The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-03-06


canal noigation, and a prosperous season
for business. Our hopes have been blasted.
Three days of heavy and almost incessani
rain, swelicd our waters to an unpTeceden.
ted height-higher from eighteen inches to
three feet than the disastrous foed of July
last. The public work, we fear, has sus.
tanned ss much damage as on that occasion,
but the loss OF property has been mach
greater.
The dam and its embankments opposite
this borough, stood perfectly firm until the
water rose higher than the embapkment.
About ii O'clock on the night of the 9th,
this was discovered TO be the case in few
hours The whole Of the embankment was
swept awsy.--The lock slightly injured.
The damage done 10 the canal above this
place We understand is not very great, but
below it has been serious. These are the
principal injuries done to the public works
as far as we have heard. Accounts Of pri.
vate losses are coming in every hour.
Immense 'osses have been sustained by
the proprietors Of nearly all the salt works
on both rivers. Messrs. Boggs, Hill, Tai
mage, Bigham, Keesler. Brememan, &Co.
and Clossen, are the principal sufferers on
Kiskeminetas. The loss of the first named
gentleman alone is estimated at from 40 to
80, 900 dollars.
Thousands Of barrels Of salt have been
destroyed, and many Of the salt establish
ments completely demolished. Houses, sta.
bles, salt pans, fixtures and tools swept of
by the resistless torrent.
With painful feelings we record also the
loss Of one human life. A man in the en-
ploy fthe Messrs Drums, who was endeav.
oring to get the horses out Of the stable
which was surrounded with water. He was
drowned, and two Of the horses.
Many distressing instances occurred to
families compelled 20 hy from their habita-
tlons in order TO escape watery grave.
Many have lost their houses and all their
furniture. Property that could be rescued
from the raging element was carried to the
high ground where the owners were shivering
over cheerless fire in the open air, waiting
with intense anxiety for the subsidiDg Of the
waters.
In some instances the rise was so rapid,
that the inhabitants had scarcely time to save
theInse Ives one case is related ofa family on
the shore Of the Kskeminetas, who had to
open passage in the roof of the house, and in
that way release sick woman, who had been
confined only two days before, from ber
perilous situation.
Many Of the inhabitants of Freeport were
compelled to leave their houses.--The Salt
works above and below that place on the AL.
leghany, we are also informed, have been
seriously injured.
p. s. We have just been told that there
is bit very little injury done to the Canal on
the Allegheny line. tits confidently assert
ed by those who are judges Of these matters,
that the whole Of the western division of the
canal could be made nayigable by the middle
OF April, it funds were Immediately appro-
priated to mako the repairs.
WHEELING, Feb. Is, IS32.--The River is
80 feet above low water mark. There have
been eleven steam boat arrivals and eleven
departures since our last.
GRE.aT.a.N.D a.N.DDESIRUcTTVEFLOOD.
1t falls to our lot 10 day 10 record the most
extensive and destructive flood which has oc-
Cured In The history Of this country. The
Ohio river commenced rising at this place on
Thursday last. On Friday, soon after IL
o'clock it began to overflow its banks. The
water rose at the rate Of l2 inches on hour
till Saturday morning, when it began to rise
less and less rapidly till at night, when it
came to stand and soon after began to fall.
The precise height Of the river above low
water has not yet been ascertained. 1t is
known to havo risen higher than it has risen
since the memory Of the oldest person now
living, it being from 5 to 6 feet higher than it
was at the memorable floods of '94 and 'l3.
The destruction of property occasioned by
this calamity is beyond calculation. The
whole valley OF the Ohio from its source to
its mouth, within the reach ofthis tremendous
freshet, must present one uninterrupted scene
of waste desolation and distress. The farms
on the rich bottoms have been swept of the
fences, and dwellings, barns, corn and meat
houses with their contents, and the stock.
All the towns and villages along the river
bave been wholly or in part inundated, and
many of the buildings with all they contained
have been carried away.
All the low part Of our town has suffered
severely-it Is impossible at this time to es.
innate the loss of property-42 houses, we
are informed, mostly small frames, have been
swept away from South Wheeling. The
bridge over Wheeling Creek is gone--35
houses were counted passing by on the river
from Saturday morning till IL o'clock. A
large warehouse flled with flour, lodged on
the upper part Of the Island. The river is
now even with the banks. In our next VIC
shall be able to give moro PARTICULARS
Times.
A letter from Wheeling of the 18th, re-
ceived in Philadelphia, says--"Accounts
have already reached US, Of whole families
having persisted.
"The loss sustained above, in consequence
of the food, must be immense, az dwellings,
barns, mills, lumber, -four, wheat, hay stacks,
&c. have been floating down in great quaint.
ties for many hours. But great as has been
the destruction Of property above, it must be
trifling compared to the ruinous effects Of the
rise below. The Columbus, which has Just
arrived, reports that not vestige remains Of
many of the towns below. Marietta presents
n nnnat mela ne holy anneaYance. A lar0e DOR