The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-14
The FresAets--Dam.ges. e..

XWG EE0U06tDssU 0m0R60s &c.
The rivers in Virginia appear 70 have swep,
away considerable property during the late rise
The Shenandoah county Tenth Legion says:
The sudden change In the weather on Weduea
day of last week, and which continued until Sun,
dsy. caused the snow suddenly to thaw. On
Thursday, the runs and creeks began to flow free
ly and on Friday morning the river began to rise,
causing the ice on the dams to break up with tre
mendous crash Obssructed by the various mill
dams and the snow on the mountains supplying
large quantities of water, the ice piled mp to
depth of eight or ten feet, until, borne by the
increasing and foaming volume of water, the dams
gave way. and the whole went crashing down, car
rying before it everything upon and near the
bank The ice WAS forced out upon the banks In
immense quantities, and in many cases covering
acres of low bottom land, and doubtless doing
considerable damage to the growing wheat The
ice averages from fifteen to twenty inches in thick
ness aud is very solid
The mill dams hase all been more or less da.
maged. From appearances, at least half of Del
linger's saw mill dam, and the merchant mills OF
A r. Whi,sen and A. & II. Hotel s. Co have
been swept away. Others above and below we
presume, have shared the same fate. This will
cause considerable loss to the mill owners and in
convenience to farmers; for they will be unable
to grind when the water shall have passed off.
The willows planted along the banks of the riv-
er, for the double purpose of preserving the banks
and protection against stock, have been greatly
damaged by the ICE we observed tnat great
many fish had been thrown out, many of which
perished.
The Rockingham Register says that on Linvill's
Greek, in that county, considerable damage was
done to some Of the mill-dams in the Greek by the
late breaking up of the ice. Immense quantities
of ice gorged up the bed of the Greek, and forced
the water in some places out Of the banks, and in
others whole acres of the low lands were covered
with ice, forced odt from the streams. On one
gentleman's farm. as much as Eve acres are cover
ed with piles of ice several feet Deep Within the
memory of the Oldest Inhabitants the Creek was
never before so gorged with ice
The Register also hears that the damage on the
Shenandoah river in that county has been very
great 1t says:
Every mill.dam on the river, from Port Repub
lie to the Page line, far as heard FROM has been
damaged aud some of them swept away. Indeed,
q gentleman informs US that every dam, except
Mr. Ammon's, has been broken and carried Off
The saw mill belonging to Mr. Charles Weaver,
was swept off and destroyed. The bridges at
Port Republic and at Col. Miler's mill, on the
Rockingham Turnpike, were both considerably
damaged, though it is hoped that no very large
sums will be required to put them again in good
repair.
The Charlestown Va) Free Press says the 9
was great rise in Evett's run on Saturday. The
families of Messrs OBannou, K Starry,
Dobson, W A Davis, w A Suddith, Mira Ware,
Mrs Hull and Mrs Riley had to seek safety by
flight Mr. Lock had $50 bushels of offal swept
from his mill