The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-02-05

street some six feet deep. On one side
the inmates have left the lower story and
taken to the second for safety: 1t is an
awful night. House after house is going
down the Lehigh. All three of the saw
mills have gone: Two stone stables at
the hotel also gone with the bridges, &c.
Anthccanals, locks, sc. gone: Whole
houses are passing: One of the large
packet boats broke loose, and passed down
close to the piazza of the hotel which is
two stories high. What the damage is
below we dare not think of. We fear ere
to-morrow's dawn many valuable citizens
will have found a watery grave.
Friday eyening.-Our darkest lorebo-
dings have been more than realised. All
our beautiful navigation, above and below,
is swept away. Dams, locks, lock-hous-
es, inmates and all, are gone: those ire
mendous locks are entirely swept away ::
The bridges above and below are gone :
The large railroad bridge at the end of
the Narrows, the one At Lchigh, Gap, &C.,
all are gone: Out of twenty houses,
from Squire Sayres to Leighton, but four
remain; and very many OF the inmates
are gone with them: those who heard
them, say their shrieks for help were
most appalling: every account grows
more dreadful: The river is 4 clear stream
from mountain to mountain.
From Mauch Chunk TO Allentown the
stream appears to have gone on with the
same fury, carrying along with il every
thing III its course.
A beautiful bridge built but few years
back gave way, and was swept past
Bethlehem, carrying in its course several
small farm houses with it, and sweeping
off the bridge at frcmansburg. three miles
below Bethlehem, and the Easton bridge
over the Lehigh, so that not a single
bridge remains over the Lehigh from the
Delaware up to Mauch Chunk.
Near Allentown five houses were swept
away, and one family is missing, suppos-
ed to have been drowned. No mails have
arrived at Bethlehem since Wednesday
evening. There are others who have
lost their property by being swept oil,
and injured by water which oyerllowed
the stores.
The river has been covered with boats,
haysiacks, houses, and lumber of every
description. The basin at the head OF
the Delaware canal is entirely carried
away. The lock house, the weigh-house,
and several other buildings in the neigh
boThood OF the canal are totally destroyed.
Many dwelling houses were carried
down the river, III one oil which a family
was al me ume' a herman family also
were cdIFleu uo"h III ooat' "ilai mas be-
come OF the unlor'una'es has not yetbeen
learu' i'ey were seen 10 pass Eastoh,
Dut no assistance could be rendered them.
he bridges at frcemansburg, Brery 5
ana SlglIed have been swept away
These however are but a few which
might he specified.
Mr.. Elan Lowry, who keeps the locks
at Coleman 5 Dam, about 3 miles above
Easton, was standing on the abuiment OF
the Dam, together with his son; when II
gave way and both were preclpltatcd into
the nver Mr. Lowry got hold Of log
and Heated down to Easton, where he
was taken off by Mr. John Beam, in a
battcaX, who nobly rlsked his life TO save
him.
From above Easton on the Delaware,
not much has been heard, but there is
reason TO believe that there is the same
destruction there as up the Lchigh. Be
low Trenton, from the width of the river,
not sn much domagn was done ,s abovn