Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-06-22
GREAT DISASTER AT BALTI-
MORE
From the Baltimore Sun lime Il

FROM Me baltimore Sun, June 10.
Last evening about six o'clock, our CT
ty was suddenly enveloped in dark and
heavy cloud, which portended an angry
storm, and rendered darkness visible"
long before the sun set. Rain soon COM
menccd falling. and continued in plenti-
iui showers till about o'clock when
the storm abated, and every thing indi-
Gated calm and pleasant night. About
clock another cloud made disappear
ance IN the Northwest. accompanied by
vivid flashes of lightning, and peal after
peal OF thunder, that almost shook the
earth TO IFS centre. AT little past 8 o.
clock, terrific blaze of Lightning light
ed up the adjacent country, which in a
lew seconds was followed by a crash of
thunder which shook the firmest fabric
OF the city. Such peal. such crash,
we do not believe ever burst upon the
ears of an astonished people. Though,
from the time that elapsed between the
flash OF lightning and the bursting of the
thunderbolt, we were led to suppose that
1t was distant, the conclusion of the ele-
ments was dreadfully terrific, and was OF
itself quite sufficient 90 remind one Of the
utter ieebleness and impotency of man.
With this shock of thunder, the rain.
which had formerly fallen in copious
showers, burst from the heavens IN tor.
rents, and continued to fall as if in one
inttrmihable cascade, till past one o'clock
in the morning, when the stream called
Jones's Falls, which runs through the
city in northern and southern direction,
became swollen to its banks, and was
soon rendered incapable of retaining its
boundaries. The several bridges that
crossed it, in the neie hborhood OF the CT e.
ty, were soon carried away by The force
OF the waters. aided by huge quantities
Of drift-wood, the fragments OF dislodg-
ed buildings, &c, all of which, being
forced down the stream, brought up "a
gainst the bridge that crosses the Falls
III Gay street, thus Penning up the flood
below it. The water burst from IFS
banks, and, seeking vent in the low
lands, Immediately inundated all that
section of the city known by the appel
| la:ion ofthe "Meadows."
Such was the darkness of the night,
the iateness Of the hour, and so little was
calamity so dreadful dreamed Of and
so sudden the inunda;ion, that few were
afforded tine for escape, and the conse-
| quence was the sacrifice Of many lives
complete list of which may never be
obtained. AT this moment we are moi
enabled to GO into full detail Of the
dreadful consequences of this inundation
and for full account, must wait for iur
Their developments. At present, We car
only give the following particulars:
MIR. Christopher Weist, sexton to th'
Rev. Mr.. HaispeId's church, togethe
with his wife and three children, wer
drowned. His family resided at th
corner OF Holiday and Saratoga streets
next door to the church TO which tn
, unfortunate Weist was sexton. Ate
: the water had subsidized, Mr.. West wa
. found drowned in his bed, with two G
his children in his arms the wife wa
in another bed, clasping her infant TO he
bosom. From these facts it is evider
that the dwelling of poor Weist was III
r undated by an Instantaneous rush oil wa
II ter, thus carrying the whole family
e the tomb.
= = Mrs Catharine Donneily, an Irish We
. man, residing at the corner Of Gay an
{ Centre streets, was drowned, and h.
is body has been recovered. Her husbaf
: is missing, and is supposed TO have bee
N carried down the stream and drowned.
&c A man named Dougherty was drow
ed at the corner Of Concord aud Wat
. streets.
A family Of colored people, residil