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The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 417 Today's Topics: #1 HAMILTON COUNTY PART 27 [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] #2 OBIT: HERMAN, Conrad, 1952, Sandus [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] #3 OBIT: HERMAN, Mary, 1932, Sandusky [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 11:25:01, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: HAMILTON COUNTY PART 27 HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898 HAMILTON COUNTY - part 27 The greatest floods in the Ohio river were on February 18, 1832; December 17, 1847; February 15, 1833; February 14, 1884 and March 26, 1890. In 183 the highest stage reached was 64 feet 3 inches; 1847, 63 feet 7 inches; 1883, 66 feet 4 inches; 1884, 71 feet and 3/4 inches, and in 1890, 59 feet 2 inches. These heights are measured from low-water mark, which is 2 feet and 6 inches above the bed of the channel. The flood of 1884 exceeded all the others, and at the present writing stands on record as having attained the highest stage. Beginning on the 14th day of December, 1883, it continued rising until noon of February 14th, a space of two months, during which time there was much suffering among the people, loss of life and property. The meteorological causes began at the date mentioned, when the winter's first snow fell throughout the Ohio valley -a fall of a fraction less than an inch, with the stage of water in the Ohio at 10 feet 7 inches at Cincinnati, a minimum to which it did not again decline for a period of over six months. During the month of December the total fall of snow, sleet and rain, reduced to rainfall, was 5.61 inches, while the highest stage of the river during the month was 49 1/2 feet on the 28th, after which it began to decline. The first two weeks in January were cold, with frequent light snows, with a heavy two days' fall on the 14th and 15th. Cold weather then set in and the river alternately rose and fell, varying from 15 feet 9 inches on the 29th to 31 feet 3 inches on the 31st, when the great food of 1884 properly began. At Cincinnati at this time, the solidified snow previously fallen was from 18inches to 4 feet deep, which was packed upon the hills, mountains and valleys of the Ohio river and its tributaries and the smaller streams tributary to the latter. A depth of 10 inches of snow fell in January, and the rainfall of the month was 1.23 inches. From the 30th of January to the 13th of February a general thaw progressed with rain day after day, all combining to affect the river accordingly. The Ohio river continued rising steadily and rapidly, and at Cincinnati on February 2d had reached a stage of 49 feet 11 1/2 inches, having entered the buildings at the foot of Broadway, Main and Walnut streets. The same afternoon there was a heavy fall of rain that carried much of the solidified snow into the river and local tributaries and a rise again set in that did not cease until noon of the 14th, when it culminated in the highest stage of water at the mouth of the Licking river that had ever been seen at that point by an enlightened people. The total amount of rainfall on the 4th was 1.35 inches; a dense fog came over the city and in the bottoms became so dense that artificial light was necessary in all buildings south of Third street. The thermometer had crept up to 62 degrees; there was a miasmatic feeling in the atmosphere that was stifling, and the general darkness prevailing cast great gloom among the populace. At all river points above there was a heavy rainfall, while the Monongahela and Licking rivers had started on a second freshet and were rising several inches per hour. Daylight the next day found all the buildings fronting on the river between the Suspension Bridge and Main street, and Ludlow and Broadway, invaded by the water. The Mill creek bottoms of Cincinnati, as well as the lowlands in Pendleton and Columbia, were submerged, and later in the day the alarming news came that Lawrenceburg and Aurora were partly submerged, the river steadily rising, and grave apprehensions were felt for the security of the levees in front of those cities. All day on the 5th a steady downpour of rain fell, measuring 1.56 inches and more rain had fallen in eight hours on the days of the 4th and 5th than fell in four days preceding the same stage of water on February 8, 1883. The river was 20 feet and 1/2 inch higher than at the same time of the previous year, and there had been but nine years in which the stage of the water exceeded that at midnight of the 5th. The Kentucky river, when it pours into the Ohio, prevents the water of the latter from passing off freely, and is thus a factor in producing high water at Cincinnati. At 1 o'clock of the morning of February 6th the levee at Lawrenceburg gave way and her citizens called upon the people of Cincinnati to come to their relief. The Chamber of Commerce immediately called a meeting and committees were appointed to adopt measures of relief. At Cincinnati the water extended above Second street on Sycamore and Broadway, and was two feet deep at Third and Wood streets, while communication with the Suspension Bridge was cut off except by boats. On the 8th the Cincinnati Gas Works became submerged at noon when the stage of the river had reached 62 feet 6 1/2 inches. The next day, at 9 o'clock A.M., the stage of water was 63 feet 7 inches, the high-water mark of December 17, 1847, and by midnight covered the high-water mark of February 18, 1832, 64 feet 3 inches. Heavy rains again set in at headwaters on the 10th, and all the streams again began rising. Point Pleasant, Va., was entirely inundated, there being four feet of water in parts of the town that had escaped the flood of 1883, while the back-water from the Ohio extended up the Kanawha fifty miles, inundating farm houses and villages of the valley and entirely wrecking the track of the Ohio Central Railroad. The width of the Kanawha varied from three to five miles. Between Ripley and Cincinnati, all houses on both banks of the river, that remained in their places, were invaded or entirely covered by water, and some towns were nearly washed out of existence. The Ohio backwater extended up the Little Miami to Milford with the Little Miami also rising. On the night of the 12th a wind-storm from the south rocked from their foundations many houses that had withstood the force and buoyancy of the current. Dayton and Bellevue, Ky., were invaded and the greater part of the northwest portion of Covington was covered. There were 13,000 applicants for relief at Newport -half of the city being under water. On the 13th a decided cold wave set in throughout the Ohio valley, and this gave assurance that its climax was near. The temperature grew colder and colder at Cincinnati, lowering to 20 degrees, and the great flood of 1884 reached its maximum at noon on the 14th of February, when the stage of water was 71 feet and 3/4 of an inch. The situation at Cincinnati at this time was that not a street in Pendleton was free from water, and the line extended up Deer creek valley to the foot of the Highland House Inclined Plane. Up the Mill creek valley it had spread eastwardly until Lincoln Park was entirely covered, and reached Baymiller street or Clark. The water first licked the streets north of Pear on Race, Vine, Walnut, Main and Sycamore streets, and the first floors of buildings at the north side of Lower Market were covered with water to Broadway. The water from the Ohio river on the south, and from the Mill creek bottoms on the west, met and commingled at the southwest corner of Fourth and Mill streets. It extended above Longworth street on Hoadley, and from the west on Sixth covered the railroad tracks that lead out of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad passenger depot. On Eighth street the water extended eastwardly to Harriet. South of Third street and west of Rose, extending northwestwardly past Clark and Baymiller streets, all avenues were navigated by skiffs and small boats. Mill creek bottom was one bay of water so deep that the largest steamboat that navigates the Ohio river could have passed over. The Licking and Ohio rivers met in Newport at the corner of Columbia and Madison streets; half of the city of Newport was under water, and part of the Newport and Covington Suspension Bridge that spans the Licking river was covered by water several feet deep. The Ohio and Mississippi Railroad established boat communications, carrying their traffic to places between Cincinnati and Aurora. There was not a railroad track entering Cincinnati which was not submerged except that of the Cincinnati Northern or Toledo, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. Merchants in the bottoms had at great labor and expense removed their wares to places of safety, the various stock-yards ceased doing business, the river business for steamboats was entirely suspended, and the boatmen royally and heroically gave their time and labor to the saving of property and the rescue of people and live-stock. Boats were chartered by the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Relief Committee, and carried clothing and provisions to the destitute and suffering at points above and below Cincinnati. Cincinnati contributed $96,680.12 for the relief of flood sufferers, this amount being realized from private subscription. The sum of $97,751.22 was contributed by persons not citizens of Cincinnati; all this money was applied with the exception $5,260.74, which was turned over to the Sinking Fund Commission of Cincinnati. The fall of 1889 and the first three months of 1890 were remarkable for the steady and heavy rainfall. This, of course, produced much water, and during February, 1890, it was feared that Cincinnati would experience another flood. There had fallen but little snow in the mountains, and that was favorable, yet there were two good-sized freshets, and of such proportions as to cause much alarm and apprehension throughout the Ohio valley. The greatest damage, however, this section of the country escaped; but the Missouri and Upper Mississippi rivers, rising to an unprecedented stage at the same time the Ohio and its tributaries were bank-full, caused the Lower Mississippi to reach the highest stage recorded in history, causing great suffering, privation, loss of life and damage to homes all along the Mississippi valley from Cairo to New Orleans. The highest stage reached by the Ohio river during the spring freshet in 1890 was on March 26th, when the marks at the city water works at Cincinnati indicated 59 feet 2 inches. -continued in part 28 ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 12:23:53 -0400 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: OBIT: HERMAN, Conrad, 1952, Sandusky Co. From the Hayes Library Obit Index: Conrad HERMAN 88yrs 3/17/1952 Gibsonburg, Ohio Parent: Carl NM: 3/18/1952 page 1 column 1 Notes: Mother's Maiden Name Frances Gardner Fremont News Messenger Tuesday, 3/18/1952, page 1 column 1 CONRAD HERMAN, Gibsonburg dies Gibsonburg, O, March 18 - Conrad Herman, 88 died at his home monday afternoon after an illness of three and a half months. Born in Clinton, Oh, November 8, 1863, he had lived in the Gibsonburg vicinity for 70 yrs. A retired farmer, he was the son of Carl and Frances Gardner Herman. He was a member of St. Michael's church and a member of the St. Joseph society. His wife preceeded him in death and he was the last of a family of eight. Surviving are the following children: Mrs. Lena Reineck, Gibsonburg; Leo Herman, Holland; Charles of Toledo; Conrad, Maumee; Henry, Kansas; Miss Emma, Gibsonburg; Mrs. Joseph Diaber, Gibsonburg; Mrs. Celestine Dolweck, Gibsonburg. He leaves 33 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Services will be at St. Michael's church Thursday morning at 9:30am, Rev. T. F. Marlborough will officiate assisted by Father Herman Reineck, a grandson. Friends may call at Veh and Sons funeral home, Gibsonburg, where the rosary will be said at 8:30 pm Wednesday. Burial will be in St. Lawrence Cemetery. ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 12:23:54 -0400 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: OBIT: HERMAN, Mary, 1932, Sandusky Co. From the Hayes Library Obit Index: Mary HERMAN 65yrs 7/16/1932 Gibsonburg, Ohio Spouse: Conrad Maiden Name: Mary Weaver Mary Weber FDN: 7/18/1932 page 2 column 3 Notes: Buried St. Lawrence Madison Township From the Fremont Daily News Monday, 7/18/1932, page 2, column 3 FUNERAL TUESDAY FOR MRS. C. HERMAN Funeral services for Mrs. Conrad Herman of Gibsonburg who died Saturday at her home on East Yeasting street, will be hel Tues- day morning in St. Michaels church, the Rev. P. A. Schritz officiating. Mrs. Herman had been in failing health for sometime and became seriously ill two weeks ago. She is survived by her husband and several grown children. Until a few years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Herman resided on a farm near Gibsonburg and then moved to the home in which the latter passed away. A wide circle of friends mourn her death. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #417 *******************************************