Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-12-09
NOTHING.

From the Buffalo Commercial Adv. Nov. 90.
Scenes of yesterday--Storm-Grand IL.
lumination-G -Gale-Inundation-
Loss of Life d Destruction of
PROPERTY.
Rarely in the annals Of our city have
SO many important events been crowded
into so short space of time, as those
which have occurred in the last twenty
four hours. The morning was warm but
lowering, yet the firing of cannon COM
menced and was kept up with spirit, and
the preparations went on with vigor for
the illuminations in the evening. To.
wards noon, however, the rain poured
down in torrents. Previous to this the
wind had been in the south east, and a
fleet of20 sail went up the lake in beau.
tiful style. About ! o'clock the wind
chopped ronnd into the S. w. and there
appeared the prospect of a pleasant eve-
ming; but those who ara acquainted
from the swell of the lake, and the rap
id rise of water, predicted the gale,
which commenced blowing with all of
its fury as soon as night set in.
Darkness had hardly closed around us,
when the city was again in blaze of
light from the splendid illumintaions in
every quarter. Tar barrels were burnt,
bands Of music patrolled the streets,
cannon were fired, and rockets sent bla-
zing through the air.
All this time the wind was increasing
in fury,till people could hardly keep their
footing in the streets-and the water RI
sing to an unexpected heighth about the
docks, and the lower part of the CITY,
Amid the roar Of the wind and waves,
were heard the shrieks of the 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 re.
sided in some miserable shells OF bull
dings on the exposed neck of land be-
tween the creek and the lake, The
Common Council of the city directed
two years ago that no house should be
erected there unless based upon good
brick or stone foundations at least eight
feet high.-The title to the land is dispu.
ted in many instances, and temporary
buildings have heen set up on blocks at
the four corners, and several families
had gone into them for the sake of OBJ
tanning possession. II has been won-
der that they would risk their lives in
such frail tenements, for from their ap.
pearance one would imagine that COM
mon wind would PROSTATE them. Some
of these this morning were floating about
the hasbor, while here and there lie the
broken fragments Of those that were not
strong enough TO resist the force of the
inundation. Some ten or twelve houses
part Of them uninhabited-were wash
ed completely from their foundations
across the creek, and are now strew-
ed about in every direction. Several
vessels stranded high and dry on the
beach. The schooner Edward Ban
croft lays up in the centre of Ohio st.
She dragged her anchor some distance
into the city. The steam ferryboat laws
high aground and considerably damaged.
The 0. P. Starkie, and the Brandy
wine, and the Texas schooners, were
driven on shore, but not materially dam
aged.
The loss Of life-the most dreadful of
the catastropbe-cannot at present be
ascertained. Five bodies have been
brought TO the watch-house, but MANY
are probably not discovered.--These
are two children OF John German, a
young man--name unknown, the wife OF
Wm- Judson, and a. coIoured woman.
VIM. Judson lived in house near the
stone building foot Of mechanic street.
When this house was destroyed, histwo
children were in bed and have not vet
been found. He and his wife got on to
the canal bridge, where she perished of
the cold, and he escaped by swimming to
a pile of boards, from which he was res
cued. We saw him this morning wrap
ped in a quilt looking among the wreck
ofhis dwelling, which had foatcd in
to the canal. for the bodies ofhis chill
dren.
Many other vessels steamboats,, sc.
are more or less damaged, as well as
most Of the warehouses on the docks.
The loss Of property is difficult to esti-
mate. Il is strewed in every direction.
About twenty-five buildings such as we
have described. were either totally Dc.