Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-08-14
TaE NORTHERN FLOOD.

THE NON tERN FLOOD.
Til, Mt.Gieoury S,inuard contains ihe following
70 anCnoy bun iuie csAnS GCtai. VI TIC eueeb Vi '''c
late storm al New Haven, w ,
iJ.saGtu. CGiia..ty Cine u the most seffio!e
fluids Tia, cvcs desoiaed TINS Or any other countr?
carried ,uIu and death through The valley vi Ae" la
ven rver on VI Eday uignt Tie 10Th inst. Inc New
Haven river nus source aiming the mouht'aiis OIL
BRISTOL and Lincoln. lis source Is very rapid until Il
reaches BRISTOL village when IL euiefSeS from the
rnouutaIus ana winds fine pd current .hroash
.nnnnn country. / .rmuu hne and beautiful intervals
until II reaches NewH Haven W est Mills, OF bernlan
Hollow, when I"C stream Is narrowed oy rugged ana
preclplOus G2uks wGcn continue ABOUT one il!e Wheh
II enters Otter Creek. The weather Tie week Prev
crs mad pct.u fine. warm 90 dry. SATURDAY the wind
blew strong from tic > Ith bat the weather was sui
try. Il began 20 ram Saturday night between and
O'Clock ra!ued meNc! lnG whole night SUNDAY
Il great d-a VI IL! and the mountain streuils
,ycr very much swollen Sunday night and through
GU he day OF MonUay tucIc were frequent anu very
rry.re showers. AoUut SHUTDOWN on Monday very
dark dense C,oud settled around Bristo, Mountain
aud the lightning tor two hours lnccsscnt and VIVID
nr RAIN poured down IN torrents the devoted va
ley ard tho lofty mountains that cast their rushing WI
tcTs lulU bosom. The wafer ran with un'Eaupici
rapidly. BeiOIc twelve O'CLOCK The water had rose
from ten tweyc feet higher than was ever known
to the Oldest ,rnauuan,s-.Ec dams III Liacon and
Brssu gave way
Al New Haven East Mills, the dam. bridge, and all
the mills torn away. From the East mills to
the West Vi Ills IN New Haven Is about four miles
Al the West Mills the banks nigh and the NV
or JUS above the Malls and be'w the upper bridge
makes short In the North and small rocky
Island divides The river ct this spot into Two channels
the Eos and West, which unite again above W IL
sons lns. The cluster Of buildings were chiefly
situated the East side o. The river, on piece OF
hIgn IEtcrraic, winch commences soon ailer the
streams turned to he North John w Ilson house and
the house occupied by Nh. Stewart. Il bi:nd man,
Were seyera rods from the river on the fat and a.
each other. y few rods below the Wilson's Mills,
winch were situated on the tow'r dam, the stream
turns short the " est and dashes through narrow
passage rocks CALEB the narrows There was
narrow bridge above b. Wilson'S Mill. Between
ten and eleven clock at night the wafer rising "a
pidy,the Wilson's became harmed TOR thcr property,
ana of the neiChbOs collected to assist IN It's
preservation Miles Far ard his sor crossed the river
tor that purpose before the bridges went OIL While
they were work about the M for this purpose, the
water rising with fearful rRpidlty. Inc upper
bridge went, together 1h The grist mill ana clothcrs
works The floating mass paused moment at the
lower brldle-that gave way and all was throVn on
the lower mills aad dam Wncn john wilson and
his son and the Ears gave up attempting TO save
any thing from the mills and wcnt To John wilson's
house. they found their estonishment that rsPid
und powerful current of water was sweeping along
between the house and the high grund Deyonc. ihey
attempted 10 ford 1t vain. Inc Two Fars crossed
To the Stewart house, when Lcmuel Is. fHdrCge'
ESQ. and h.. young man about twenty aud a
air. Scmers hired man Of MI Eldfidge, had already
arrived Mr. Eidridge rode horse through the cur
to the Stewart house but considered mat IL wOud
Ce very hazardous 10 10 Tue
way. ThoY immediately commenced building raft
OF the eCd Of the wood house with view 10 take
OF The stewart family. They had previously left
the house and taken refuge IN the barn winch stood
on little high ground
Just as tie raft was completed the wood house
started, and was swept awav by the current They
could no longer hold the raft, and the man who was
holding II when the wood house began 10 move was
Obliged TO Jump the raft and go With the resi-
There was on.he raft whGnIt started Lemuel Il FL
drdpe and sou Miles iFarf and son, Mr. SomeTs,
and of he Stewart boys. Ihey were hurried
along towards the narrUws but all Kept on uhti
they reached that irghtful charncl house. In mo
IneEt the raft was scattered, and every one Oh ~
ptecipa ted into the water. MIR Farr seized Piohk
from the raft with his right hand, and soon found
some floating substace to grasp with MS leI E"iu
ing firmly by these, the cnrrcnt carried HIM down
TO the fat abOu; half mile below the mills, where
he lodged against q large pine stump. lie lei go
his panks, thinking he had found something more
safe; but IN moment quantity oil h1od Wooh came
naainst the stump, and he was again driven down
the current. He was nearly exhausted and dscour-
aged; he however made more effort Tor lite which
proved successful lie succeeded in clearing the
food wood, when the stump again grounded aud he
remained holding on il until taken OF IN the morn
ng, DIR. Eldridge was carried nearly through the
narrows. when lie seZrd board winch proved OF
great assistance to INN. lie carried near Mr..
Farr ami on to a piece Of ground where he
could touch the bottom, 0nd where, by holding on
10 the corn, he could Withstand the current. MI
Fairs son and one of the Stewart boys lodged on a
point a little above Mr.. Eldridge The yong men
caught clapboard and some bits Of flood wood, and
by cutting up their suspendrrs and flashing them to
gether, they at length extrlcatrd Mr Eldhdge, and
after it grew light, Dir. Fau.
or Mr. Somcrs and the son Of Mr.. Edtdge moth
ing is know Il is supposed they were drowned soon
after the breaking up Of the raft The rest Of the
Stewart family, consisting Of Mr. and Mrs. stewart
and four children, thus left IN the barn without
the least hope of aid The raft, their last
hope with their kind neighbors and their eldest son
they had seen hurried way what appeared ineylta-
bic DESTRUCTION. The scafold upon the barn in which
they had taken refuge, soon followed the rait and
was crushed TO pieces passing the narrows All
that were IN It pcrrshcd except boy about ii years
old, who was miraculousy preserved by drifting a.
aonst The top Of tree, TO whics he chung until taken
SoN the next mornlno He SAYS he had hold of his
rno,hcrs hand in passing the nasows ond shn spoke