PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 27 
DISASTROUS RIVER FLOODS EFFECTS OF FOREST DESTRUC- 
TION—REMARKABLE RISE AND FALL OF THE OHIO. 
The western rivers are again overflowing their banks, and causing desola- 
tion, loss of life and great destruction of property. 
So long back as we have any history of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, 
there have been floods and they will always occur when melting snows and 
downpours of rain unite their volumes and seek an exit to the lowest levels, the 
ecean, 
The first recorded flood in the Ohio river was in [ebruary, 1832. An ex- 
tremely heavy snowfall had occurred in the Cumberland and Allegheny moun- 
tains and covered the western part of New York, Pennsylvania, all of Ohio and 
throughout the Ohio valley. Suddenly the temperature rose and rains oc- 
curred simultaneously over a very large area of country drained by this river. 
Asa result, the Ohio rose to the then unprecedented height of 64 fect 3 inches. 
The next record of extremely high water was in December, 1847, when a sim- 
iar combination of snowfall and continuous rains with high winter tempera- 
tare brought the Ohio up to 63 feet 7 inches. 
Official records of high and low waters were not begun until 1860, but the 
author has had abundant opportunities during early life as a steamboat official 
to gather from the earliest steamboat captains and pilots many unrecorded facts. 
The depth of the Ohio at Cincinnati. was, in— 
Feet. Inches. 
ebriiahve TOSS. wea alec Sie en Woe NGie dhewnd Serko ota 55 5 
PRATT M ss LOO Sa 5 ny Goa hte nev aire cence sume tea tee eck om taney 57 4 
MARCI BO 5a. cadet ses be menteceom ccs pasten ey ey ea tee et 50 3 
MARCH AESO7® a5 ne dated, a uals Raia nb Unk nae tetany ears she eR NS 55 8 
Pama OZO: a vee tle Gee te Sale Gus wee team 55 3 
ANISUISE:, ES ZG> aig sc cox acces Bacau eA Rae bens eens 55 6 
MebrUainy:. TOSSA S26 oR So cuts ae miresapiceete Beate: eee 58 7 
eDilatys 1OSR ce Saagrueen Baie ene Bw 5 ne eee eee AY 66 _ 
SMebriary: TA, TSA. ccna kes tees Lae aa eee EES al 24 
April, T8860. cet d atk kA Ce eRe MRR RS nae ee 55 9 
Bebra ys. T8872" 44 oats fucks treeless Gare EER Ra a 50 3 
Matchs T800)-25 sas den tema se ORs a ERE eee 59 2 
Mébriary. TSO1> 2. cesses tp eee ts See Oe RE he RY 57 4 
ebay) TSO Scan sod naka eae COURS IE AE ee 54 II 
: 61 2 
Repriay, 1607 .despssccl cea nese tet ee ee eee ee 
*The highest water ever known, 
