Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-03-19
CORRESPONDENCE ofthe u. S. GasetYe.

Correspondence 0I Ihe u o. GdSeite
Tremendous Flood in the Susquehanna--Both
Bridges at Harrsbusg-The Clarke's Ferry
and the Mouth Of Juniata Bridge, all gone II
River higher than for the last fifty gears
HARRISBURG, March Is. 1916
Dear Sir-l suppose your heart is already
sick of hearing Of the devaslations Of The recent
food, as il has, in all probability, no. been con-
6ned TO this section alone. but must extend 10
every stream which has its sources where an
accumulation Of snow had furnished the male.
rials for sending i, forth. Expecting tha, you
will receive this by the Reading route, (he
communication by Lancaster being suspended,)
I shall endeavor to give you some of the effects
of the food along our river.
The Susquehanna rose gradually and fearful
ly all last night, bearing upon each succeeding
surge additional evidences of the devastation i,
had committed, which furnished at The same
time additional weapons for further destruction
Tremendous cakes Of ice and huge masses Of
timber rushed by, upon its foaming surface
Abou, four o'clock this morning, Two spans of
the old Bridge, between this shore and The isl.
and, fell with tremendous crash into the riv-
er, the dust from the floor rising up in cloud
which totally obscured for time the wreck
which had been made. Abou, FIVE O'Clock an
other fell, carrying with it two spans of The
Railroad Bridge, thus leaving bu, one span of
the Old Bridge. and TWO Of the new one, stand
ing, next this shore. About l.2 o'clock, A.
NJ. two spans Of the Clarke's Ferry Bridge
came floating down among the other wrecks,
which being nearly whole, struck agains, the
remaining span of The Old Bridge, but passed
under the arch, after being considerably crush.
ed, without moving it. Blu. the remaining por-
lions Of The Railroad Bridge were carried with
it, and both moved off together.
The floating ice and timber gradually under
mined The pier which supported the end Of the
last span of the old bridge, until i, was eviden,
i, must give way. and crowd Of people watch
ed j, all day upon the bank, until about half pas,
2 O'Clock P. NJ. when The upper half Of the
pier being entirely undermined and crumbled
away, the span tolered for momen..--crack-
ed, d,--leaned up stream-broke- and was
carried away.
Much sympathy is felt for The Cumberland
Valley Rail Road Company, who having sus-
tanned The entire loss of their former beautiful
fabric by fire, had mustered their resources and
directed their energies TO The reconstruction o
the same-upon a more permanen, plan, have
now witnessed the destruction of their renewed
labors by food. [, seems as if the elemen
had combined against them.
The Magnetic Telegraph is demolished be
tween This and Lancaster. The river is now
falling, and its surface is nearly clear OF ic,
and floating lumber. write al 10 o'clock p NJ
A span OF bridge is lodged agains! The up
per end of the Island opposite here, which i
supposed 10 be portion Of the bridge over tn
mouth OF The Juniata, a, Duncan's Island
Amid the masses of floating ice were 10 b.
seen fragments of bridges, mills, boats. fences
RATS, hays,acks and almos, every thing imagi
nable.
The lower end Of our town, in The vicini,
Of The canal is totally inundated, aud canoe
were plying from door 10 door. The river wa
at its highesl point about noon, being then abou
? 2l feet above low wafer mark five feet hishe
than the highest mark Of The oldest nhabllan