, 1858-08-06


Various parts of the Western country have
been visited by tremendous rain storms, which
in some cases lasted three or four days the rain
falling in torrents without cessation. Much dam
age has been done to crops, many buildings,
bridges, railroads, etc., swept away, and several
lives lost.
The city Of Cairo at the junction Of the Mis-
sissippi and the Ohio, was almost entirely dcs-
trcyed by the overGowing of the river Nearly
all the houses were undermined and foated off
At last accounts, the water was two feet deep in
the second story of the Taylor House, and was still
rising.
At Lafayette and other localities in Indiana, the
damage is very great The rain poured down
with such inccssant fury, that, in a few hours,
the rivers and streams were turned into raging
foods, Overlowing their banks in all directions,
filling the buildings with water, and forcing the
people to seek safety in boats. The growing
crops, as well as those already garnered, were
destroyed, while the damage to roads, canals and
bridges, exceeds that Of all previous occasions
of the kind, Leavenworth, in Kansas, has also
suffered severely from inundaton.
But the saddest disaster occurred at Roscoe, in
Winnebago county, Illinois, A portion Of this
village, including the mansion Of the Rev, Hora-
ito Ilsley, was carried away by flood in the
night The family of Mr.. |. were In bed at the
time, and the whole Of them, consisting Of his
wife and eight children, were swept away and
drowned. Mr.. !. was miraculously saved by
being hoated against tree, into which he climbed
and remained until morning
Throughout Iowa, also, the rivers were over
flowing their banks and doing immense damage.
The fine bridge over the Des Mones, at Eddy.
vile, which had just been completed at cost Of
$4,000, was swept away, and tho river filed
with floating timber, houses, stables, etc.
Brooklyn, a thriving village in Illinois, is en-
tirely des,roycd--only the roof Of the few
houses left standing being visible above the sur
face of the water.
Between Burlington, Iowa, and oquawka juno
ton, the terminus of the Chicago Railroad, a
steam passenger boat is running along the line
Of the rails. In Louisiana, the sugar destroyed
is estimated at $4,000 hOgsheads, and valued at
s3,OO0,00O; and in cotton, the loss will be l00,-
900 bales, valued at $i,00O,0OO,
In fact The inunlation seems TO be general and
widespread throughout the whole western and
southwestern States. \ ApriVate letter from Cairo,
Illinois, says the land in that vicinity for miles
along the river has been laid waste, and loss is
estimated in millions In that city, the banking
house Of Gov. Matteson, which had just been
finished at cost Of seventy y-6ve thousand dol
lars, was entirely demolished, as was also the
new hotel, which cost nearly one hundred thou
sand. Springfield Block was being gradually
undermined, and its fall was mOmentarily ex
pected, This is noble pile Of buildings, and cost
between three hundred and four hundred thou
sand dollars. At St. Louis the levee is over
flowed, and the water nearly up to the second
floor Of some buildings, Alton, on the opposite
side Of the Mississippi, is in the same prcdica.
ment. It is reported that the splendid bridge on
the Great Western Railroad, over the Sanga-
mon, is swept away. This was one Of the most
costly structures in the country
In New York city the rain fell for forty hours
with unabating fury, doing some damage by the
ovcrflowage Of cellars But this damage was
doubly compensated by tho wholesome clcanli-
ness impaired TO our streets.
From our California exchanges we learn that
tho gold fever has entirely subsidcd in San Fan.
cisco, while from the interior of the State parties
are still leaving for Fraser's River overland.
There also, however, the excitement is greatly di.