Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-05-02
VARIOUS.
ELLswoRrni (MAlsE , April 10.

mendous freshets which form al era; anu
TO the inhabitants OF Ellsworth the hood
of 1888 will long be remembered by the
disasters brought in its train. Il com
menced raining on Monday about noon
and continued with increasing violence
until Tuesday morning, when il poured
down in torrents The snow which fell 10
unusual quantities during last winter, bad
become decomposed by the previous rains
and warm weather, to such degree, that
it becomes Immediately converted into
water, and swept down with violence,
which, but for the extensive meadows back
that form receiving basin, would have
Immediately deluged the town and carried
every thing before it. The main boom,
which has stood every ireshet for forty
two years, was renewed last winter anu
every thing done which was thought ne
cessary for its preservation; as it had re
sisted many heavy freshets in a decayed
state, it was thought the thorough repair
it had undergone would enable il to with
stand any ireshet which might ensue.-
The food came so suddenly and unex
lpectedly, that the chains and cables
which 1t was customary TO bend on the
boom IN case OF danger, could not be
lprocured IN season, and all that could be
done was 10 wait with anxiety the rapidly
rising waters. The degree OF fear which
was felt, may be conceived from a short
description OF the location of the town
and river. The town IS situated at the
head OF the tide waters and a quarter Of
mile below the boom and mllls, snugly
lenscoDsed between surrounding eninences
which follow the course of the river. From
the mills, extend succession OF falls for
three quarters of a mile, when the mea
idows commence; these form immense re.
serVolrs for the water, aud although they
prevent sudden overflow, they cause an
increase OF the frcshet Tor several days al
ter It has ceased raining. From these CIR
Gums tAnces, and the rapid rise, and great
hight. which The river had already attain
led, the inhabitants had little to hope in re
gard 10 the safety OF the boom, and great
fears OF the destruction OF property which
might ensue in the village. Under these
apprehenslons every one was ON the look
oui; at length the chains winch held the
western end of the boom, snapped with a
loud report, and the piers, three in number
were swept down and overturned without
resistance, and twenty thousand logs start
ed with irresistible force, crushing the
mil dam. and on a current which ran at
the rate of fifteen miles an hour, moving
towards the village. This happened about
n,ne o'clock, and the water rapidly rising
Tie conclusion, when they struck the
bridge, was tremendous. No one expect
cd It would stand for moment; but the
strength Of the workmanship, aud the CIR
cums,ances OF It's being "ioanded on a
rock" which constitutes the main body
OF the middle pier, enabled II to withstand
the shock Ii was expected that The logs
would jam between the piers, and that The
waters would consequently overflow the
village; but thew came with such tremcn-
dods force, that they went through be-
tween the piers, like corn through mop
per, filing the whole space from the bot
tOm Of the river TO the stIingers which
support the plank. The water rose about
five feet in the river above the bridge, but
the body of logs soon passed, anu lmne
date danger was then over, but the logs
came down in large bodies during the re
mdinder OF the day Much damage was
done 10 the bridge and mills. All attempts
at throwing booms below, were unavalilag
bat i is hoped some logs viii be saved on
the Islands aud shores Of the bag, and II
is 10 be expected that considerable exer
ton viii be made, as the proprIetors of the
logs have offered good premium on all
which may be saVed.--Ihe whole mum
ber Of logs which are lost amount 10 be-
tween thirty aud forty thousand; the to-
tai loss ard damage cannot be estimated
at less than So, 900 Those logs which
were cut hast winter remain for the most
part in the small branches of the river and
against bridge about four miles above
the village Considerable apprehenslons
are sui felt by the inhabitants lest the
bridge should give way, of which there is
some danger, as the water has risen since
the boom broke. about three feet, and we
have every prospect OF another violent
storm. 1t was fortunate Circumstance
that the boom gave way SO soon, for If il
had renamed until the height of the fresh
ct, it must inevitably have given way, and
probably carried the bridge and a part of
the village before it. The roads are much
damaged, and the small bridges mostly
destroyed. We have as yet, received
neither news nor mail, further East than
CherIyheld, where the mills and boom
have been carried away We wait with
anxiety news from that quarter, as the
storm seems to have been more violent to
the Eastward than II was in the Western
parts.
SPR1NoFlELD, (OEfo,) April 49,
| A Terrible tornado On Tuesday at
ternoon, between five and SIX O'Clock, our
citizens were alarmed by the appearance
in the South of uioLeat hurricane When
first seen, it appeared TO be sweeping on
ward in direct line Tor Springfield, but
as it neare6 the town, II was apparent
that it bore too far south TO visit US,
| Il has since been ascertalned that il
rose somewhere in the Southwest, and
swept across the country III due North
easterly course. We have accounts of its
- III