The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-09-18
From the National hteligeneer.
GREAT FLOOD,

On Saturday last we published account of the
damage done 10 buildings and other property in this
city and It's vicinity by the late equinocual storm
We feel ourselves called on to notice much
more extensive injuries done to public and private
property in this city and in Georgetown by the
precedentcd rising of the water in the Potomac and
IN the Chesapeake and Ohio and Washington Canals
on Saturday last. The water in the Washington Ca
nal completely overlooked its banks, and at the Sc
venth street bridge was st ten o'clock +. NJ al least
two feet higher that the embankment Most of the
cellars the south side of Pennsylvania avenue
from Seventh street TO Second street were teluged
with water; and the wood merchants on the margin
Of the canal and basin suffered considerably. In the
low grounds on the margin of the canal in the Fifth
Ward there extensive sheet of water, which
rendered OF the streets impossible TO foot pas
sengers.
In Georgetown we regret to state that the flour
and wood merchants along Water street have suffer
ed heavily The water has inundated all the cellars
and many Of the principal warehouses in the princi-
pal business streets and the wharyes and warehouses
presented a scene of great and desolation dur
ing the whole Of Saturday Many fine wood piles
were carried away by the flood SO serious is the
damage done to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal that
1t is thought by many competent judges it will take
many weeks to repair it. The GeorgetoSn Adyo-
cate of Saturday evening thus notices this unfortu
nate visitation
"The stormy weather of late has been unusually
long continued for this meridian and season and its
consequences have been more or less felt IN town and
couniTy-n the latter particularly, both fields and
streams The storm of last week, WI ch did SO
osd 6f3essss &c has 6een followed up b, conn
ed wet weather, which Thursday night last grew
into tremendous storm Of wind and ram which on
ly abated vi the morning, when evident signs we @
visible IN our streets, IN the uProotng Of trees aud
raZeelng OF gardens, Of its probably more destructive
effects IN the vicinity The farmers have suffered in
the breaking down of their corn though not so severe
y as might have been from its being nearly all made
and also m the flooding Of nearground crops The
orchards, too, have suffered much and the fruit
peaches IN particular, which were abundant. been
stripped from the branches
" Judging from the immense body OF water which
/ Is now Rushing down the Potomac and from which
we already begin TO hear of most destructive results
above, and which, too, has been the means of seriou
injury here the storm must have been most widely
extended and no less violent in all the Potomac re-
gion. Ever since yesterday morning the river has
been on the rise and from toward dusk last evening
until this morning most rapidly, and il believed vet
so continues, until II has reached a height of som.
three feet beyond aug former period in ,r,Uoy,, All
the cellars aud many Of the floors above Of the store,
and warehouses the lower side of Water street arc
completely Hooded and In part OF the same street
for two squares aud a half the street "a u,d,r
water 10 the depth Of three or four feet while a num-
Der Of the houses the upper side thereof are also
reached by the flood As 10 the wharyes 10 the length
/ Of the whole town, not Of them can be seen
/ The damage Is Of course immense for nowithstand
I my many OF Tue merchants labOTed tNrDyhgut he
night m he removal Of their goods large amounts Of
-four, sugar, mslasses, salt and other merchandise
are completely hidden from view and much has been
IN the course Of removal throughout the morning IN
| damaged state. Some accidents also befeli he
shipping, and caused no little scare 10 portion oC
| the seamen.
The Chesp, axe and Ohio Canal, we are sorry IN
say, has again suffered severely but the wafer coyer
l ing ITS banks for miles II Is impossible ,e Ia
say 70 VIVA exact extent. This morning found IL
empty at tis place, II having been necessary during
the night 80 immense was the body Of waller f,t.bi,s
down IT, to cut away the bank about four miles abo,
the town The breech above, 1t is believed is some
hundred and fifty feet, whist iu the other places tbe
banks are said 10 be more or less inured.d
The preceding account Of the obstructive rresbe
copied from the Advocate, furnishes the particulars
OF the di,asiers 10 our Georgetown pephbots IN 10
noon on Saturday. We made visit 10 Georgc,n,,,
about O'Clock n the evening and remained there
until sunset, in full view Of Water street which
from the BASIN 10 near High street was one c.ntinu'
Gus shoot e IL was a singular ,,d no,at
! spectacle 10 see canoes boats and scovs plying lr
water street, and IN front Of the principal ware
| houses and stores. The amount of the injury dnn.
by thi, disastrous froshet 10 the merchant, and ri,
Zehs OF Georgetown was estimated by an INTELLIGENT
/ merchant with WHOM We conycrscd AT betsc,n
! $4,000 and $4,000 The principal suIsrer. aro
| Messrs. ? 4 \. n. Dodge Messrs PickreIl -,
/ Davidson, Pearson, Brown, Dixon. R.,cl,fs ~
therson Smo"t, and Miller Duvall. So d,sastrou.
reshel has not occurred IN Georgetown for the last
iorty i've years, as We assured BY an old inbab
tant
IL was feared when we LEFT Georgetown on Saur.
gay even ng last, that the er would rise-birhcr
about two o'clock next morning; and such wa, The
fact Wv
yesterday, as late as three O'Clock r VI when we
close tins paragraph, the water had fallen con.iJo,
ny. At The seventh street canal bridge near tJ
Centre market IN this city, the water had rec,dcd
much, aud b street, next the canal was free rem,
,nundston Many, however, Of the contiguou. cell
lals, yards ana enclosures were sGn completely
o'efho"cd Some Of the city wood merchants are |
sufferers by The ireshct but the greatest losrr ,r
The wood aud lumber merchants IN Georgetown.
At . O'Clock Z. VI. the water IN the basin NJ H., /
Washington canal had fallen little below the love.
OF the banks, and was still receding
MoNDAY.-Tbe wat rs have sub. iJed.-M,n
Rsgee, alledged TO be connected with the Sap,d...