Litchfield enquirer., 1837-12-07
From as B4Galo Com. AIusraissr, Nor ssd.

l
 Scenes of -Storm-Gramd Hum
 na'ion-G Gale--I InundatiOn-L of Life-D.
 straction of Propeyfy. in the annal of our city, have so many important event
 been crowded into so short space of time
 as those which have occurred in the las twenty-four hours. The morning was warn
 but lowering, yet the firing of cannon com menced, and was kept up with spirit, and tn 1 preparations went on with vigor for the lilu minations in the evening. Towards noon however, the rain poured down in torreptS Previous to this the wind had been in tht southeast, and fleet of nearly 20 sail wen up the Lake in beautiful style. About l O. clock the wind chopped round into the s w. and there appeared to be a prospect of | pleasant evening; but those who were ac quaintcd with these matters, from the swell ut the lake and the rapid rise of water, pre- dictcd the gale, which commenced blowing in all its fury, as soon us night set in.
 Darkness had hardly closed around us when the city was again in a blaze of light fren the splendid illuminations ill every quarter. Tar barrels were burnt, bands Ol music patrolled the streets, cannon were fir cd, and rockets sent blazing through the air
 All this time the wind w;.s increasing ill fury, the people could hardly keep their foot ing in the streets-and tic water rising to an unprecedented height about the docks and lower part ot the city. Amid the roar of the winds and waves, were heard tho shriekS ot drowning wretches, men struggling with the rising waters, and little children walked from their warm pillows by the flood, from which, amid the storm and darkness, there was no escape. These persons resided in some mis- erable shells of buildings on the exposed neck of land between the creek and lake, The Common Council of the city directed two years ago, that no houses should be erec- ted there unless they were based or good brick or stone foundations, at least eight feet high. The title to the land is disputed m ma ny instances, and temporary buildings have been put up on blocks at the four corners, and several families gone into them for the sake of obtaining possession. It has been a wonder that they would risk their lives Tn such frail tenements, for from their appear ance one would imagine that common wind would prostrate them. Some of these thls morning were floating about the harbor, while here and there lie the broken frag- ments of those that were not strong enough to resist the force of the inundation. Some ten or twelve houses-part of them uninhabi- ted-were washed completely from their foundations across the creek, and are now strewed about in every direction. Several vessels were stranded high and dry on the beach. The schooner Edward Bancroft lay up in the centre of Ohio street. She even. dragged her anchor some distance up into the city. The steam ferry boat lays high a. ground and considerably damaged. The o. P. Starkie, the BrandyWine and the Texas, schooners, were driven on shore, but not ma terially damaged.
 The loss of life-the most dreadful part of the atastrophe'-cannot at present, be ascer- tained. Five bodies have been brought to the watch house, but many probably are not discovered. Those are two children of John Germain, young man-name unknown, the wife of Wm. Judson, and colored woman. Wm. Judson lived in house near the stone building, foot of Mechanic street. When his house was destroyed, his two children were in bed, and have not yet been found. He and. his wife got on the canal bridge, where she perished of the cold, and he escaped by swimming to pile of boards, from which he was rescued. We saw him this morning, wrapped in quilt, looking among the wreck of his dwelling, which had fioated into the canal, for the bodies of his children.
 Many other vessels, steamboats, &c., are warehouses on the docks. The loss of pro- perty is difficult to estimate. It is streWed in every direction. About twenty five build ings such as we have described, were either totally destroyed, or torn from their founda- tions, by the flood.
 Several vessels and steamboats must have been on the lake, where it was hardly possi- ble for any thing to live. It is rumored that the Cleveland went down the river, and is safe. a ~
 A woman in one of the houses clung to the window sill, with the water up to her chin, and supported her three children, who clung to her back-but these one after another dropped off-the last but short time before aid reached her, at o'clock this morning.
 Another woman came safely across the creek on a stick of timber, with an infant in. her arms.
 A man left his family on the roof of his house, and swam for boat to take them off,
 It was the last he ever saw of them.
 From the SL Louis Republicon.
 State House burnt-Part of the State LiJra- yy and GU the rolls and papers in the office of the
 Secretayy of State destroyed.
 On Wednesday night last the State House in the city of Jefferson was burnt down. The fire, as we learn from letter, written by | gentleman of that place on Thursday nor ming, is supposed to have been communicated by brand from the fire in the room occupi ed as the office of Secretary ofState, (whicf is in the northwest corner of the building or the second story,) rolling down on the floor The fire was discovered about half past nint in the evening, but had advanced too far tt be stopped. All the papers in the office Q the Secretary of State were destroyed, anC about half the State Library, which was kep in the adjoining room on tho same floor. The Auditor of Public Accounts occupied the two rooms immediately under the Secretary! room and the Library, and we are gratificd tt learn, that nearly all the papers in his office