New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-06
GREAT FRESHET IN THE ALLEGANY
MOUNTAINS.


ONO CANAL-TBE RAILROAD IN DANGER.
CUMBERLAND, Nd, Nov. 4, 1862. m.
During Friday and Friday night the Alleganies, par
euary on their eastern slopes, in Western Maryland
ard Virginia were visited by rains of extraordinary
steadness and volume. All the streams forming the
source of the Potomac well those emptying into
il near this place and Piedmont, rose to great hight
on Saturday.
During the day. yesterday, the rain ceased, and the
sky became clear but the quantity Of water that had
fallen was great to swell the Potomac for brief
pt Rod to a hight almost Unprecedented The south
branch of that river which unites With the principal
stream twelve miles east of this place, seems to
have swolen rapidly and 10 greater hight than
the ether fork. Great quantities Of drf-wood, In
Gliding fences ETC., fiOated down all night on
Saturday. and it is feared that considerable damage
may be done in Hampshire and Hardy Counties, W.
ginia, through which the south branch fows.
II ia across the mouth of this river that the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad il now erecting one OF liz new and
substantial iron bridges 10 replace the large wooden
bridge at that point This VOL had made considerable
advancement toward completion, and the bed of the
river occupied by some OF the temporary props re-
CURED for the use of T. workmen IN putting up the
new bridge. These offered some obstruction to the
great volume of water and drifLwood borne down by
the freshet and at time Saturday night it was
feared that part Of the snpersructure Of the uncom
peted bridge might be destroyed and thus cause con-
siderable interruption to the movement of trains upon
the road.
Mr. Wilson, Master of the Road, and his Eastern As
sstsnt, Mr. Quincy repaired to the spot with large
additional force of aborers and by their extraordinary
Efforts gave such di &c ion and control to the drift wood
as to prevent any serious damage. The waters con-
tinued to rise feafuy during the afternoon and night
Of Saturday, and until clock this Sunday morn
ing, when they began to fall by eight o'clock they
hsd fallen some eight feet relieving the officers. of the
road from all anxiety about the threatened serious diff
icuties to the bridge.
With the view of receiving and conveying definite
information and orders at the scene Of danger, MIR.
Dey, OF the Supervisors OF Trains also ceeded
there and established temporary telegraph station,
by means of instruments placed in his car.
No interruption TO the tunAage trains of the road
which are now unusually large was suffered during
the period Of alarm. The night exoress trains how
ever, as measure Of prudence were not allowed to
attempt the crossing OF the bridge until this ing
The passengers coming east stopping here and
those gong west at Hancock.
The bridge is reported to have escaped without any
injury whatever and with the exception already stated
no arrangement to the business of the road will occur
from the treshtt.
Some fifty miles east of this point, between Sir
Johns Run and North Mountain the railroad is located
along the river at about fifteen feet above ordinary
water mark, for a distance embracing some ten or
fifteen miles, HIRE, for the greater part of the dis
lance, the track was more or less overfown by the
great rise in the waters, which came down 80 rapidly
that the broad bed of the river could carry
them off fast enough. At Sir Johns Run the water
rose above the floor of the railroad coupanys tele
graph office, more than two feet above the track. At
Cherry Run, opposite Old Fort Frederick, ll2 miles
from Baltimore, and about II lies east of Sir Johns
Run, the water was also fully as high above the rail-
road track This is the point at which the railroad was
so much threatened as Spring at the heavy frehet Of
April Since that, however, most substantial ma
sonry work has been put in, which has safely with
stood the violent action Of the waters in their present
extraordinary rising.
These are all the difficulties and Interruptions which
the railroad esms to have suffered from this sudden
az powerful storm. IL should be mentioned as an
other evidence of the sody Of the construction of the
road that in part of it where the waters have
washed the river banks on which il s built, where
they have greatly submerged the track for miles in
length, 10 there the est injury done TO the road bed
or the supersuctures. The heavy tunnsge trains Of
the road moved for a greater part Of the distance
where the water covered the track with perfect
and safety.
The most serious consequences of this reshet appear
10 have lien upon the cOamlning interests in the vi
entity of this place and Piedmont The Willis Creek
emp'yiDg into the Potomac at Cumberland, and
Georges Creek at Piedmont both seem to have risen
10 unprecedented hight attended with serious dam
age to the lateral railroads which bring coal from the
mines 10 The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the
Chssspt axe and Ohio Canal. One of the engines of
the Mount Savage Railroad is reported to have fallen
through bridge, its way TO this city, the founda-
tons having been impaired by the waters. Il il
thought that but little coal can be brought to Cumber-
land for several days. At Piedmont, the damage 10
the Georges Creek Road ia reported to be probably
greater, ard like interruption TO The large coal trade
concentrating at that point.
We have been unable 10 gather further details of
damage by The reshet which, on account of its steadi-
ness may have cccasioned much loes to private prop
eTy along some OF the streams. On the western slope
OF The mountains there also much rain but i'll does
not seen to have been attended with any very unusual
damage in any quarter.
lntormation has been received from the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal enc of whoee officers is understood 10
Lave reported that the grand bank Ut Dam No. ia en-
rely wathed away, and further serious Injuries are
spprehended There being telegraph sta,ors there
near The lire Of the Canal at lie principal dams no
ruler information be had yet During yeste rdav
be waters generally abated very much aud no further
damage at any point seems 10 be apprehcnded. We
have not heard Of any lives being os or any personal
injuries sustained.