Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-21
GREAT FRESH IN THE OHIO.

oil an extraordinary food in the Ohio, exceeding
ny ''ght feet, any rise over before known, and
'u'merging parts of Pittsburs, Wheeling, and
o'her towns on it's banks and those of its tri.
o''ari0s. We arc now enabled TO lay more pre-
e'se statements before the Public. The letters
""'ch follow are from tho most inteni gent and
trustworthy sources, addressed principally, To
""'"'ocrs oil Assembly, and, dcvclopc an extent of
ueSo'a'i"n and OF suffering, which we were by no
'"o'hS prepared to expect, and which most i'm
Pres'iveiy appeals to legislative aid. Our country
winch has flown TO the assistance of foreigners,
whose homes were laid waste by TIE sword of the
opprsssor, and the convul.ions of na,urc. will
NOT turn Il deaf ear to the appeals for assistance to
us own citizens, srnitten by so great n calamity.
The accumulated SHOWS of tho winter thawcd
'y sudden, warm and heavy rains, have produced
the unexsmplcd flood.
WHEELING, Ohio County, Va.
Feb. II, 1882.
1 only have time to write you in great haste, to
INFORM you of the great flood that we now have in
u ONO. IL is now SO feet above low water mark.
i impossible for me to describe to YOU the scene
oil distress. Yesterday and to-day we travelled
through the corn field, and frequently could see at
II wow Tour or five houses afoat. Mr.. Mckee
says mat he thinks the damage at this place is not
less than 800, 900.
WHEELING, fcb IL.
DEAR SIR: 1 feel extremely unwell, but sit
down to cndeavor to tell you of ono of the great.
III ea'arnlties which has over befallen our town,
anu indeed the whole valley of the Ohio. The
Ii'ef rose to such a height on Friday night, as
TO cover the whole of the lower part oftown-You
may form some faint idc, of what it was, when |
taii you That we wont in and out of the Point Fact
DRY, from crafts at the second story windows, and
!hat not one foot of land was bare on the Island.
l had all your books and papers taken out, fearful
tDal II would be N ~ i'm Tim nn,rr hat i E.l "a onl,
got up to 10 the ioist below.
IL has fa!len somos since last night. have lust
oecn down as far as Knox * Mckee, Warehouse,
ana md the water on 4 level with tn ir floor -
i yesterday, (%Sunday,) l was all day employed re-
Heving the distressed over tho creek, about which
L can scarcely think, without wocping-tho bridge
IS gone. Houses without number-indecd it APP
peared on Saturday, as tho whole villages were
noatlnS before us, and we have reason to think.
that lives ~innumerabls arc lost.-Poople have been
seen IN tho floating habitations and no crafts to aid
them. 1 never rccollect of our shores being ga
badly supplied with boats.-My loss is gre.t-npt
only with Moore's, but otherwise. ] lost, I am
confident, at ono s.reep-lumber worth $4,000.
Our cotton all carried oil; but enough, can
say no more.
WHEELING, 18th Feb. 1882.
Dear Sir-Tho Valley Of the Ohio is in ruins
within the last four day.-it has been swcp, from
the nil on the west, to that on the East-not II
iencc, or bridge, or frame house, warehouse Of n
frame construction, stacks of hay, grain, and even
the corn, is swept down tho stream; Chose on the
high banks excepted
III is halt n century since l became acquainted
with the Ohio River. l have never witnessed any
thing so calamitous. Hundreds of families are turn
eu out on the hills, without any thing to support
them, and in a starving condition. Boats were
towed IN the streeto in all the lower town; but as
tho waters have not yet subsidized, or fallen, so ns TO
ascertain the true situation of all the iniurv done.
can only speak of the destruction now visible.
That you may have some idea of the height of tho
water, 1t was to the edge of tho roof OF Mr.. Penn.
berton's Steam Saw Mill, at the upper end of town:
1t was in the Houses in South Wheeling-many of
those of frame construction swept away: il wa,
about four feet above the first floor inside of Knox
q Mchce's ware house. 1t was truly awful to
view the flood, Is it continues, tho water fall but
slowly,) TO sec tho houses sweeping dewn, & in one
instance, the cry FOR help was heard but mono could
be glven-no craft could be procured. The noise
OF The water amongst the remaining trees on tho
shore and islands, together with the crashing of
the floating houses occasionally, and the scene al
together, was awful beyond description.
You know sir, ! have seen hard times, and war
INES in this country, and in the Revolutionary
war but ! have not seen any thing to equal this,
taken all altogether. My in formation as TO the extent
OF the damage is limited the distance from Stcu-
benville to Captena only-Warren, Burlington,
Bridgeport, on tho West. Wellsburg, the Mouth of
Short Creek, and this Town, all have suffered.
The water was in Mr.. Stumod's House about four
feet deep. and the Same in the store house where
Mr.. Baltimore livos; these arc two miles from the
Ohio. Tho backwater extended up Wheeling
Creek very near Mrs. Goodins's.
In relation to the damage, no one can estimate
flour, pork, groceries of all kinds arc lost, exclu.
slye OF furniture and goods.
VIII it not be reasonable to ask tho Legislature
to grant aid to the suffering people in soDe way.
1t all the counties bordering on the Ohio were al
w to retain their amount of taxes for two or
three years, in order to repair the BRIDGES, for tho
people VIII be employed for two or more years, in
thor houses, fences, &c. in order to be.
gin to 1.-Two again.
WHEELING. Feb. II, 1882.
DEAR SIR: The water is still very high-only
ono loot or eighteen inches below the Bank at Den
nison's. Though it commenced falling on Satur.
day, the llth inst, it has now only fallen 5 or G
feet. The Island is yet mostly undcr water.
A steamboat that arrived here on Sunday, nhc
I2th,) from below, passed through the town of
sistersviiie' to avoid the current. A steamboat
that arrived this morning from below, reprcscnts
(and no doubt authentic, Cecil, whom YOU know.
being the author, and on board, } Parkcrsburg and
all the bottoms on the river below under water-
The people %encampsd back on tho hills. AT Belle
Isle, opposite Pa rkersburg, tho water was at the
ewes OF tho two-story houses-at Marietta tho
same.
The injury and destruction hero is beyond any
thing You can imagine-below us il is ununcstion.
ably worse-above us it has been severe-at
Wcllsburg the water was i'm tho Court Houso-ot
P~ittsburg it was four feet deep at thc EXCHANGE
Warrcntown, at tho month of Indian Short Creek.
has been almost destroyed, only IL or Is houses
lett, and all the warehouses;, with thoir contents,
carried away. 1t is said that in Alleghanoy Town,
at flttsburg, almost every frame house has either
been eaffied away or turn cd over.
In VIM. Chapline's town, or Souh Wheeling,
the Joss has been great, and the suffering
sovorc-from 30 to % houses removed mr.
gone ofF-and many Of the inhabitants arc now
depending on the charity of the upper or old
town.
1t gives mo great pain TO mention that some Of
our friends have suffered soverclT-our friends w.