The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-02-29

the streets seeking shelter and food. The
most ptaiseworthy exertions are actively
made by every class TO assist the afflicted
inhabitants, who are reduced TO beggary Nv
the destructive element.
Serious fears are entertained for the safe
~ of families living on the banks of the rv
or, and on the Islands; they will remove
from floor to floor, nd thus procrastinate
their departure, until the means of escap-
ing is cut off, Accounts have already
reached US, OF whole families having per-
ished.
The Steam Boat Columbus, which has
just arrived, reported that not vestige re-
mains of many of the towns below. Mari
eta presents IL most melancholy appear
ance. A large portion of the place has en-
tirely disappeared, and in the higher parts
of the town little more is to be seen than
the tops Of chimneys. Nothing could he
learned respecting the safety of the inhah-
itants, as the boat could not effect a safe
landing.
The effects of this terrible calamity will
be senshly felt by the mercantile portion
of Our citizens. Very many merchants
bordering on the Ohio, who were doing a
large and profitable business, have lost ev-
cry thing, and are thus made bankrupt
But the most deplorable consequence, is
the effect it will have upon the health of
The country. The vegetable matter the
river must deposit, will, fear, produce fe-
vers ofthe most malignant nature.
Wheeling, Feb. IA. 1t falls to our lot TO-
day, to record the most extensive and de-
strnctive flood which has occurred in the
history of our country. The Ohio river
commenced rising at this place on Thurs
day last, and rose at the rate of ~ inches
nm hour till Saturday morning, when it be-
gan to rise less and less rapidly, till at
night, when 1t came to stand, and soon af-
ter began to fall. The precise height of
the river above low water mark, has not
yet been ascettaned. 1t is known to have
risen higher than it has risen since the
memory of the oldest person now living it
being from 5 to feet higher than it was at
the memorable floods of "a and '13. The
destruction Of property occasioned by this
calamity, is beyond calculation The whole
valley of the Ohio. from its source TO it's
mouth, within the reach of this 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 riv-
er have 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 have suffer-
ed severely-it is impossible at this time to
estimate 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, filed with
flour, lodged on the upper point of the ISL
and. The river is now even with the banks.
Ravemna Ohio, FEB. 16. Most of the
bridges on the Cuyahoga, between its en-
trance into this county and the Cuyahoga
Falls, have been swept away. On Saturday
last, the dam and other water machinery,
save the building, at Olney's mills, in Sha-
lersville, were destroyed.
On Sunday morning, the large Touring
mill at Franklin lower village, belonging to
the estate of the late Capt. VIM. H. Price.
was swept away, taking in Its course about
half of the bridge which stood few rods
below it. The mill was five story build
ing, containing five runs of stones; and
not far from 1000 bushels of grain, mostly
wheat, were lost in the wreck. Not even
the hooks Of the establishment were saved.
AL the upper village in Franklin, the dam
and dye house were destroyed.
Sunday afternoon, the oil-mili of H. New
berry, Esq, at Cuyahoga Falls, was swept
ht af tho ErapI liz, 4
other floating timbers, the ice, &c. Be
tween fifty and one hundred bushels of seed,
and few barrels of oil, only, were lost, IN
addition to the building, machinery and
dam.
The bridges, &C., on the Mahoning, have
shared similar fate. We suspect that all
the principal bridges in Trnmbul county
are destroyed. The Warren bridge was
taken off on Saturday night. 1t has been
reported that Vangorder's mills have been
destroyed
The Beaver Argus says, such ascene has
never before occurred in our neighborhood,
as that produced by the rise of the Ohio
river and Big Beaver creek, on Friday and
Saturday last. The water at the juno
ton OF those streams was seven or eight
feet higher than ever known before
Bridgewater, Sharon, and Fallston we're
all inundated, as we'll as the buildings up
and down the river. In some of the houses
the water was up to the second story, and
most OF them near the ceiling in the first.
A great many light buildings we're carried
away, together with hay and grain stacks
and fences. The loss in the range where
the water flowed is incalculable. Among
the sufferers in this vicinity, Stephen Stone,
Esq, is the greatest. He estimates his loss
at near ten thousand dollars. His old
dwelling house and stable were carried
away; and large new brick house, lately
finished, and which cost about $4,000, is SO
much injured that it is believed that it will
tall--a brick kitchen attached to it was
torn away. Messrs. D. Minis and Fl. ].
Watson suffered considerable loss. the
dwelling house of the latter being swept off.
The water was up to the ceiling in Gen.
Lacock's house, and his stable and other
out houses, fences AID hay stacks were all
carried away, and his valuable library de-
stroyed. At Sharon the Foundry of Messrs.
Darrah and Stow was torn away, and at
Fallston the Scythe Factory of Mr.. d. S.
Stone was destroyed, and Messrs. Pughs,
Wilson q Co. have sustained considerable
Joss. The islands above and below have
been stripped of every thing, their occu-
pants barely escaping with their lives.
WILLIAMsPoRT, Penn, Feb. s.
REMARKABLE ESCAPE. On Saturday
evening last, the ice in the West Branch
of the Snsquehanna which bad been form
ed since the late freshet, took its departure
for the Chesapeake Bay. About dark, on