New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-16
The Floo d at New Hope.

From the LsmoerIviGe H. j. DiGrst
The damage done 10 New Hope, by the Great
snripg Creek was considerable. On Monday morn
;ns the dam above the Excelsior Mills gave way,
and the aters of the dam, in addition TO the mad
torrent of the Bwollen creek, came nown with
friebtful rush. There are three separgte establish
ments below the dam-the Excelsior Cotton Works
Of Mr.. Cove the Machine Shops of Messrs. Will
liam and Charles Crook, and the Aquetong Grigt
Mill. Che two latter were worked by the water
power from this dam; the Cotton mill having sub.
st;,uted a powerful steam engine for the water
power. When the dazzling of the waters was
Brss discovered, au alarm was given by Mr.. Charles
Crook and all who could, few for safety. mum,
Der of females were taken from a dwelling. house
near the factory, in boats, the house being com
pletely surrounded with water. One young man.
named William Nsylor. employed in the black
smith shop of Aessrs Crook, very Narrowly es'
esyed drowning. The shop stands on slight eleva-
sion in the low lands of the Creek, and was sur
rounded by water The young man became
alarmed and confused, and in attempting to eBcape
got into deeper water, and was swept away down
stream for fifty or Rixty yards, when he came In
contact with willow tree to which he held last,
and finally climbed up. He was compelled to re-
main in this peious situation, naked, (hsvlng pre-
yiously taken his clothes off to assist his escape)
for space OF two hours. He was saved by rope
which was thrown by bis friends from the rope
walk below the factory; the rope lodged in the
tree in such a way as to fagten itself among its
fimbR and on it be climbed to the rope.walk, with
the torrent boiling beneath him, and he was 80
overcome and chilled by the exposure and excite
meDt as to be almost helpless. Ills lie was truly
In imminent peril
The bridge at the factory waa also carried away.
About eighty feet CT the dam gave way, and it
10 estimated that the expense OF rebuilding 1t will
be seven or eight hundred dollars. The gristmul
will be stopped for q week. and the business OF
Messrs. Crooks establishment will be seriously
mterfered with for the same length of tins. The
water was about two feet deep on the lower floor
Of the cotton factory, ipjuring some of the ma
chinery by wetting it, and doing some damsge to
the cotton in that part of the building
liz LAMBERTvlLLE-SwRn Creek presented
most terrific scene. The food came on so suddenly
that the people nhabiting the district known az
Ehe Hook, were surrounded with water before
shey were aware OF IT, and il was with Consdera.
bic difficulty, and the assistance of neighbors that
they were saved. The foundations OF some of the
houses in THE dstrict were injured, and this turn
pike and Rock Road bridges carried away. The
atone arch bridge on M ain ht thirty hve feet span
was also swept away AT the canal culvert on
this creek, the water piled up almost as high as
the tow path; and the violence OF the stream es,
Gaping through the calvert was altogether beyond
description. For time it was thought the cuyert
must give way The south wall Of the Flax Fac
Immediately below the culvert, was undermined
and fell and the support given to the wing OF the
culvelt by the stones Of this wall may have saved it,
The Aleksaken creek bid defiance to all OBJ
Giructions The new bridge which was built last
year on the river road torn out root and branch
The stone culvert of the canal feeder aoross this
creek, consisting OF three arches of solid mason
work, was broken through and the entire canal
for distance of hundred feet, waa taken square
out. Nor did the torrent stop here bat pursued
its course straight onward through Hocombe'
Ialand (which is divided from the main land by o
channel which has always heretofore been sufficient
TO carry off the waters Of this creek into the main
body of the Delaware river, uProoting trees and
EARTH and carry ing all with it. Large numbers oil
treea, quantities of lumber &c, were brought
down the creek from above and, az We heard g
gentleman appropriately exclaim-" what work o.
human construction could be expected to stand
when an entire iosest was swept so furousy
asainst it J."
The new stone arch bridge across the creek in
She lower limits Of the town, al the old tan yard
was also torn out.