The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-02-05
Great ETCshct--"Vmmcu-c Destruction a.
PropCrty.

4t'7 va iHIEt lhIl' lpNt 10 al uluSuIl lltlgul
owing to the sudden thaw of large body of snow
| in theCrotonV Valley and the fall ola large quantity
Of rain. The thaw came on so sudden, and the
rain continued in such torrents, that many of the
oldest inhabitants of the Valley felt alarmed. and
/ left their homes for safety. The Croton Aquc-
duct, which is calculated to supply the city of
New FORK with water, was much injurcd-the
| injury sustained by this work is estimated at
SG72500 including bridges, mills, furniture iron,
fences, stock, destruction of the dam, &c
The property destroyed is immense-bcyond
calculation. The irigh,ful SCIENCES and alarming
condition Of the inhabitants was beyond comprc-
hcnson. The New Yor, Herald thus describes
portion OF the suffering.
The most important and the most me-
lancholy loss by this sad accident, is that
OF the Messrs. BaiIey's iron and wire
workers, situated about mile below the
dam on the banks of the Croton. These
gentlemen were originally from England,
and they established their factory on the
banks of the Croton about ten years since.
On Thursday last they partook of the
I partial alarm which prevailed among their
neighbors. and during the night three of
I the partners with about forty labororS.
were engaged throwing up temporary
embankment to preserve their property
from the rising water. They had so far
! progressed with their work bv o'clock
on Friday morning as to think it safe 10
retire TO rest. They had just dismissed
the labor0rs 10 their homes. and got 10
I their own rooms. when they were alarmed
by the sounding of horns from the oppo-
ste bank Of 1lIr river. aFri uT7r- Of the old
hands in the mill named William Evans.
but better known in the neighborhood as
I"Uncle John ran in to say that the wa
tiers were coming, and lha, unless the
sluices Of the mill were opened to give
them vent, mischief to an alarming extent
would ensue.
One Of the Mr.. BaiIcys ran to alarm
/ the ladies and children Of their own fami-
/ ~, another to awaken his father, and Sc
cure what valuabIes he had in his room,
and a third to give the alarm in the vii
/ lage. TO the laborors and their families
1t was literally save himself who call
for, in less time than it takes to write it.,
The waters were upon them, like unto a
sea, and, in few brief minutes, the whole
of their possessions were hurled to the fu-
ry Of the flood, and some fifty or sixty
human beings struggling for life.
The women and children chung to the
trees about the place, as a sort of ark OF
safety; and strange as it may seem, young
mothers with infants got into the branch
cs, and were preserved from this watery
waste, which seems to have been almost
equal to the effort nature must have made
to give
"a young Niagara BIRTH
Two stout men were less fortunate than
those weak women; for the trees on
which they rested gave way and swept
rapidly towards the Hudson. In vain did
''uncie John" appeal to the sympathies
of his friends and fellow workmen. They
could not stir step, or they would have
shared the old mans fate +; and the tree
went down, amid the shrieks and cries o.
the doomed ones"
Further Destruction Of property in Penn
sytyania, Oh the Schuyl!sil and I.chixI
=, rivers.
Destructive us has been the flood on the Crotor
| ,;,, anal, thor "a, l
comparison to the damages and loss of propert,
in eastern Pennsylvania. The destruction on thu
r SchuylkilI, has been immense. The water rest
, higher than it has Tor number of wears. bein.
T nearly as high as ever known to be by the oldes
inhabitants. The amount of property dcstroyc,
at and in the vicinity of Reading is immense
The "Schuylkill Sackwater Navigation Com
= pany" has sustained grca, loss Bridges, locks
cmbankments Lighthouses, &c. have been cntirel
destroyed. The Reading Gazette contains tn
following in relation to the destruction of proper
ty ON the Lohigh and Delaware:
"The destruction along the Lehigh ap
u pears even to have been more disas,rou
2 than along the Sohuvlkill. A letter lron
c Mauch Chunk gives a narrowing accoun
h OF the destruction and loss Of life aion
s that stream. The following extract need
- no comment. So affecting to all con
!. ccrned is the news from that region. thu
= even we--suilcrers rs we are. must cor
!. graduate oursclve that it was not with u
: as with them. But TO the extract---