The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-06-21
From the Baltimore American.
EXTENSIVE INUNDATIONM-GR
AND FATAL CALAMITY.

ny lar the most extensive and destructive
calamity with which the civ of Baltimore
has ever been visited was experienced on
"Wednesday night The heavy shower.
ct rain which decended on that night caus-
ed sudden and extraordinary rise of the
waters of Jones's Falls, tearing up the mill
dams and wooden bridges which cross the
upper parts of that stream, and bringing
them down against the stone bridges within
the city limits. The arches of the latter
being thus obstructed. and rapidly choked
up by the timber, plank and other wooden
fragments swept away from above, the wa
ters rose with fearful rapidity about o.
clock IN the morning, spreading over large
space OF the lower parts of the city to a
greater or less height, and doing most ex-
tenslve injury as well to those districts AS 10
the improved property binding on each side
of the Falls.
A calamity so sudden, so unlocked for,
and 30 widespread in its effects, occurring
too at the dead hour of night, was not, we
regret to say, confined to the loss of prop
erty only "a number Of lives were also
lost, including among other cases, a whole
family of FIVE persons--father, mother, aud
three children-who were awakened from
their sleep To meet at n moments warning
n simultaneous death. The precise num-
ber OF those who perished is not ascertain
ed at the time we ARE writing, but we hope
to be able to make, as nearly as may be, an
accurate statement before the paper is closed.
We devoted smne hours ycsrerday 10 the
hear-sickening duty Of examining this ex-
tended scene of devastation, but in attempt-
ing description of it we are fully satisfied
,hat nothing which we can say on the SUBJ
iect will furnish the reader with nn adequate
idea of its character and magnitude.
Those only who have gone over the
ground rs we have done, and witnessed in
detail the effects of the freshet, can duly es-
innate the nature of the calamity which, in
A few hours has visited with damage or ru-
n some hundreds of our fellow citizens.
The damage within the city, as we have
'lready stated, was caused by the obstruc-
ION of the passages of the stone bridges, of
which there are three, viz: at Gay street,
Baltimore street, and Pratt street. That at
iay street has n single arch, that at Balti-
more street has two arches, and that at Pratt
treet three arches. The last named was
he first TO become obstructed by the de-
cending timbers, and that at Baltimore
treet was soon after in the same condition.
The bridge at Gay street apparently passed
II The smaller fragments until the new ,
'ooden bridge at Centre street was swept, .
oddly, from its abutments and lodged n ,
ainst it. These distractions forced the j.,
'aters into new channels, aud consequent :
: rendered the destruction of property :
reater IN the vicinity of those bridges.
Beginning with our details, for the sake
cearne.s, at the upper line Of the Falls, y
e have to state that for some miles up that i
ream, the banks on both sides were over |,
owed. In many places large portions of e
e banks have fallen in, and great damage y
as done to the Turnpike. Where the land h
rs low, fences and sheds were carried away, n
I'd whole fields of grain entirely inundated {;
I'd destroyed. Many persons residing near Il
e stream narrowly escaped with their u
'es, while others, it is said where drowned +
fore they could leave their houses, or be- n
g swept off in them, were swallowed up m
the waters. :,
he FIRST bridge of any consequence over
e Falls is about two miles from the city, NJ
t
here the road crosses the stream, mt the n
st turnpike gate. The gate-keeper, rous- u,
by the noise Of the waters, left his house c,
tn his family and Immediately awakened CT
. occupants of three frame dwellings ad- h,
ming his own. He had scarcely succeed n,
in getting all the families out before the q,
dge was swept off, carrying with it the 10
ar dwellings.
We now come down to the more i@prov- Tia
and ,bickly inhabited parts of the city. of
Centre street the Falls takes somewhat co
rupt turn, and here the work Of devssta- in
n begsn to assume its most serious as be
It. The large wooden bridge recently M
cted here was swept off entire. The ne
rent here left its accustomed bed, and he
ming dows in a direct lios over the wall cr'
ich ordinarily confines Il. forced ifs way on