Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-09-14
GREAT rLooD-rwEsry LrYEs Losr |.

CLOCK, +. M. The water was at its height
about IL o'clock, A. M. The Greek com
menced rising in the night, but very nod
erately, until about O'Clock, A. M. when
1t began 10 rise with fearful rapidity, and
soon overspread its highest banks-carrying
with 1t houses, barns, mills, trees, and eve
rything which obstruoted its course. The
water was 81 feet above its common level.
The destruction to life and property was
truly appalling. The greatest damage was
done at the Nescopeck Forge; there 90
lives were lost, 5 dwelling houses, the
smlth-shop, carpenter shop, coal house
(nearly full Of CHARCOAL were swept away.
The forge is left standing, but it and the
dams and races, are SO much injured as not
to be worth repairing. The loss is estma-
ted at not less.ihan $4,000. The property
belonged to S. F. Hpadly, Esq, of this
place, and Mr.. George Westler, OF Nesco-
peck Forge.
The persons drowned were workmen
and their families. We give their names
as far as we have ascertaned them:
Mrs. Mary Smith, (wife of Sam'l Smith,
and child VIM. Custibocher; John Bir-
ket, and his wife and children, viz
Catharine, Augustus, Samuel, William, and
Lyda-the latter was married to VIM.
Reichart; Mrs. Reichart, (wife of Anthony
Reichart,) and children, viz--Lucinda,
Esther, and Maria Catharine Fink, (wife
of Peter Fink,) and child Celesta Hewet; !;
Elizabeth Parks, (wife of Ephraim Parks, a
colored man, and child; and an old lady
by the name of Reihnbolt.
MIR. John Dreisbach, resident about two
miles up the creek above the forge, lost his
grist-mill, saw-mill, dwelling house, and al;
mis- out buildings, except his barn his loss
must be $4,000. Two houses came down
the creek by the forge with all their furni-
ture, one OF which was supposed to be Mr..
Dresbach's, but the other is unknown.
MIR. David Evans, the owner of the large
Flour null, about one mile below the forge,
and the same distance from the river, also
suffered greatly by the destruction of pro-
perty-but no lives were lost. His saw
mill, two barns, and all his out houses were
taken away, and his -four mill seriously in
Ijured. His loss is estimated at S3,000.-
Mr. Evans and his family were for several
hours in iminent danger. The flood had
surrounded the house, and came in upon
the floor, and upon either side was deep
and swift current. 1t was painful to stand
as we stood, and look over to that DWELL
ing-a single speck surrounded by the swift
Hood-and see its inmates looking from its
open windows for that help which we could
see no way to extend them. And what
must have been the painful anxiety of their
minds, as they saw the angry flood surge
by them-carrying with it every Article oI
household furniture-wrecked houses and
their perishing inmates-whiie their own
dwelling was filling with water! They
were rescued by the noble exertions o.
Messrs. FRANCIS GINGLE and SAMUEL VIII,
LIAMs, who brought batteau from tn,
river, and went to their rescue. Wher
that boat with five persons left the house
we covered our eyes with painful anxiety
we could scarcely hope that SO ftai barl
could survive that raging flood but it hac
stout arms and hearts to man it, and wheT
they landed safely in the eddy below, W,
breathed for the first freely again.
Mr.. George Westler and his family wer,
rescued in the same way, from their hous,
al Nescopec forge, by Mr.. PETER SINNER
and those who witnessed his exertions OF
that occasions, are loud in their praise. Hi
had his boat taken from the river over tn,
hill and landed at the creek-some 80 rod
directly above the house in which th
workmen and their families had collected
then % in number) and then pushed ou
upon the swiftest part of the flood--wher
il was thrown into angry waves by tn
dam-and tried to reach the sufferers bu
, in vain. The wild waters were too stron
for any human arm, and as he was carrie
like bubble past, all hope must have lei
them. They were there upon the roof c
} the house, vainly holding to each other fo
) help-and soon after were swept away b
the resistless torrent But three person
were saved, viz: Anthony Reichart, (pick
/, ed about the time he was being carried int
T the river,) Samuel Smith-rescued by Jon
WILLIAMS and Thomas STAcKHoUsE, wh
d had also brought boat near to Evans mil
/, to aid the sufferers. The third was Ept
rain Parks, a colored man, who was re
cued by JOHN CHAMBERLAIN, and THoMl
O STACKHoUsE.
! The foregoing are the particulars as {;
It as known. Up to this morning nine Of tt
K dead bodies have been found.-BerlDit
n Telegraph.
From the schuylki Haven Map
So quick came the flood upon us th
many barely escaped with their 1--we
while Mrs. O'Connor was carried awe
and drowned. The particulars connects
y with her death are distressing. The hou
+ is situated by the railroad but near the rlv
the husband saw the wave coming al
rushing to the house secured the childr
10 and warned the deceased to run ior her lii
Mt she however continued on the fat ende
to voring to coax pig out of danger, VIII
of the wave came and overwhelmed her,
r. When she rose upon the surface she lift
it, her hands imporingly TO her husband
* brother upon the bank, and screamed
help, second serge came dashing on a
she sank to rise no more. Her body "
he recovered the next day, it having float
a a..t Ii. t<xx.y