The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-01

than Ave minutes he stood nearly knee deep in the
surgiDg torrent. A few minutes more he would
have been swept away in the bessm of destruction.
His mother stood at short distance from him, and
with extended hands bes0ught those around to res
cue her child. The little fellow braced himself
against the current; but oil hope Of his rescue
seemed lost, and the mother In despair turned
away that she might not see him carried down the
food. At that instant plank became detached from
the bridge and passing near the persons assembled.
all of whom seemed fearful to risk their own lives
for the safety of that of the child it seized upon
by boy not more than twelve years Of age, VINO
pushedit out into the stream; The little fellow
caught IT. and both carried out into the street,
when he was rescued by his mother.
What il the amount OF damage sustained II was
impossible last night to ascertain The property in
the "New Discovery" is owned principally by Messr5
John H. Barnes Charles r. Taylor and John Boyd.
The houses are all small and oil very ordinary class
The damage 70 the streets, which falls upon the city,
is considerable, as all the cuverts more or less
damaged, and the pavements in many places entire
is carried away This flood is nearly ii not quite as
destructive as that which occurred at the same place
abont three years ago.
At the junction Of Madison and North streets.
the water came down from the rising ground to-
wards Calvert street. in an immense body, covering
the entire bed Of the street and pavements, driving
the Madison street bridge and into the doors
and windows of Messrs. Head Co.'s tannery. do
ing, however, but little damage. Immediately on
the corner OF North street, the water tore up the
paving stone for space Of about fifteen feet square,
washing large boulders weighing ten twelve
pounds, distance of twenty feet, and ping them
The new Eager street bridge was fortunately so
far advanced as to be able to sustain itself indie
pendent Of the scafoldng on which it had been con-
strrcted. The scafodng was nearly all carried
away by the force OF the torrent This timber oat-
ing down the falls led to the belief that some OF the
upper bridges had been carried away, which We arc
happy to state was not the CASE
The water rose so high in the bed of the Falls at
fcfr tn foyx,i in fhp ault nd
Messrs. Kimberly 4 Brothers ice house. They,
however, by timely preparation, escaped without
the slightest damage, the water not reaching the
ice, and disappearing as soon as the storm was
over.
In the mel ,hb0rhood of Saratoga and Pine streets
tie water filed the entire bed of the street with q
rushing torrent, crossing the payements in some
places and filling quite number Of cellars. Sogrea!
the depth of the water that hog was observed
swimming down thestreet until almost exhausted.
There was large amount of lumber fence rails
&c. seen floating down the Falls. basket oil
clothing, as if swept off from the custody Of the
stream also passed under the Gay street bridge but
was doubtless picked up by some of the wreckcrs
engaged below Pratt street, In fishing out tnS plum.
der ofthe torrent. Several hogs also observed
in the stream, and dog which had fought the furi-
Gus element until he was sinking from exhaustion.
During the raging of the storm large four story
building on the corner OF Fayette and Calhoun
streets, Immediately opposite 10 Franklin square,
wis CcHrlucraDly udulaUeO. ~ WAS unQcr FOOL
which with the entire brick work Of the upper story
was blown of. We could not learn to whom this
property belonged, but the damage is estimated al
about $4CO.
The tremendous flashes Of lightning struck at va.
rious points of the CITY, though, far as we have
been able to learn, but little damage was done. The
brick dwelling occupied by Mr.. James Minife on
the West side of Howard street. near Lee street
was struck by lightning, and the top of the chimney
carried of. The fluid, however, passed off without
entering the building.
The auction store Of Messfs. Armour, on Charles
street was struck by lightning, tearing up portion
of the roof but doing no other damage.
The steeple of the Union Engine house, on Balder-
ston street, was also struck, the fluid shiyerng I'll
spire, but passing off by the lightning rod without
damaging the building.
The streets in various sections Of the city were
greatly damaged, the stones and large portions OF
the beds OF the streets having been displaced in var
ous directions. On North Charles street, between
Eager aud Biddlo streets, in the vicinity of the
servoir, the damage to the bed Of the street was
very extensive. rendering il altogether impossible.
Large masses OF earth from the embellishments on the
east side OF the street also became detached and fell
into the torrent Of water that swept down the
steep grade Of the street.
We learn also that there was some damage done
on the wharves, ard on the West and East Falls
avenues, quantities OF wood and lumber having been
swept away, but not TO any considerable extent.