Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-07-23
TERRIBLE FLOOD ON THE JU.
MIATA.

no one apprehended an unusual rise in the
river from these. About ten o'clock how.
ever, Of the latter day, it became evident
to persons in the lower part of town tha,
the Juniata was swelling with great rapid.
ity, and the alarm was at once sounded
through that section. In few hours the
towpath below the lock and the yards and
gardens along the creek were all sub
merged, and the water gradually crept in.
to Elizabeth and Main streets, below the
stone bridge, until it covered the turnpike
as far as Longs Foundry. The river con.
tinued rising until about four o'clock,
when it had attained the height Of IS feet
above low water mark. Up to this time
great anxiety was felt to ascertain its stage,
as it was well known that if the Raystown
Branch came upon us with body of water
like that from the other branches of the
Juniata, an unexampled food would be
the result. Fortunately at the hour
named it was at stand for few minutes,
and then commenced falling rapidly.
For the first FIVE miles above Lewistown
the damage sustained is light, most of the
farmers escaping with the loss of some
wheat and fencing. Farther on we have
heard of instances where considerable
quantities of grain, &c, were swept of,
and such is no doubt the case in all the
low grounds, the loss increasing as it ap-
proaches the small tributaries which
poured this immense volume of water into
the Juniata.
The railroad sustained no damage below
Mill Creek at that place stone culvert
was washed away, but will be passible to-
day or tomorrow. Beyond that no mate.
rial injury was sustained on the road until
at Petersburg where portion of the
bridge was carried off. The delay, we
learn, will not be great to the travelling
community, and week or two will suffice
to put the road into good order
The greatest loss, as usual, falls upon
the State. Below Lewistown a large
quantity Of driftwood has lodged in the
canal, and the banks have sustained dam
age in a great number of places. Above
Mill-creek, and from thence up, it is still
worse, and several weeks will probably
elapse before navigation can be resumed
throughout.
The Huntingdon Globe, under date of
evening, 5 o'clock, furnishes
US with the following particulars. In ad-
dition to the eight persons mentioned by
the Globe as victims Of the food, six
others are reported lost:
More rain fell here than was ever known
to fall in the same length Of time. Be-
tween and 4 o'clock Crooked Greek, Mud |
iy Run, Spruce Creek, Shaver's Greek,
Stone Greek, and many others having
emptied their floods into the Juniata, it
was at the highest-as high, or nearly so, |
as the flood of al. The streams above
named were never known to be SO high, or
the destruction along them SO great. On
the stream at Shaffersville, above Water.
street, we regret to learn, the house occu-
pied and We believe owned by Robert
Kinkead, was, with his whole family,
wife and six children and Miss Hile-
man, swept away. Mr., Kinkead, we have |
been informed, was at Hollidaysbug at the
time. The family would not leave the
house-they could not be made believe
they were in danger, until they were all
suddenly swept away to meet watery
graves. Mrs. X. has been found.
The crops of wheat on the low lands
along the Juniata and the other streams
were principally cut during last week, and
there having been but very little hauled
in, nearly the whole has been swept away
or lodged in damaged state on islands or
against fences.
At MCollenstown, on Crooked Creek,
there was great destruction of property.
The dwellings of John Coulter and Mr..
and small house belonging to
Mr.. Fraker, and also the tannery build
ings in the yards of Mr.. Protzman and
MIR. Lang, with all their hides, bark, &c,
we're swept away. Mr.. Coulter and Mr..
did not save anything, so sud-
den was the rise of the stream-but fortu-
nately their families got out in time to save
their lives. All the farmers on Crooked
Creek, for ten miles from the river, have
met with heavy losses. A gentleman who
has lived in the neighborhood for forty
years, informs us that there never was so
much rain fell there before in the same
ength of time.
The citizens of Portstown, at the west
End of this borough, deserted their homes
1t about two o'clock this morning. The
own was completely covered with water.
The Gardens are doefrovoI .nd ,nony