Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-08-22

mense mass of lumber, furniture, mill
wheels &C., shot by upon the current -
At length, while the assembled citiZeni
gazed, with white lips, upon the ruin
the railroad bridge, built at an eTOrmou
expense, was lifted from its foundation
and flung down the stream. The mex
to follow was the suspension bridge. This
structure was one Of which every en-
lightened American was proud, as il was
the first chain bridge built in the world
Europe has since claimed the invention
but here stOod-alas! it stands no longer
the proof, erected thirty years ago, thai
to America belongs the credit Of having
invented and constructed the first sus-
pension bridge.
When the mass of matter which shot
upon the stormy and roaring torrent,
struck the bridge, it Swayed and groan,
ed, and at length, after a moments re-
sistance, its vast iron fastenings gave
way with crash, and the chains, as
they grated upon each other, sparkled
and flashed like lightning. 1t swung
heavily for a moment and fell into the
food. The water now swept through
several Of the lower streets. | saw this
morning house in the middle of one
street, and shallup in another, lef! by
the receding stream. The nature and
extent Of injury done could not be es.
timated; but it was with dismay which
approached despair that citizens saw the
flood roll into their storehouses and sweep
their hard earnings away. This morn
ing, however. disclosed in part the ex.
tent of the ruin. 1t was found that
wharves, tanyards, machine shops, store.
houses, lumber and coal yards, &c. had
been either carried ofby the flood, or
RUNE d by the inundation. Messrs. Ey-
res, Kits, Brobston, Paxton, &C., are
severe sufferers. But the consequences
in Chester are trivial in comparison
with those which have occurred higher
up the Chester and Ridley creeks. Eve
ry bridge, or nearly every one on those
two streams, have been carried away
Many Of these was costly and subS.an-
tial structures, and il will cost an i'm.
mense sum to replace them. Most of
the mills and factories upon those
streams have shared the same fate.
The factories of Mr.. Grocer, of Mr..
Dickson, of Mr.. Riddle, and others, have
been swept away. Immense numbers of
bales of cotton, boxes Of goods, barrels
OF dyeWood and barrels of -four have
been carried down to the Delaware, or
scattered upon the meadows into which
the flood, in its fury, broke and deposited
its spoil. II is believed that all the dams
are gone. The pecuniary loss to indi-
Viduals is frigh:fully great ;and that which
has fallen upon the country is not less
appalling. The lowest estimate of loss
is $35O,OOO; but this is made up, to a
greater extent upon conjecture. The
country will probably be constrained 10
raise, by loan, the means of reconstruct
ing her bridges. as all intercourse be-
tween the different sections Of the coun>
try is now cut off.
But the loss of property. terrible as II
is, is inconsiderable to the loss Of life
with which the affections Of Providence
has been attended. 1t is believed that no
less than 2O,and probably as many more,
persons have been drowned. At one
place on the Chester creek, an entire
family, that ofMr. Rhodes, consisting of
himself, wife, and two small children,
found it impossible, so instantaneous was
the rise and rush Of the torrent, to es.
cape the house, and all perished. Atthe
Flour Mills, devoted mulatto woman,
finding that Mr. Flower was in great dan
ger, attempted to rescue him, but the
sudden dash of the food swept her away,
and she was engulphed. Mr.. Flower,
who was in an upper story Of the mill,
leaped from a window into a tree; here
he remained until the torrent tore up
the tree and swept itIonward. He, how
ever, succeeded in getting hold Of the
branches ofanother tree thatresisted the
tide, and he was saved. Several bodies
have been found upon the shore and in
the meadows. This fatality is to be as.
cribed to the suddeDness of the rise Of
the water, It.was as if the earth had
opened AMI poured forth her secret food
Scarcely was the presence Of danger
known, before it was followed by the ab-
sence of hope. HUndreds of hair breath
escapes are narrated. The whole coun
try is overspread with gloom, and the
consequences of last nights Calamitie'
viii long Overshadow the prosperity o
this lovely section Ofcountry."