No ac- count of it has been preserved except at Wheeling. From the height at Wheeling it equaled the 1884 flood at Portsmouth.
1797.
In April of this year there was a great flood in the Ohio. It came sud- denly from very heavy rains.
1805.
There was a flood in this year which covered Alexandria, an account of which was preserved by David Gharky.
1807.
In March of this year, Alexandria experienced another flood which set- tled its fate.
1808. On Christmas, 1808, the stables and outbuildings in Alexandria suffered. 1809.
In January of this year, Alexandria was flooded and the "hegira" to Portsmouth began.
1823.
In the Fall, the water was quite high in Portsmouth, but the depth has not been preserved.
1832.
In this year there was not over 1,100 people in the village of Ports- mouth and it had only been incorporated for 16 years. There was 3 inches of rainfall in January, 1832, and 4 inches in February. The mean annual tem- perature of January was 31.8 and of February 41.7. It was the "January thaw" which brought on the flood of 1832. The highest stage of water was reached February 17, 1832, 61 feet 8 inches. It was 211/2 inches deep on the first floor of McCoy's Tavern. The accounts of this flood are very meagre.
1847.
This is the only December flood on record. The water reached its height on December 18, 1847, 61 feet 11/2 inches. At this time Portsmouth had a population of about 4,000. The water on the floor of McCoy's Tavern at its height was 1412 inches deep. The rainfall in November, 1847, was 6.38 inches. In December, 1847, it was 5.44 inches. Mr. S. R. Ross had been mov- ed into his new residence just south of All Saints Church on Court street but two weeks when the water invaded his home, and was about three feet deep.
473
FLOODS.
1875.
On August 5, 1875, the river reached 55 feet 6 inches. This is the only summer flood which has occurred in the history of Portsmouth. All the growing corn on the Scioto low bottoms was destroyed. Beyond the destruc- tion of crops, but little damage was done. The rainfall in June, 1875, was 5.81 inches. In July, 1875, it was 8.76 inches, the highest for any month of July from 1830 to 1887. July, 1837, was 8.20 inches and July, 1849, 8.75 inches. Had the same height of water occurred in March or April it would not have been regarded as a flood.
1883.
This flood was caused by a general precipitation over the Ohio valley when its surface was entirely ice bound. The precipitation in January was 3.54 inches. In February it was 8.03 inches, the greatest rainfall in that month in the 57 years from 1830 to 1887. All this rain fell between February 6 and 12. The height was reached on February 12, when the water was 60 feet and 6 inches deep. On February 7, 1883, the Ohio was rising a foot an hour. This was on Wednesday. On Thursday it rose, first 9 inches, and then 6 inches per hour. On Friday it rose an inch an hour. On February 8, at 10 a. m. the water works shut down. 200 families were driven out of their homes and the school houses and engine houses opened. All factories suspended operations. On Saturday, February 10, the waters were receding. It began to rain Satur- day noon and at midnight Saturday night, the river began to rise and it raised until Tuesday morning, when it came to a stand. From Saturday until Wed- nesday the city had no mails. $1,304.80 was raised for relief. Chillicothe of- fered $500 for the relief of flood sufferers, but it was declined.
1884.
This was the greatest flood in the Ohio Valley since it had been settled by white men. There had been five snows one after another in January and they went off with seven rains one after another. The precipitation in January, 1884, was 5.34 inches and in February it was 6.11 inches. Wednesday, Feb- ruary 6, 1884, the river began to show signs of getting out of its banks. Alarming dispatches were received from up the river. At noon the river pass- ed the forty foot mark. By evening it was over Slabtown. Skiffs, John- boats and gum boots appeared everywhere.
Thursday, February 7, 1884. The river rose three inches per hour .. At 4 o'clock Thursday evening, it began to rise five inches per hour. In the evening it covered Front street and was in the gutters on Third street. The second rise was due to the Scioto which was the highest ever known.
Friday, February 8, 1884, the water was over Third street and ferries were established. The gas was turned off. At 9 P. M. sixty feet was reached. Thursday forenoon at 10:30 A. M. the water works shut down. 52 feet 6 inches shut the water works down.
Sunday, February 10, 1884. A rain set in. The water was rising at 34 of an inch an hour and Monday morning, February 11th, it was still rising. Monday morning the water was on Second street up to Washington and down to Gay. Horses, cows and mules were made to swim to Sixth street. Sixth street was ont of water from Court to Gay. On Monday morning, it was the only part of the city out of water except a part of the ridge about George Davis' and W. A. Hutchins' residences, now the High School and Irving Drew's residence. Sixth street from Court to Gay had water in the gutters and the center of it was a sea of mud. The intersections of Court, Washington, Chil- licothe and Gay streets were crowded with boats. Sunday morning the great cry was for nails and candle wick to make boats. The Steam Fire Engine was on a flat moored at Washington and Sixth streets. Tuesday, February 12, 1884, the flood reached its height. In the morning it was 66 feet, 4 feet and 2 inches higher than 1832, 4 feet 8 inches more than 1847, and 5 feet 4 inches more than 1883. On Monday evening, Sixth street was the only part of the city out of water. The Court House yard was filled with wagons, horses. cattle, men and women. On February 8th, John J. McFarlin, Mayor, telegraph- ed to the Mayor of New York asking relief, also to Chillicothe. The school houses, engine houses and Court House were thrown open and were filled by families driven from their homes. Box cars on the railroad tracks were also used for places of shelter. Chillicothe appropriated $500 for Portsmouth. On the evening of February 6th, the mail train on the C. W. & B. came in on
--
474
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
time, but went back to Sciotoville. The Scioto Valley trains were abandoned Monday owing to the bridge over Paint Creek being down, and the Scioto bridge at Chillicothe being injured. Wednesday morning all trains on the C. & E. were abandoned on account of high water between Batavia Junction and Newtown.
Tuesday, February 12, 1884, the weather turned bitterly cold and the water came to a stand.
On February 18, 1884, there was a citizens' meeting at the Court House. Hon. J. J. Harper presided and N. W. Evans was Secretary. Losses were re- ported amounting to $527,384, but the "Tribune" said this was not half. Clothing and money were sent from all parts of the country. Chillicothe sent a car load of provisions. A list of contributions of money is as follows:
Masonic Lodge, Jackson
$ 25 00
Knights Templar, Mt. Vernon .. 75 00
City Council, Portsmouth 600 00
John H. Kempel, Richmond, Va. 10 00
Cavalry Commandery, Portsmouth 50 00
Will Higgins, Cincinnati
5 00
Marcus Boggs, Chillicotlie ..
50 00
School children, Prospect, Ohio
27 52
Relief Committee, Philadelphia
500 00
Haverhill, Massachusetts. 1,000 00
City of Chillicothe.
500 00
Drexel, Philadelphia
500 00
West Liberty, Ohio ....
100 00
Relief Fund, Albany, N. Y
250 00
Union Shoe Company, Chillicothe. 68 50
Harvard Nat'l Bank, Boston, Mass
1,000 00
H. C. Maddox, New York
300 00
City Clerk, Washington, C. H.
150 00
N. N. Lehunan, Mansfield
100 00
Citizens of =
150 00
Bridgeport, Connecticut.
500 00
Hartford, Connecticut ..
500 00
N. S. Cutler, Greenfield, Mass
75 25
Masonic Lodge, Newark, Ohio
100 00
Baltimore, Maryland ..
300 00
John W. Port, Chicokee, Mass
10 00
Northern Bank, Chicago
500 00
Senator Sherman
100 00
$10,479 99
The above report was till 10 A. M. Monday, the 18th of February and more came in after. The issue of the Tribune of February 20th had a list of losses and the names of each person, making up the total of $527,384. It oc- cupied over four columns. On February 27, 1884, the relief fund amounted to $15,876.67. Detroit, Mich., sent $250, Akron $200, Trenton, New Jersey $325. Lynn, Mass., $500, Utica, New York, $735, Grand Rapids, Mich., $500, Albany, New York, $250. September 24, 1884, the Relief Committee published their report in the Tribune. They expended $19.979.12. Dr. T. F. Davidson, John N. Lodwick, John M. Lynn, and M. Stanton were the committee.
Rise of the Flood.
Wednesday, February 6,
9:30 P. M. 50 feet 6 inches.
Thursday, February 7,
9:05 P. M. 56 feet 41/2 inchies.
Friday, February 8,
5:30 P. M. 59 feet 912 inches.
Saturday, February 9.
3:40 P. M. 61 feet 10 inches.
Sunday, February 10,
10:50 A. M.
62 feet 111/2 inches.
Monday, February 11,
1:10 P. M. 63 feet 91/2 inches.
Monday, February 11,
Midnight. 65 feet 8 inches.
Tuesday, February 12,
10:00 A. M. 66 feet 8 inches.
This was the summit.
The old stone house at Alexandria crumbled
away as the flood receded.
FIRES IN CITY AND COUNTY.
1833,-A fire consumed the houses where the Biggs House stands and then down to M. B. Gilbert's old stand.
September 2, 1860,-Gaylord Mill was partly burned. The frame work of the manufacturing portion was burned. Loss $12,000.
July 5, 1864,-Lower Rolling Mill burned. Loss $30,000 to $40,000. December 9, 1866,-On Sunday morning the M. & C. R. R., (now the B. & O. R. R.) passenger and freight depots on Fourth and Market streets burned. It was a total loss. W. P. Cutler was Vice President and Superin- tendent.
March 16, 1867,-Bigelow Church burned down.
October 21, 1868,-Bryson & Son's Steam Flour Mill burned down, on Fourth street. September 24, 1869 .- George Davis' bonded warehouse burned. Loss $35,000. Whiskey $25,000 and building $10,000, No insurance.
School children, Wilmington, Ohio ..
41 22
Boston, Massachusetts
1,000 00
Hon. Robert Lincoln, Sec'y of War
2,000 00
Citizens of Columbus
17 50
Washington Furnace citizens 25 00
475
FIRES.
March 6, 1871,-The Biggs House, Massie Block and other buildings burn- ed. Total loss on all buildings $200,000. Insurance $39,600. Lynn's Livery and Timmond's bakery were included. Pat Kendrick, proprietor of the Tay- lor House, loss $10,000.
Taylor House, loss $30,000. No insurance.
Massie Block, loss $25,000. $5,000 insurance.
Oliver Oakes, loss $3,000. No insurance.
Oliver Oakes, loss $300. No insurance.
M. & S. Timmonds, loss $12,000. $6,000 insurance.
E. Ward, loss $2,000. $1,500 insurance.
H. Vincent, loss $3,000. No insurance.
T. M. Lynn, loss $1,000. No insurance.
Mrs. Quillen, loss $500. No insurance.
The above was in buildings. The losses of chattel property were:
M. & S. Timmonds, $10,000. Insurance $3,500.
J. W. Newman, Times, loss, $6,000. Insurance, $2,000.
Valley Book Store, loss, unknown. Insurance, $9,500.
John Yoakley, loss, light. Insurance, $2,000.
J. N. Murray, loss, $350. Fully insured.
Flanders & Morgan, loss, $1,200. No insurance.
H. Eberhardt & Co., loss, $15,000. No insurance.
E. Ward, loss, $4,000. No insurance.
Thos. Dugan & Co., loss, $600.
N. Reinhart, loss, $3,500. Insurance, $2,500.
Jos. Behlman, loss, $200. No insurance.
Pat Prendergast, loss, $10,000. Insurance, $2,400.
Eisman & Bro., loss, $4,000. Insurance, $1,500.
D. Strohm, loss, $200. No insurance.
Martin Fitzgerald, loss, $1,500. No insurance.
Robert Munn, loss $2,000. Insurance, $1,500.
E. H. Clark, Jeweler, loss, $2,000.
June 9, 1871,-Leete's Planing Mill on Fifth street burned up. Loss, $4,000. Sheridan House damaged.
January 23, 1874,-The Watch House burned. William Dunn fell thirty feet from the roof of his father's house next door and struck on his breast and face. He was paralyzed from his breast down. He died February 7, 1900.
October 28, 1874,-Residence of Mrs. W. H. McDonald on the Haverhill turnpike destroyed by fire.
March 21, 1878,-The Miller residence in Valley township burned. The house was built in 1847, by C. C. Hyatt and contained many relics brought by the father of A. F. Miller from Virginia in 1800.
April 26, 1880,-House of James C. Cadot burned in Vernon Township. It was built in 1832, by Lemuel Cadot. It burned at noon. Loss, $3,000.
June 1, 1880,-Carmack & Salzer stave factory near the Scioto Valley station burned up. Loss not given.
January 2, 1881,-On Sunday at noon, the residence of S. S. Jones at Ga- lena was totally destroyed by fire. Loss, probably $1,500.
June 17, 1881,-The old Thompson saw mill owned by Carter, French & Company was destroyed by fire. Loss, about $7,000 and insurance for $3.000.
July 20, 1882,-The main building on the Infirmary Farm burned. It broke out on the roof about 2 P. M. and was soon beyond control. A halt witted pauper had filled a flue with paper and set it on fire. Loss, from $5,000 to $7,000. No insurance.
June 22, 1883,-George J. Schirrmann's livery stable and carriage factory were burned at noon. Sparks from Herder's blacksmith shop supposed to be the origin. Loss not stated.
September 29, 1883,-The Buckeye Mills located on Fifth street between Chillicothe and Washington, burned up. They were the property of Yeager & Anderson. Loss, $8,500 and insurance, $7,000. Miss Nellie Finley (Mrs. Charles E. Molster) had her home damaged $1,000. Insurance, $500. German Evangeli- cal Church partial loss, $3,000.
December 23, 1883,-David L. William's Hat store burned. Loss, $3,000. Insurance, $2,000. Judge Pollitt's law office, above the hat store. Loss, $250.
476
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
Charles H. McFarland lost $300 in law books. No insurance. Evans & Daw- son, loss, $600. Insurance, $500. T. M. Patterson's bindery and box factory par- tially destroyed. Loss, $3,500. Insured fully. D. McFarland, owner of the buildings, lost $2,500. Insurance, $1,500. Adams Express Company, no loss.
February 10, 1884,-Spry's drug store and Green's feed store found to be on fire at 5 A. M. This was during the flood of 1884, and the gas and water were turned off. The fire engine was put on a flat boat and taken there. The water was three feet deep on Second street. Dan Spry's loss was $6,000. W. H. Elliott, dry goods store, loss, $6,000. Judge Harper's law office, Har- per & Tremper's insurance office and the telephone exchange were burned.
March 30, 1884,-Dr. T. G. Vaughter's residence was burned to the ground. The loss was $1,500.
September 1, 1884,-E. J. Salt & Company, woolen mill, burned down, fire caused by spontaneous combustion. Loss, $6,500.
December 25, 1884,-Walker Marsh's store at Eifort burned. Jacob S. Cole was sleeping in the store, and he was so badly burned that he died De- cember 27th following.
April 30, 1885,-Johnson Hub and Spoke Factory caught from a spark in the blacksmith shop flying into the drying room and burned. Loss, $25,500. Insurance, $17,000.
August 28, 1886,-Thomas L. Bell's saw inill, which stood below the Mussetter Mill on the river bank, burned up. Loss, $25,000 and insurance, $16,000.
January 12, 1887,-The Huston corner burned. Loss, $6,000. A. Lor- berg, loss, $3,500. Insurance, $2,000. J. A. Banning, saloon, loss, $900. Mrs. McCloud, restaurant, loss, $400. John D. Wilhelm, loss, $400.
November 1, 1887,-The Stave Factory at Rarden, owned by the Twelve Pole Lumber Company, burned. Loss not stated.
December 6, 1887,-The Buckeye Mills, on Fourth street below Market, burned. In the falling of a wall William Simpson a fireman, was instantly killed. M. H. Anderson, one of the proprietors, was so injured that he died in a few hours.
April 21, 1889,-Captain W. W. Reilly's book store in the Massie Block was burned out. Insurance, $6,500.
June 20, 1889,-Wait's Factory was burned. Loss, $10,000. Insurance, $7,500.
March 24, 1890,-There was a fire in the alley of the center block on the south side of Second street between Court and Market. Fuller Bros. lost $3,800. Micklethwait Bros., lost $1,250 on building. Huston estate, lost $5,100 on two buildings. C. Gerlach, building, $1,600. Cadot & Lowry, $6,500, on stock. John Jones, Plummer, $1,600, on stock.
November 2, 1891,-The Fourth Street School House burned. Loss, $15,000.
November 3, 1891,-The Damarin Building occupied by the Ohio Military Academy burned. Loss, $10,000.
August 20, 1892, -- A fire in the Damarin Building on the northwest corner of Second and Court streets, destroyed the millinery stock of Miss B. Robinson. Also the stock of B. Guiterman was injured by smoke and water. Loss to the building, $2,000.
August 23, 1892,-The C. P. & V. R. R. shops burned. Loss, $5,000.
September 7, 1892,-7,000,000 feet of lumber were burned at the Little Kanawaha Lumber Company's plant at New Boston. Also the planing mill and dry house. Eight loaded cars of lumber were burned. The mill was saved. Loss, $100,000.
January 15, 1893,-The interior of the All Saint's Church was burned out. The organ was destroyed. The fire occurred after the morning services. Loss, $7,000. Insurance, $6,300.
January 29, 1893,-The Portsmouth Wheel Works burned up. Also three dwellings across Eleventh street, belonging to Henry Teeters, Dan Biggs and George Youngman. Insurance on the Wheel Works, $70,000. I oss, total.
May 27, 1893,-The old ice house at the brewery burned. Loss, $2,000. July 21, 1893,-The Rarden Stave Factory burned. Taylor and Marr were the proprietors. Loss, $8,000.
477
FIRES.
September 30, 1894,-I. N. Johnson had a barn burned, with 40 tons of hay, 200 bushels of wheat, 2 tons of feed, 2 buggies, 2 wagons, harness and other property. Loss, $2,500; and insurance, $800.
February 13, 1895,-Sciotoville had a fire. The post office, Mehaffey's drug store and H. E. Walden's feed store were burned out. Also the residence of Mrs. Westwood. Loss not stated.
June 9, 1895,-The Second Presbyterian Church was partially burned. Loss, $7,667, or more.
November 2, 1895,-The Scioto Star Paving Plant went up in fire and smoke. Loss, $10,000 to $16,000.
December 4, 1895,-The Nichol's furniture store had a fire causing a loss of $2,000. Fully insured. Brodbeck Bros. had a fire. Loss, $200.
October 6, 1896,-The Scioto Star Paving Brick Plant near Sciotoville, was partially destroyed by fire. Loss, $2,000 to $2,500.
December 21, 1896,-Buddy Wertz's Elk Hotel burned out. Loss to Wertz, $6,000. Insurance, $4,000. Loss on the building not estimated, but fully insured.
April 1, 1897,-The old McDermott homestead, near Buena Vista. was burned to the ground. It was the property of Lafayette Jones. Loss, $2,000. No insurance.
July 29, 1897,-A. W. Thompson's saw mill at Sciotoville burned. Loss, $6,000. Insurance, $3,000.
April 14, 1898,-Andrew Hyland's store at Franklin Furnace burned up. Both building and goods. The building had been erected when the Furnace was started. Loss not stated.
May 2, 1898,-Fire in the First Ward burned J. T. Miller's residence.
Loss, $2,000. Will Sparks' house and Curley Rhodes' house. Also Peter Schmidt's and Martin Glean's. James Beles and many others were injured. Total loss in those wholly and partially destroyed was estimated at $2,500. The locality was in the square northwest of Second and Jefferson Streets.
June 7, 1898,-The Burgess Steel & Iron Works were burned up. Loss on building, furnace and machinery, $250,000. On contracts unfilled, the same sum. Loss to building adjusted, $107,787.58. Insurance, $125,000. 500 men thrown out of employment. Pay roll, $4.000 per week.
June 15, 1898,-Wise's clothing store was burned out.
August 13, 1898,-Heinish's third floor burned out.
November 17, 1898,-Dice's Stables, Farmer's Hotel, George Rogers' resi- dence and the Imperial Mills were burned. The fire originated in the stable of the Farmer's Hotel.
Adam Frick Imperial Mills, loss, $8,000. Insurance, $7,500.
Stahler Bros., loss on building, $100, on stock, $500.
Dice's Stable, loss, $2,500. Insurance, $2,000.
George Rogers, loss, $1,500. Insurance, 1,600.
Farmer's Hotel, loss, $4,000. Insurance, $3,500.
Goods, loss, $500; and insurance $1,000.
John Dice, livery, loss, $2,000.
June 23, 1899,-Cuppett & Webb's mill destroyed by fire. Loss, $10,000 to $12,000.
October 29, 1899,-At New Boston, Conley's saloon, the Heel Factory, Rev. Porter's residence and the Standard Shoe Building all burned.
Pat Conley, loss, $6,000. Insurance, $3,000.
Heel Co. building, loss, $3,000. Insurance, $2.000.
Heel Co., loss, $8,000 to $10,000. Insurance, $5,000 to $6.000.
Standard Shoe Co. in the same building, loss, $6,000. Insurance, $1,000. Standard Shoe Co. building. loss, $2,000. Insurance, $2,000.
November 1, 1899,-J. H. Farmer's feed store in the east end burned. Loss, $2.500. Insurance, $1,000. W. D. Horr's feed store also was injured. Loss, $700. Fully insured.
January 31, 1900 .- John Jones' hat store at W. Second street, was de- stroyed by fire. Loss to Jones, $2,500. Insurance, $2,000. Loss to the building slight.
May 13, 1900,-Mrs. Boluss' millinery store burned. Loss, $3,000. Loss to building, owned by Judge Ball, $500.
5
478
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
November 1, 1900,-There was a great fire at Wheelersburg. The Hotel kept by J. F. Stewart caught fire from a defective flue and was consumed. Loss, $1,500. Insurance, $1,200. Mrs. Marion Sikes' residence burned. Loss, $800. No insurance. The Adventist Church burned. Loss $1,000. In-
surance, $600. L. L. Hacquard's business house burned. Loss, $1,000. Insurance, $600. His stock of goods was partly lost, value, $1,500. Insurance, $1,000. The fire started at 2 p. m. and was not under control until 4 p. m. The Grand Army Hall was destroyed to prevent further conflagration. Loss, $300.
Total loss in Portsmouth and Scioto County, $1,308,129.56. Total insur- ance, $339,500.
THE WEATHER. Table of Lowest Temperatures Since 1830.
DATE.
DEGREES.
DATE.
DEGREES.
1830, December 22d.
2º below
1873, January 30th
3º below
1832, January 26th
60 below
1874, January 10th
70 above
January 27th
3 below
1875, January 9th.
9% below
1835, Fehruary 7th
5' below
1876, December 8th
above
February 8th
6
below
1877, December 9th
2 below
February 9th
5°
helow
1878, January 8th
1º below
1836, February 2d
zero.
1879, January 9th
12º
below
February 3d
zero.
1880, February 5th
80
above
February 5th
zero.
1881, January 5th
5º below
1858, February 21st
4º helow
1884, January 5th.
11° below
February 22d
2"
below
January 6th.
14° below
December 30th
2 below
January 7th.
2 below
Decemher 31st
4
below
January 25th
13-
below
1840, January 2d.
below
December 19th
2º
below
January 19th February 2d
zero.
1885, January 22d.
30
below
1841, January 18th
1º
below
February 11th
2
below below
1852, January 19th
2°
below
February 20th ..
4º
below
1857, January 12th
10
below
February 22d
30
below
January 19th
10'
below
February 23d
20
below
January 23rd
16°
below
January 12th
10° below
1859, December 8thı
4 above
February 5th
70
below
1860, January 2d.
4
below
1893, January 10th
zero.
1860, November 10th
10° above
January 11th
11°
below
1861, February 15th
150 above
January 14th
1º
below
1862, January 18th
above
January 15th
70 below
1863, January 2d.
20 below
January 16th
90 below
1864, February 19th
4º above
1894, January 25th
1º above
1865, January 25th
9º above
1895, February 8th
1
above
1867, January 30th
4 above
1897, January 21st
GO below
1868, December 12th
4º above
1898, February 3d
zero.
1869, February 21st
4" above
1899, January 2d.
1º above
1870, December 26th
1º
below
1900, February 25th
2 below
1871, December 21st
7º
below
1901, December 16th and 21st
2º below
1872, December 24th
3º
below
1902, February 4th
3º above
16°
below
February 21st.
below
January 22d
60
below
1886, January 10th
80
below
1858, March 7th
zero.
1866, February 15th.
20 below
1896, February 21st
/2
6º
below
January 20th
2 below
December 26tlı ..
4º
below
January 11th
Doctor G. S. B. Hempstead's report from 1830 to 1858, aud Doctor D. B. Cotton's report from that time to the present.
In the winter of 1855 and 1856 the river remained frozen over forty-seven days. In December the thermometer fell to 2 or 3 deg. below zero. On Decem- ber 24, 1855, the river closed and from that time for forty-seven days, it was as if there were no river. There was a regular roadway for sleighs and teams across the ice and skating was excellent. For weeks befor the ice broke, the weather was warm and springlike. Many attempts were made to start the ice. Blasting was used but to no effect. The Bostona was frozen in at the foot of Jefferson street. She got up steam and undertook to start the ice but only cracked it. The river was open below the Scioto, and the Bostona cut a channel and backed to Indian Run. The ice was frozen to the bottom of her keel. She came back before the break up which was on the 9th of February 1856. The remarkable feature of that winter was the ice remaining during the mild weather.
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