Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-19
The Late Freshets,

Our exchanges from the West are filed with ac-
counts Of damages done by the late flood, which
appears to have exceeded any experienced in the
Ohio Valley for several years. The Monongahela
reached, on Wednesday, stage nearly as high as
she great freshet IN 1852. After the rise had stop
ped for some Time it again commenced and at latest
accounts the river was swelling at the rate of four
or five inches per hour, while the ram still contn
ued A Pittsburg paper estimates the destruction
Of property in the single article Of boats at $4,000
The people of the lower part of the Allegheny Val
ley suffered still more severely Most of the city Of
that name was under water Families were driven
from their dwellings in hot haste, compelled to
take refuge in the upper stories. Whole streets
were flooded, to the depth Of several feet IN some
instances and hat part Of the city bordering on the
river completely deluged. The destruction fprOper-
ty inlumber, household goods &c. was immense, and
can only be aseertained after the flood subsidies. On
the tributary creeks numerous buildings fences,
hay stacks and the like were swept of, and grain
fields destroyed. The railroads also suffered Sc
verely from land slides and washing away of their
tracks, causing stOppage Of the trains in several
instances.
In Ohio the rains have been equally heavy and
destructive. So high a food has not been seen on
the ScOto for twelve years Near the national road
bridge the entire valley was for miles one vast sheet
of water studded with buildings and tree-tops.
Most Of the houses were flooded, and many of the
residents driven out Of them. On the Central Rail-
road three breaks were reported and the telegraph
line was down in several places. There was also a
break in the Pittsburgh and Chicago road, derang-
ing its trains. At Lockburne the canal embank-
H..
volume of waters.
On the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal Sc
riOus injuries have also been done. Dam number
Four was washed away The lower section Of
Harper's Ferry was overiowed. Many Of the min
ing companies in the Cumberland and Piedmont re-
gions have suffered considerable loss by the wash
ing away Of their nclines and train roads, and the
partial filling up Of the Mines sluices and drains
with water. On the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
train came near destruction by striking large rock
thrown on the track during the freshet.
So far as we can learn the storm principally
felt along belt between the 3Sth and 10th paral
les Of latitude. North Of the latter, rains were
and damages of little consequence. 1t is
to expect that the effects of these spring
and fall deuges will become more serious every !
year. assuming the rains to be equal in amount As
bhe forests are cleared away and superior system
Of drainage is introduced, the waters hasten more
rapidly to their destination, and Of prove so
much more violent and destructive in their course.
In few years these levees. which have hitherto !
resisted the pressure Of the Mississippi. viii be /
found utterly insufficient and the same state of |
things will be found to exist, in greater or less
degree along all our natural water courses.