Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-01-15
From the Easton Whig
FRESHET-GREATDE OF PRI
VATE PROPERTY AND BRIDGES ON
THE LEHIGH AND DELAWARE RIV-
ERS, AND INUNDATION OF PART OF
OUR BOROUGH.

AS chroniclers of passing events it becomes our
painful duty to record a scene of destruction and
devastation such as was never before witnessed
in this section of country The late excessive rain
carrying with the snow which covered tie ground,
caused our streams to raise beyond all precedent
They came careering down with awful rapidity on
the morning of the 9Th inst producing waste and
ruin on every side, bearing on their angry waters
every kind of property--houses, barns store hous-
es, fences, stacks of gran and furniture of all de-
scription.
The Lehigh river, one of the most unruly and tur-
bulent of streams, has caused the greatest damage
AS far as heard from not bridge is left upon it.
Those at Stoddartsville, Lehighton, Siegfrieds,
Biery's, Allentown, Bethlehem, Freeman's, and
Easton are all swept away. The beautiful bridge
at our Borough, went about o'clock in the morn
ing of the 6th 1t breasted the flood most gallant
ly for hours but at last was obliged to yield, and
gracefully parting foated off upon the angry waters
that destroyed it.
The fiat below South Easton, between the river
and canal, containing the Collectors office of the
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and a small
village was so covered that the buildings were not
visible-all but the stone houses were carried off
The lower part of Wiiamsport is almost destroy
ed. The Canal Basin apparently demolished
the Collectors office of the Delaware Division
moved off its foundation-the way lock strpt of
its covering and both sides of the river here pre-
sents but one scene of ruin
The dwellings in the section of our Borough ad-
jacent to the Lehigh as far up as Lehigh street,
were inundated in the lower stories destroying the
furniture &c. the occupants having only sufficient
time to save themselves. Some ofthe dwellings
were injured considerably by the drift wood, the
end of one being torn out and otherwise damaged,
and leaving all in an almost untenantable cond-
ton. We saw saw-log deposited on a porch
about SO yards from the river.
The houses all along Water street were over
flowed, leaving them in most wretched condition
The Delaware, usually so remarkable for its
mldness as to be called the silvery Delaware al
so took to itself new character, and though not
as destructive above the Lehigh as that river, did
great damage. 1t is estimated that it was 35 feet
above low water mark, 6 feet higher than has ever
been heard of before. The destruction of the
bridge across it was looked for during the whole Of
the 6th but it withstood the flood though much in
jursd and torn. Report states that every other
bridge upon that river below this has gone.
AS yet we know of no loss of life hereabout
Mr. Lowry and son from Coleman's Dam were
both swept away. The father jumped upon log
and while passing just above here, before day was
seen, when one of our citizens, John Beam, at the
risk of his own fe pushed out in his boat brought
him safe to shore. This act ofintrepidity to save
fellow being deserves and has secured to the ac-
tor unqualified praise. The son, it is said, was
taken up about I2 miles below, still alive
The damage done to individuals is impossible to