Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-10-04


tons of buildings, and every other species
of dangerous aud missile substance Nv
ing through the air. so that it became dan
gerous 20 appear in the streets where
many accidents happened from this cause
g But AL consideration of property soon
gave way to a more important concern
Every one now in the more imme diately
exposed parts OF the town. became solicit
tous for his own personal safety and that of
his family and friends. The tempest still
ragged with increasing violencc---thc food
was overwhelming the lower parts Of the
town-stores and dwelling houses were
seen reelng ana lettering on their founda-
tons for n few moments, and then plung;ng
into the deluge, and with Their shattered
remains, blended with the wrecks OF yes
sells, some on their sides, passing with ire
sistable impetuosity, in full view, on the
current to the head Of the cove, to Join their
fellow wrecks.
I" By this time. the watCrcn the west side
of the river, had risen nearly to the tops OF
the lower windows or the houses, and
boats and scvyvs were seen taking peopic
| from them. And on the east side, an i'm
| petuous torrent rolled through the ma
street, nearlv middle deep 10 a man,
where boats, masss, bales # cotton. &c.
&c. were driving along with rcsistless
| force.
g At this time, again went to the third
story, for no one would dare TO venture on
| the top of the house, from wherce / had
a commanding view of the town below the
| scite Of the bridge on both sides of the riv-
err; and it most truly exhibited an awful
and terrific scenc.-The store or Bowen's
wharf just below the bridge stood, altho'
very much injured but every store below
e..
| or so much damaged, as to be, in a great
| measure, useless and every building on
the opposite side on the wharves up to the
| main or Weybosset-strcet, from the bridge
to Eddy's Point inclusive, were swept a.
way, Gncluling MIR. Commell's Meeting
House, from their foundations as well as
several dwelling houses On Eddy's Point
which were carried off without leaving =
YES ige behind-so that all the space here
an hour or two before so manv valuable
| wliarves and stores stood filled with goods
and crowded with shipping, was now one
wide waste of tumultuous water, and only
two small vessels of all that were in the
harbor, were to be seen that rode out the
| gale-one sloop and the other gun boat
which had dragged a great distance, althc'
| she had cut away her masts every other
vessel had either drf;ed up the cove or
on shore, or were driven high up on the
wharves, where they are now left by tie
tide-which, with the gale, began to abate
about quarter before noon.
Every part q the town near the river
exhibits the continued scene of dcstructi-
| on; but from the hill al the head of the
cove, such prospect of wide desolation as
| beggars all description-vessels Of ill kinds
| and in every position, blended promiscu-
| ously. with carriages, lumber, wrecks Of
buildings of every description, bales OF cot
ton, and tens of thousands of fragments of
all kinds, unite to form a picture that
sickens the heart, and which never can be
erased from my mind as long as memory
| maintains her empire.
" a very distressing scene took place a.
mongst a thousand others, near where /
| was situated, which excited cur sympathy
| in an extraordinary degree "a brig load
ed and ready for sea, with live stock. &c.
drove against the end of the wharf, and
her head rested on it, where she hung and
appeared a number of times as if She
would upset, and plunge a crew, corsis
ting OF nine persons, into the raging food.
TIL Sc men were seen hanging on her,
waiting their fate, as no soul could venture
to their succour; at this fime, the distance
from them up to the houses, was filed
| with roofs and p9rts of stores tumulting
with the violence of the tempest. Forget
ting for while our own perls, we were
all beholding these poor fellows, and ex-
pecting every moment 70 see them preci-
plated into the torrent the spectacle
was filed with horror, when at last they
all Quilted the vessel and made the peril
! GUS attempt to gain the houses, and WHO
| can describe our feelings, while struggling
with the violence of the gale, and the roll
ling and bounding materials on which they
| endeavored to get foot hold. until they
reached the rear If the houses, where some
were taken into the second story of the
! back part, and otheTs unable to BE- reach
| ed, plunged into the water, between the
two houses and safely swan to shore.
Many people arc ruined, many more
have suffered most materially, and every
body more or less"
Since the above letter was put in type,
we have seen another letter Of later dite
| from the same gentleman. He adds that
on the cast side IF the river, a passag,
was With difficulty cleared through the
streets on Saturday and Sunday, by rolling
aside the rubbish. To effect this n the
west 81 e, through Wcybossct and West
Minister streets, would require some days
Ruins are piled in the streets from the
bridge to Muddy Dock, to the height Of
common story, and every dwelling house II
that spare is considerably damaged. On
Ehdy's Pint, six or seven uses were
swept away, and all which remain arc I'M
inhabited. Two persons wrrc drowned,
one was killed 10 Providence by the falling