Marietta Daily Times, Saturday, March 29, 1924:
The heavy rains of Friday night have caused the Ohio River and its upper tributaries to rise, and big stages are in sight for both the Ohio and Muskingum. The Muskingum is putting out a large volume of water, the rainfall at Zanesville having been heavy - the government gauge registering 2.18 inches in 12 hours. The stage of water at Zanesville was recorded as 21-1/2 feet and rising at the rate of 9 inches an hour at 9 o'clock Saturday morning.
The rainfall at Pittsburgh was .90 of an inch, and the stage there was 15-1/2 feet and rising at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. The rainfall was general over the Ohio Valley. The Marietta gauge showed 25 feet and rising Saturday morning. The rainfall for Friday night was 1.40 inches locally.
Traffic and bus service were interfered with Saturday morning on account of the overflow of Duck Creek, which inundated the highway above Whipple and between Lower Salem and Warner. Several feet of water covered the road at these points. The Pennsylvania track was inundated at Schramm's crossing, but not sufficiently to hold up the train service. The water receded during the day.
Storm Causes Heavy Damage
Rural sections of Washington County, especially in the northern and western parts, were hard hit by the storm that swept southeastern Ohio during Friday night and early Saturday morning, and heavy damage was done, especially to the public roads.
In the vicinity of Rockland, the storm assumed almost cloudburst proportions and tore away a new fill and concrete culvert that had been put in on highway No. 7 during the fall and winter. Engineers were sent to the scene on Saturday, to determine the loss and to devise ways of making repairs.
In the vicinity of Lowell the rainfall was especially heavy and the Cat's Creek valley was swept more severely than in Many years. The creek reached the highest stage of which there is any record, and bridges and culverts in that section suffered heavily.
Marietta Daily Times, Monday, March 31, 1924:
Crest Will Be Reached On Tuesday
At 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon, the gauge in the Ohio river at the foot of Second Street showed 37.3 feet, and the rate of rise for the previous two hours had been 1-1/4 inches per hour. This would indicate that Marietta would have very close to a 38 foot stage when the crest is reached. It may possibly exceed that figure a trifle.
Between 7 and 10 a.m. on Monday, the rate of rise at Marietta had been three inches per hour. Then it began slowing up slightly and by noon the rise was not more than two inches per hour, which continued to lessen during the next two hours.
The Ohio was falling as far down as Dam No. 12 above Wheeling at noon on Monday, and a crest stage of 40.5 feet had been recorded at Wheeling, which is a few miles below Dam 12. The Muskingum was falling during almost its entire length. The crest was reached at Zanesville on Sunday afternoon at 23.1 feet. The Wills creek water, however, was expected to make the rate of fall slow for the next 12 hours at least.
Howe's Prediction
At noon on Monday, Director Howe of the Parkersburg weather station predicted a crest stage of between 39 and 40 feet for Marietta, to be reached early Tuesday. At the same hour the Marietta wharf boat was advising the public that a crest stage would be reached around 39 feet.
Past Ohio River flood experience has shown that the Ohio at Marietta will continue to rise for 18 hours after it reaches a crest at Wheeling. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the rise here will continue until early Tuesday forenoon.
While 36 feet is generally recognized as the danger line in Marietta, the city can stand over 37 feet without serious damage. After that each mounting inch of water counts severely in the lower sections of the city, and once the 39 foot mark is reached, many houses will have to be abandoned.
Part of the City Flooded
Much of that section of Marietta east of Greene and Seventh streets was inundated early Monday. Water was in some of the houses in the low grounds, while along the higher strip close to the river, the streets were being shut off. Just before noon on Monday, the flood crept across lower Third Street below Greene. At the same time, both Second and Third streets had been shut off between Greene and Butler streets.
Along upper Front Street and above the fair grounds, the waters also were approaching some of the houses, while along Gilman Street, from Lancaster to the corporation line, and along Virginia from Franklin toward Mile Run, all traffic had been blocked.
Front Street Level
A stage of 38.5 feet will put water on Front Street in the vicinity of Union Street, and but little more will be required to bring it into the gutters at Front and Monroe streets.
Street car traffic to Norwood was to be abandoned on Monday afternoon, but bus lines were operating to that section by way of Putnam and Seventh streets.
Official readings from the weather bureau at 10 o'clock on Monday were: Franklin, 9.1, falling; Parker's, 9.5, falling; Lock 7, 31.8, falling; Pittsburgh, 25.1, falling; Beaver Dam, 37, falling; Lock 12, 38.4, rising; Lock 13, 42.4, rising; Zanesville, 22.8, falling, 3 inches; Marietta, 36.8, rising.
Marietta Daily Times, Tuesday, April 1, 1924:
Flood Reaches Crest Early Tuesday With 39.1 Feet.
Water Now Falling At This Point.
Good Portion of Marietta Inundated But Damage Is Slight.
Street and Rail Traffic Held Up.
Believed Conditions Will Be Back to Normal On Wednesday.
Having reached a stage of 39.1 feet at Marietta, the flood of 1924 is passing into history today. By early Wednesday, unless the unforeseen happens, the streets of the city should be free of water and business should be normal.
Reports at the Marietta wharf boat Tuesday afternoon were to the effect that the Ohio River had fallen 5.5 feet at Pittsburgh, Pa., and 5 feet at Wheeling, W.Va., and that the Muskingum River had fallen 1.5 feet at Zanesville. No rainfall was reported.
During all of Monday afternoon and night, the waters of the Ohio advanced with diminishing speed until just after 3 o'clock on Tuesday morning, when they became stationary. Until shortly before 6 o'clock, they stood without perceptible change, then began to fall and by 5 o'clock, two hours later, had dropped away .2 of a foot. As the day wore on the rate of fall increased.
A good portion of the city was covered by the water on Monday night and Tuesday morning, and some sections that were not flooded were marooned and traffic was blocked. Second Street from Butler to the river was flooded, and much of that section to the east as far away as the corporation line was under water. Front Street, both above and below Butler, was flooded, but none of the store floors between Butler and Greene were wet.
Water in Some Stores
Along Front from about the line of the Leader Store to a point above Union, the sidewalks were flooded and a number of the stores had water in them, some having as much as five or six inches.
Four of the city schools, dismissed on Monday, were still closed on Tuesday, but were expected to resume work on Wednesday at the regular hour. The water did not reach the floors of the buildings, but shut off the basement heating plants at Pike, Willard, Harmar and Putnam. Pike and Willard buildings were surrounded by water.
Railroads Handicapped
All railroads entering Marietta were handicapped to a greater or less extent. The B. & O. from this city to Belpre was cut off at several points, and there was water over the rails both on Butler Street and in West Marietta. The Pennsylvania lines were under water from the station at Second Street as far out as the old Fultonburg yards. Trains on this road established a temporary terminal east of Seventh Street. The interurban lines were shut off along the Muskingum division, and the city lines were cut off both on Greene, Front and Second streets.
Johnboats and other high water craft were numerous in certain portions of the city. They were out in large numbers along lower Second and Greene streets and through the east end. There was not sufficient water over Front Street to bring them into that territory. Boatmen ferried passengers to and from the Ohio River bridge.
Many Use Automobiles
Many business men in the downtown sections patronized the bus lines and the various taxi companies, and automobiles forced their way through the muddy waters. Occasionally one of them would get beyond its depth. Then the motor would stop and a towing job would be in order. In a few instances these stalled cars were abandoned where they stopped.
Mail deliveries in many sections of the city were held up by the waters but should be back to normal on Wednesday. Rural carriers out of Marietta were held up on several of the routes.
In that section of the city above Putnam Street, water was on the streets at Scammel and Third, Wooster and Second, and along upper Front Street, but few if any of the houses were inconvenienced except that their cellars and basements were flooded.
Aside from loss of business, Marietta will not suffer to any great extent from the 1924 flood.
Bridge Floor Has Blown Up
Traffic over the Marietta-Cambridge pike will be handicapped until temporary repairs can be made on the Mill Creek bridge, above the Children's Home, where the floor "blew up" on Monday afternoon. It was a wood block floor and after being under water for nearly 24 hours, the blocks apparently swelled to such an extent that they buckled and were forced out.
A considerable number of the wood blocks thus liberated, floated away in the flood, and this will necessitate the ordering of new material before the repair work can be completed. It is expected that as soon as the water leaves the road at that point, temporary planking can be put down.
State highway engineers stated on Tuesday that plans will be undertaken soon to replace this bridge with a modern concrete arch span. The old bridge is too narrow for heavy traffic and one of the piers has settled so that the structure is out of line.
As far as state and county engineers knew on Tuesday, no other highway bridge in the county had been damaged by the flood.
