The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1849-02-10
Correspondence Of The Cecil Whig
From Port DeDOsit,

Mr.. Editor You ale aware no doubt
that our town has been visited bv an unusu
ally destructive freshe,-anl have thought
it might prove interesting to yourself and
readers; TO have report of the Proceed
ings Of the Snsquehanna.' Comfortable as
your Log Cabin quarters may have been,
YOU cannot have forgotten the icy reception
that was given 10 the New Year. and the
bowling Of the fierce blasts Tightening the
mercury below zero The Snspuehanna
was pelrifi"d. (parlon the expression you
know she is a timed river, until swollen with
rage, and It's said, that those who live nnnn
her ba ks-at least about these p,rs-nar
take Of her so'ri'--and are ''fasily frigh'en
eI" The great quantity of ice that was
made in the cary part of January, caused
much apprehension Of danger.
The recent rains. and mild weather,
caused a rise in the river and the ice from
above in frantic wi|tlnes~, came rushing
and leaping upon the ice, that had ,o' CIV
en- way or broken up between onrtown
and IIavre de Grace. The scene was one
of ouf"l subHmi'y. Alone time You might
have seen the fast ice giving way before
The masses of floating ice, timber, and
trunks Of trees, that the angry tile was
bearing on, and when the accumulated
mass, had snnken itself to the bottom Of
the rver, it would leap pile on pile unit. H.,
in the middle. of the river, You behe'd a
mountain OF ice. The ice at Wason's Is
land; and al Havre de Grace, with dog
ged indifference 10 consequences, resisted
all the appeals that were made 10 it.. The
floating ice for a time assumed humility bow
ed itself, and ran under until il came in con.
tact with the bottom OF the river aud was
compelled to "ha't" The river thus OBJ
s'rncted the water began TO back upon us
and back, back il came until i, reached a
height some twelve feet above its usual
level Such was the rapidly of its rise
that many of our citizens in The lower side
oflhe street had not time 10 remove from
the lower stories of their dwellings, their
furniture and provisions.
You have been in nv ofIice!- the
water was from i to $ feet deep in nv
Office, dining room and kitchen, which
are all on the same floor quite mum.
Der ofpersons lett there dwellings. being
afraid to remain in them, during the
| nights of the LIST and Pad inst.
1t would swell this communication to
too great length 10 90 into particulars of
the disasters, that have resulted to us,
from the frcshet. A few items will suf-
tice.-l he Bridge at Rock Run, was lif
ted from its piers. and carried up to the
mlll-the large tavern stable belonging
TO the house occupied by Wm Falls. was
lifted from Its foundations, moved some
40 feet and now stands in the street.
blocking up all passage for vehicles
The house and shop, occupied by Geo.
Mason, Esq, was also removed, and he
had TO birounc on the hill side J.B.
farnall's stable and carriage house was
completely "mashc,l up" several other
stables and shops were carried some dis
lance down stream. THO d,ye1ing houses
one above the old stone warehouse and
the other below, the one occupied by
MIR Hotchkiss as dwelling and school
house, and the other by Mr.. Lawrence
were uhirled intothe street AID much in
jured.
In that part Of the town The ice was
piled mp in the street so that even pc
destrians could not gel along without
taking 10 the hills Your friend Max
well has sustained injury to his tannerv
and building to considerable extent. Mr..
f. Reynolds has also suffered by the al
most total dest cotton of his large shop.
Some damage has been done to the
wharvrs, and much inconvenience and
some loss will be sustained bv our lum
her'nen in gathering together, and put
ting TO rights the piles and parcels of
lumber that have been hoated about in
every direction
Oflhc extent ortho damage done me, shall
know more .f,,iiy when get the carpenters bills
for repairing &c II was i. novel sight, to see
bott' pving along our street. ealing at some of
the doors OF our houses-to convey the inmates
akore.
Our energetic commissioner and supervisor.
p, Vanncn,an ESQ.,. has been out Yesterday and
to day with posse Of men. removing obstruc
ton and cutting road through the ice that
by TO morrow carriages &c.. may pass through
our town
The river has dsgorged below somewhere,
and the water has fallen TO its accustomed bonn
dairy. 5ni the ice remains IN great quantities
ard this rod weather is cemenilng it more tightly
We fear that m"rc-and perhaps greater disas
tiers arc before us. Ynn know we have some
reputation here as 'iCoid Water MEN, and we
are calmly waiting the "end of the beginning. -
BY the WAY. had those penitsntary dcserv
ing sconndrcls Elyer and Sullvnn-and their as
socia!es, HI en submerged in the waters, that
have flooded us--ther pugistc fever. might
have been cooled off.
Should the Subsequent "proceedings Of the