Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-08-13

mont:
.uiddleto7cn (Tt. } July Or.
On Monday morning, the 22d instant q
through the day. we were visited with IN
commonly heavy showers ofrain from .
". attended with thunder. According to
different measurements of water caught In
vessels standing distant from any buildings
the rain water fell from 12 to Is inches
perpendicular height. The effects were
such as might be expected. Small rlvu-
lets, which had meandered through mea-
dows, sc. and passed under fences with
out iniuring them, now assumed the as
pect and power of rivers. and swept all
before them; changed their courses, ard
cut channels like rivers, carrying away
rocks. green trees, &c. High lands were
surprisingly married, and low lands delug-
ed far beyond what the oldest men living
have ever seen. Many acres OF choice
lands were ruined, part by being swept
away to great depth, and part by being
overwhelmed to a considerable height
with stones, gravel, trees, &c. Crops OF
all kinds, which in the morning gave the
most flattering prospects to the husband
man, before night was seen mingIing in
the common ruin. In low lands, the de-
vastation was general. Although the
rain began after the rising Of the sun, yet
it was SO powerful that by 9 or 10 o'clock,
A. N. the streams began to be formidable.
1t was not long before bridges, mills, tan
houses, yards, dwelling houses, &c. went
in rapid succession. A great part of the
fields, meadows, &C. in town, had the fem
ces swept away. On the stream that
comes from Tinmouth, captain J. Miners,
mills, captain @. Brewster's tan works.
squire Burnhams's grist mill and forge,
and Mr.. Harris house, and the principal
of his, and Mr.. Hubbard's effects were
carried away. But on the small centre
brook, nigh the meeting houses, which
comes from the north part Of the town,
the calamity was the greatest. Mp.
Southworth's tan house and yard were to-
tally destroyed.
The large and excellent house owned
by Mr.. Semple, together with the barn &
two sheds--the house owned by Mr.. Ives,
in which Mr.. E. Corbin's family lived,
with an clubhouse, and other conveniences
pertaining to his distilIery--Mr. A. Ford's
house--two blacksmith's shops which
stood just above the bridge, were all car
ried away, and the very foundations des-
troyed so as to forbid all prospects Of ever
building there again. Also three excel
lent gardens connected with these houses
were totally destroyed, except small cor
ner of one OF them. And so great was
the ravage Of the waters, that the large
red tavern owned by captain j. CaswelI,
now occupied by lieut.. Blunt, was partly
undermined, and considered to be in such
danger that the house was cleared. The
before mentioned sufferers lost the great
est part oftheir effects with their houses.
The Centre brook has at all seasons
for years passed under bridge feet
wide and feet high but now the wa
tiers rose so as to cut channel across the
main street leading eastward, two hun
bred and fourteen feet four inches wide !;
and seven feet ten inches deep on the
west side, and four feet deep on the east
side; and the waters spreadfrom bank to
bank so deep, and so rapid, that neither
man nor beast could pass them.
One serious event must not be omitted.
Mr.. Corbin's family, and some school
children as in number) were in house
in the midst of this (now) extensive river.
The waters rising and roaring on each
side of them and the remaining banks
which sustained the house were moment
ly giving way. The women and children
were shrieking for help, but for while
no mortal could devise any means for their
relief. Behold the scene! Mr.. Corbin
on the shore beheld his wife, children, &
aged mother, in this deplorabIe situation ;
and the parents Of some of the school
children also beheld their tender offspring
on the brink of watery grave.-At
length Mrs. Corbin gave up all hopes of
surviving the calamity, shut her doors, &