USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsburgh : a history of the flood of March, 1913 > Part 9
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Piqua, Ohio.
April 2, 1913.
West approach to Bridge 50, looking north; span over Canal, showing damage to other structures near Bridge 50.
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Piqua, Ohio.
April 2, 1913.
Looking east from Bridge 50, showing ruins of contractor's outfit engaged in track elevation work.
SPENCER MILLER CO.
Piqua, Ohio.
April 2, 1913.
South side of west pier of Bridge 50, over Miami River and Canal. Bridge itself intact.
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I
Gettysburg, Ohio, west of.
April 3, 1913.
Bridge No. 58, over Middle Creek, stone arch destroyed. Wrecked cabin car is part of work train started west from Bradford on the morning of March 25 to another break, under which this bridge went down. A foreman and five men were drowned.
Weavers, Ohio, west of.
April 3, 1913.
Bridge No. 64, over Mud Creek, south abutment undermined.
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New Paris, Ohio, west of.
April 3, 1913.
Bridge No. 92, over East Fork, White River, looking north. Double track bridge built as two separate structures, one of which was destroyed; other only damaged.
New Paris, Ohio.
April 3, 1913.
Bridge No. 92, over East Fork, White River, showing one track replaced for slow speed service, the other without support.
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east were taken over the Big Four to Crestline, the Ft. Wayne to Mansfield, the Erie to Akron, and the C. & P. and Ft. Wayne to Pittsburgh. Passenger service was resumed over the Division with these two transfers, and all the marooned passengers gotten on their way again. On April 2d, a track was gotten through Piqua, and a detour line was secured from Mounds to Columbus, over the T. & O. C. and Big Four, putting an end to the transfers, so that business could be resumed over the whole Division.
When the Big Four put a pile trestle in place of their bridge which went down with No. 3, at West Liberty, they drove piling through the trailer and ash pan of the engine, which made it impossible to lift the engine until the piling could be withdrawn. This involved reconstructing part of the trestle, and it was not until August 12th that an attempt was made to recover the engine. This attempt was made by one Pennsyl- vania Lines and one Big Four wrecking derrick, but the bed of the Big Four derrick broke under the load, and a second Pennsylvania Lines derrick went to the scene, and on the following day the engine was recovered and the bridge spans lifted. Notwith- standing its four and a half months immersion, the locomotive was found in shape to repair and put back in service.
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Piqua, Ohio.
April 24, 1913.
Bridge 50, over Miami River and Canal, looking north, showing temporary strengthening; piers for new bridge in connection with track elevation work, behind existing structure.
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New Paris, Ohio, west of.
April 25, 1913.
Bridge No. 92, over East Fork White River (separate structures for two tracks), with girders of north bridge supported on timbers, and part of south bridge replaced with temporary trestle.
West Liberty, Ohio.
August 13, 1913.
Recovery of engine of No. 3 of March 24-25 from Mad River at West Liberty, Ohio (Big Four Railway). Piling for temporary bridge had been driven through trailer and ash pan of engine, and it could not be raised until these piling could be withdrawn.
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CHAPTER 21. CINCINNATI DIVISION.
Dayton, Ohio, where the Cincinnati Division crosses the Miami River, was the greatest sufferer from the flood. Ninety-eight lives are known to have been lost, and a number of persons have not been accounted for since the flood. The total property loss has been officially estimated at from $100,000,000 to $130,000,000. Dayton was therefore the center of public interest and relief effort all through the flood period, although many other towns suffered equally in proportion to their size.
On the line of the Cincinnati Division between Columbus and New Paris, via Xenia, Dayton was the only point where serious damage occurred, but on the Little Miami road from Xenia to Cincinnati, most of the track was under water and much of it was seriously damaged, as the tracks lie low in the valley of the Little Miami River for most of the distance.
On the night of March 24th, No. 301 was stopped at New Paris by washout of Bridge 92 on the Indianapolis Division, and before the train could be started back, washouts behind it at Brinley and West Sonora blocked the road, so that it had to stay at New Paris. No. 13 was at Dayton, and the C. H. & D. were asked to detour it to Hamilton, from which point it was planned to take it to Richmond over the Richmond Division. Before the train could be started the C. H. & D. line was broken; and the Big Four was asked to take it to Cincinnati and Indianapolis over their line, but just as the train was ready to leave this line was broken, and No. 13 was caught at the Dayton Union Station by the rising waters.
At Dayton the Miami River is joined by Mad River and Stillwater River, and the city is built on level ground surrounding the junction of these rivers, only a part of the residential section being on the surrounding higher ground. These rivers have a rapid fall toward the city, and the valley which takes their united waters south, the Great Miami River, is comparatively narrow. All these streams were soon filled to overflowing and the erosion of the levees was very prompt. The city was inundated in an incredibly short time. Forty minutes from the time the water reached Main Street it was six feet deep in the stores, and continued then to rise gradually until it was twelve to fifteen feet deep all over the city. Most of the inhabitants were caught in their places of business or in their homes, and were almost immediately driven from the ground floor rooms. A considerable portion of the residence section west of the river was built up of one-story dwellings, and many of the people caught in them saved their lives only by breaking their way through the ceilings and then the roofs, and thousands were marooned on roofs and in attics for two or three days. The weather was cold and on the morning of the 27th there was considerable snow, and the exposure was awful.
All means of communication were cut off and only rumors could be had as to actual conditions. Fire broke out in many places in the town and destroyed two whole blocks
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Dayton, Ohio.
March 25, 1913.
Second and Main Streets, water not yet at highest. Department store flooded.
Miami City, Ohio.
March 26, 1913.
Bridge over Wolf Creek, No. 221, showing debris lodged against bridge.
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in the heart of the city. While rain prevented the spread of flames in the residence section, and but few dwellings were burned, the report that the city was afire, with the inhabitants cooped in the buildings and without means of fighting for their lives, filled the country with horror.
On the 26th, the water was still too high everywhere to permit of any repair work on the Division, and the time was spent in preparation for work as soon as conditions would permit.
On March 27th, the Weather Forecaster at Cincinnati predicted that the following day would find the water so high in the Ohio River as to force the abandonment of the terminal at Pendleton Shop. Arrangements were therefore made for a tem- porary terminal near the Terrace Park gravel pit, for use of work trains, and during the day the work of repairing tracks at points where the water had receded sufficiently was gotten well under way.
In the meantime, it had been definitely ascertained that all or a portion of the Dayton Union Bridge over the Miami River had been swept away. The bridge being joint property, and all available equipment being needed elsewhere, it was arranged that the Big Four should take charge of trestling the river, and they commenced work on the 30th.
On the 28th, the Ohio River at Cincinnati continued to rise, while the other rivers fell to about usual flood stage.
For the relief of Dayton's need, a force of mechanics was organized at Columbus Shop and sent to Dayton to assist the authorities in whatever might be most needed. They were equipped with provisions for five days, and such tools as it was thought might be useful. Upon their arrival in the evening, they found that under martial law no one could stir from 6:00 P. M. to 6:00 A. M. and they did not get an assignment until the morning of the 29th, when they were asked to assist in restoring water and light facilities. The city pumping and power plants, which had been submerged, were filled with debris and from six inches to a foot of mud covered the floors, machinery, dynamos, etc. The buildings had to be cleaned first with shovels and wheelbarrows, the machinery taken apart, cleaned, and reassembled. By 10:00 A. M. of the 30th, pumps were started in the water works, and as the source of supply was wells, which had not been contaminated, water was soon available wherever the mains had not been broken. By evening of the same day, the 4th Street electric light plant had been restored to service. On the 31st, a gang worked on the Third Street electric plant, until they were released about 3:00 P. M., while another gang assisted in replacing bridges. At evening it was found that they could be of no further practical assistance and returned to Columbus.
About this time, it was learned what had become of the passengers on No. 13, which had been marooned at the Dayton Union Station. The train arrived at Dayton 11:42 P. M., March 24th. The water entered the train shed at about 7:45 the next morning, in such volume that it was seen to be impossible to get the passengers out of the train, and it was accordingly pulled west toward the bridge, where the tracks are several feet higher. A Big Four train also pulled alongside. About 4 P. M. the water came up to the floor of the sleeping cars, and debris lodging under No. 13 prevented moving it. As the water was still rising, the passengers and baggage were transferred to the Big Four train, which was backed to the station and the passengers and fifty- six persons who had been rescued from floating houses, trees, etc., were assisted from the
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top of the train to the roof of the train shed, and so to the second story of the station, where there were two store rooms. Here they remained until the water went down enough on the afternoon of the 26th to permit of getting them down to some coaches in the station which could be warmed. On Thursday the 27th, it was possible to heat No. 13's cars, and the passengers were taken back to the train, but about four o'clock in the afternoon, word was received that a reservoir above the city had broken (which, however, proved untrue), with a warning to take to the hills at "Dayton View," which could only be reached by climbing over the debris for a long distance. Most of the passengers followed this advice, and at Dayton View were fed and housed by the relief committees. The crew and such passengers as were too old to make the trip remained on the train, where the station building was available as a refuge. A part of the passengers returned to the train on Friday the 28th and on Saturday evening were taken to Xenia after the crew cribbed up the track sufficiently to permit moving the train. An attempt was made to get them east to Columbus on Sunday by a detour route, but they got only a few miles and had to be returned to Xenia. On Monday the 31st they were taken back to Columbus, the last three miles being made by carriage.
On March 29th, 30th and 31st, the work of repairing the line in the valley of the Little Miami River continued, one train working from either end. The one from the north, having very little filling material available, was able only to block and crib up the track in shape for work train service, while the work on the south end was completed as the train advanced, material from Terrace Park gravel pit being available. The two gangs met on April 1st and the road was open throughout for work trains, but the track north of the meeting point was soon put in shape, and during the night of April 2d passenger train service was resumed. As the Ohio River at Cincinnati was now at its crest, with water in the station and over the tracks to Indian Hill, service between Middle- town Junction and Cincinnati was performed over the C. L. & N., which had not at any time been put out of commission.
The Ohio reached its maximum height of 69.8 feet on the morning of April 1st, there being then 19 inches of water in the waiting room at the Cincinnati Union Station. As all equipment, baggage, freight, etc., had been moved to high ground and the plat- forms at the various passenger and freight stations anchored, there was comparatively little damage. By the 3d the water had gone down enough to start the work of cleaning out the station and clearing the tracks and right of way of mud and debris, and pas- senger service into the station was resumed on April 5th.
On the night of April 8th trestle for one track was completed over the Miami River at Dayton, by the Big Four forces, and through passenger service was resumed. Work was then started on trestling for a second track across the river, which was completed on April 26th.
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March 31, 1913.
Cincinnati, Ohio. Union Station Yard, from Point Isabella. Train shed in distance at right of center.
Cincinnati, Ohio.
March 31, 1913.
Ludlow and Front Streets, looking west, at Broadway Yard and Fruit Auction House.
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Dayton, Ohio.
April 1, 1913.
Damaged levee on Mad River, showing town level below usual high water level in the stream.
Dayton, Ohio.
April 1, 1913.
Typical view in West Side, showing debris left in and around residences that were not themselves destroyed.
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Dayton, Ohio.
April 1, 1913
View of joint tracks just west of Dayton Union Bridge. Similar conditions existed east of the bridge, also, for a mile.
Dayton, Ohio.
April, 8 1913.
Entrance to Union Station, at east end, showing high-water record on columns. The broken lamp post is typical of destruction of lighting facilities, except that this post has been turned to up-stream side of its stub to clear the driveway.
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Dayton, Ohio.
April 8, 1913.
Dayton Union Bridge, over Miami River, looking east, showing temporary trestle for one track replacing destroyed spans.
Dayton, Ohio.
April 8, 1913.
Dayton Union Bridge, looking west, showing west spans, which had been destroyed, replaced with temporary pile trestle, for one track.
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CHAPTER 22. RICHMOND DIVISION.
Although the Richmond Division was one of the first to feel the effects of the flood, it was not repaired as promptly as its own conditions would have permitted, because it was felt more important to open up first the through lines from east to west, and as the damage between Richmond and Piqua could not be reached from the east, the forces of the Richmond Division were sent there before making repair's on their own Division.
On March 24th high water began to cause trouble, but the slight damage done was repaired within a few hours. About 2:00 A. M. on the 25th, Bridge No. 81, over a ditch west of Campbellstown, was washed out on one side so that the deck girders went down at one end, and the line was broken. Three passenger trains, Nos. 45, 1, and 9, were behind the work train when this point was reached. In the early morning the passengers on these trains were transferred across the damaged bridge and taken to Richmond.
During the day Seven Mile Creek, in the valley of which the Richmond Division lies from Eaton, Ohio, south to Hamilton, rose to an unprecedented height, destroying three bridges and considerable track in that district. Telegraph lines were destroyed at the same time, so that it was impossible to ascertain exact conditions. The Great Miami River at Hamilton likewise came up on the 25th to an unprecedented height, and flooded almost the entire city. Here the damage done was even greater in propor- tion to the size of the town than at Dayton, and the number drowned was almost as great, the total deaths due to the flood being 85. The C. H. & D. bridge over the Miami River, which is used jointly by the Pennsylvania Lines, was the only bridge left standing across the river. Water was seven feet deep in the waiting room, and as it came up without warning, a large amount of freight in the freight house and cars was destroyed.
On the 26th, Bridge 81 was repaired for temporary use, and the carpenters sent south to Bridge 57, a two span truss bridge over Seven Mile Creek, west (or north) of Somerville, the pier and one abutment of which had been undermined and destroyed, the steel superstructure dropping into the creek. Before much progress could be made at this point toward building a run-around track, the men were sent to Bridge 92, on the Indianapolis Division west of New Paris, which they succeeded in opening for traffic on Saturday March 29th. From here they were sent to Bridge 50, at Piqua, from which point they did not return until April 2d.
In the meantime, a gang of bridge carpenters from the Chicago Terminal Division had arrived and started work on the 30th at Bridge 57. They were joined by the Richmond Division gang on April 2d late in the afternoon, and the trestle was completed on April 7th, a day having been lost in returning to Bridge 92, west of New Paris, which was damaged by high water following heavy rains on the 3d.
On the 2d of April, a land pile driver, which had been used in making the first repairs at Bridge 92, was taken to Camden, and from there hauled by wagon to Bridge No. 48, a two span through truss bridge over Seven Mile Creek, the pier of which had been
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Campbellstown, Ohio, west of.
April 4, 1913.
Bridge No. 81, looking south, showing damaged masonry.
Somerville, Ohio, west of.
April 4, 1913.
Bridge No. 57, over Seven Mile Creek, looking southwest, showing abutment and pier destroyed, and temporary run-around trestle being constructed.
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Somerville, Ohio, west of.
April 4, 1913.
Bridge No. 57, over Seven Mile Creek, showing pier undermined and east abutment destroyed.
Somerville, Ohio, east of.
April 4, 1913.
Bridge No. 48, over Seven Mile Creek, looking north, showing pier undermined.
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Somerville, Ohio, east of.
April 4, 1913.
Near view of undermined pier and resulting damage to superstructure of Bridge No. 48, over Seven Mile Creek.
Collinsville, Ohio.
April 4, 1913.
Bridge No. 44, over Seven Mile Creek, looking east, showing pier undermined.
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44
Collinsville, Ohio.
April 4, 1913.
Bridge No. 44, over Seven Mile Creek, looking east, showing deflection of Bridge due to undermining of pier.
Collinsville, Ohio.
April 4, 1913.
Looking west over washout one-half mile east (south) of Collinsville, along Seven Mile Creek.
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undermined, letting the steel work down. When Bridge 57 had been replaced, the pile driver which had been there was taken to Bridge 48, to work from the opposite end, and this trestle was completed at 5:00 A. M. April 10th.
An Indianapolis Divison gang with piling and timbers arrived at Bridge 44, on April 5th. This is a two span through truss bridge over Seven Mile Creek near Collins- ville, Ohio. In this case the pier had been undermined, but settled only about two feet toward the north, where a firm bearing remained, and the superstructure was jacked up and supported on blocking on the pier and pile bents under panel points. When the bridge had been made safe for the passage of a work train, this gang proceeded over it to a bad washout requiring trestling between the bridge and Collinsville, work on which was started on the 7th.
A gang from the Cincinnati Division arriving on the same day completed the work on Bridge 44, and another from the same Division went to the washout just north. Two gangs from the Logansport Division arrived on the 7th also, at Bridge 48, where trestling was completed at 5:00 A. M. April 10th. This pile driver then went to the washout at Collinsville to work from the opposite end, and the gap was closed at 10:00 A. M., Saturday, April 12th, restoring the entire Division to service, the minor washouts . and damage having in the meantime been all repaired.
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Camden, Ohio, east of.
May 14, 1913.
Bridge No. 57 over Seven Mile Creek, looking south, showing temporary trestle replacing bridge.
Somerville, Ohio, east of.
May 14, 1913. .
Bridge No. 48, over Seven Mile Creek, looking east, showing temporary trestle replacing Bridge.
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Collinsville, Ohio, east of.
May 14, 1913.
New fill replacing former embankment, about completed.
Collinsville, Ohio, east of.
May 14, 1913.
Bridge No. 44, over Seven Mile Creek, lifted from undermined pier and supported temporarily on piling and blocking.
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CHAPTER 23. LOGANSPORT DIVISION.
The Logansport Division encountered serious trouble at Logansport and Muncie. At other points there was minor damage, but delays to traffic resulted from the high water at these two points only.
At Logansport, the Division crosses the valley of the Wabash River, all tracks, buildings, shops, etc., being in the immediate river valley. At 3:30 A. M., on March 25th, the water reached the tracks at the passenger station, continuing to rise until about noon on the 27th, when there was seven feet of water in the waiting rooms. The lower floor of the station had to be abandoned at 5:00 A. M. on the 25th, the freight house at 8:00 A. M. and the entire shop plant by 1:00 P. M. The Division offices are located in the second floor of the passenger station, and the Division officers, dispatchers, and others who were able to get into the building in the morning, were marooned there until about noon on the 26th, when boats had been secured from Chicago and brought to the west end of the city for rescue purposes. Division headquarters were then estab- lished in the Vandalia station and office building on the northwest side, which was above water.
One passenger train-Louisville-Chicago No. 9-was marooned at Logansport. Passengers were cared for in the train and fed at restaurants until the water compelled them to seek higher ground. Most of them left on the afternoon of the 26th for Chicago, being taken in busses to the west end of town, trains from Chicago being able to get into the town on the old line as far as Bates Street.
A city bridge and a trolley bridge over the Wabash River, one block west of the passenger station, went out on the 26th, about 2:00 A. M., breaking down all wires. The water flooded the Western Union Offices, and cut off the battery supply for such wires toward the east as were not broken, so that they were useless, and communication was entirely shut off. Rumors went broadcast of great loss of life, but they were later found to be without foundation. (See account of provision of rescue boats under Chapter on Vandalia Railroad.)
The water reached its highest about noon on the 27th, and shortly after began to recede rapidly, so that by 9:00 A. M. of the 28th the railway property in Logans- port and vicinity was practically free of water. The main damage was found to have been to the machinery and tools in the shops, which were covered with mud; to the ice house and its contents, which were washed away; and to freight in the house and cars, much of which was washed away or ruined.
On the 29th, the tracks had been put in shape for use and passenger service through Logansport was resumed.
At Muncie, one pier and one abutment of the bridge over the White River were undermined, and two of the three spans, and the loaded cars which had been placed on them, went into the river. Passengers were taken to and from the station in car- riages, and passenger service was not stopped by the loss of the bridge. A frame trestle replaced it, completed on April 10th.
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Logansport, Ind.
March 27, 1913.
Enginehouse and tracks in shop yard near old Wabash River Bridge. Water had fallen a foot or two.
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Logansport, Ind.
March 28, 1913.
Passenger Station after water had receded about 10 feet. Water had been three inches above the lower belt of light colored brick. The Third Street city bridge and a trolly line bridge spanned the river just beyond the shed left on the tracks.
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Muncie, Ind.
March 27, 1913.
Pennsylvania Lines Bridge over White River, in foreground. Chesapeake & Ohio Bridge to the right.
Muncie, Ind.
March 27, 1913.
Pennsylvania Lines Station, and view of tracks to north toward bridge over White River, which was washed away.
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CHAPTER 24. LOUISVILLE DIVISION.
The main line of the Louisville Division parallels the East Fork of the White River and its tributary Driftwood River (or Sugar Creek) from Edinburg south to Rockford, twenty six miles. Into this river flow numerous creeks, several of which are crossed by the Louisville Division or its branches.
On the night of March 24th, heavy wind took down the telegraph wires at a number of points on the Division, and the heavy rains of that night and the following day quickly brought these streams to an unprecedented flood stage. Water was over the tracks during the day (25th), so as to stop traffic at nine places on the main line, four places on the Cambridge City Branch, and three places on the Madison Branch. Work trains attempted to make repairs at such points as they could reach, but on account of the rising water were unable to make much headway.
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