The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-25
,pp n from he philadelphia Press of Fridavl
'nEAI MA RAlN STORM IN PHfLADEIPUIA-

The III TOWN FLOODED-DAMAGET TO MILLS
ENnCIUKFES' Na iITRE' AND AND OTHER PROPERTIES
THE INMATES OF HOUSE.
Yesterday was a day to be remembered bv tbc
inhabitants of the Twenty first ward, particuIarIv
those of the borough of Manayunk This town, !,
will be recollected, is place of great manufactur
ing Importance, the greater portion of the popu
lation being employed at the numerous cotton ant
woolen mills, VIII ich are built on the banks of thu
SchuylkilI.
=, The town extends about one mile in length along
Main street, which is on level ground adioininS
the canal, which at this point is navigated on the
eastern side of the Schuylkill, in front of Mana
yunE Most of the other streets run at ri rht oles
WIN Nam street, towards high HILL fully $50 feet
nigh, which forms the back ground of the town
These cross streets very steep so mucb so Tbs
l! Is almost ike attempting to travel up on the out
sue OF one OF the great pyramids of Erypt Tho
houses on the top of the hill generally suffered
little damage but those on the hillside caunht tbe
full benefit of the storm.
Inc rain commenced to come down in torrents
about three O'Clock yesterday morning and con-
tihueG win extraordinary violence till nearly five
O'CLOCK 1t was terrific rain The peonle were
awakened from their beds to discover the cellars
and lower stories flooded, with a strong probabli-
ty that some of the houses would come down over
the rush of waters y
As morning dawned, the gorges or rayines down
the hill sides presented the appearance of a moun
"a tam torrent, dashing and roaring down towards
tne ochuyikilI, carrying large masses of earth,
stones, and almost every kind of rubbish with II
iIeVerlng street, at its head, is formed on one
side Of almost perpendicular masses of rock, called
tn the iod odprpPg dd rock rising to the height Of
~ ioo io9t On the opposite side are dwelling
houses. The bed of the street isusuaIIv at an an
gle OF forty live degrees. The accumulation of wa
ter on the nigh ground above came pouring down
TINS ravne, and such was its force that it Washed
n N hn Ihn .
fully thirty feet wide, and nearly as deep forminn
chasm somewhat resembling the excavations
made at stone quarries.
LeVerlng street has culyert near its lower end
designed TO carry oil the surplus water directly
into the Schuylkill This culvert was built undar
the canal, forming an aqueduct. The mass of
water flowing into the culvert was more than II
could carry oil, and large portion of the rubbish
oelng carried down into the opening the cuIvert
burst near the canal. Thisnecessitated the closing
OF the canal and the drawing off of the water which
was done early in the morning
The Hood rushed down Leyerinp streat iii y
reached Wood, when it took a southwestIv di
recllon, spreading through the wards. cellars and
street. VII "i"le
Many of the citizens residing on Gr.na stroat
hurrledly packed up their furniture, and. with
their families, went out into the street fearing that
the houses would fall, owing to the foundations
being weakened
" nile these scenes were witnessed on Crane and
Stleet, faces
opposite the canal in the northern part of the town
was Hooded to as great an extent as the streets
above mentioned. A large mass of earth was
washed INTO the canal, nearly filling it at that
RGint, PI leaving huge gully on Washington street
Inc water ran into the cellars of nearly all the
houses adjacent, scarcely one escaping
Mr. Joseph ltlpka has five mills or factories in
close proximity to each other about the centre of
the town. The one located on Main street, between
1t and the canal, had five feet of water in the weay
ing room on the basement floor. Being built on
uneven ground, the side next Main street had small
cellar windows, while the opposite side had win
uoWs COWS ol the usual SIZE opening on the canal. The
the Main street side till it reached depth of four
feet on the floor - ''"'
All the mills supplied with water from the canal
were compelled to stop operations for few days,
till the repairs to the culvert are completed
Jos. Clegg's woollen mill is situated on the West
SIDE OF the Schuylkil, directly opposite Manayunk
The buildings are located in a ravine, through
winch llows rapid stream of water. This stream
was used partially to work the factory, but besides
water power, steam-engine is attached to the mill
TO assist IN driving it. The factory buildings and
two and half story stone dwelling house we're all
enclosed by heavy stone fence, reaching from one
side OF the ravine to the other.
The reservoir and the mill-pond are both situoted
some distance above. Under the dam near the mill
was large culvert, used for carving off waste
water into the Schuylkill. Above this cuIvert was
a me roadway, leading to the dwelling house, and
ling house was built a rocky foundation. with
the rear side resting against hill, along which
road passed and the front door of the house faced on
thlS ROAD. In front 1t was but two stories but on
the interior of the enclosure it was three stor;sa
hign; The persons who ocGuHiea tthGrg, the mether
nftl =. T.iet6r, between 20 and so years old
besides these women, there was boy in the
house. Shortly brfore four o'clock, after il had
been raining some time very violently, Mr.. Clepp
VINO resides IN house about one hundred wards
up on the MIL feeling apprehensve of the safety of
the inmates OF the house near the factory, got up
went down TO the house, and awakened the women
he says that at this time the water was pouring
down the hillside in torrents seemingly covering
the surface OF the ground to the depth of six or
mere inches. He got the women all out on the
PACK Porch OF the house, waiting for the storm to
suosde, when he intended to take them to his house
the hill. ~
They had been on the porch but a few minutes.
when terrific rushing noise was heard, and a
large mass OF water burst round the outside corner
Vi tne mouse and down the rayine, completely
sweeping away all the earth on that side down to
the stone foundation, leaving a gully some Is feet
deep. This portion of earth swept away com
Prisea the road which led to Mr.. Clegg's house.
Hut ts lanusliae eiieetualiy cut of their escape in
that direction. The cause of this breakape was
owing to the reservoir, higher up in the ravine
pursuing It's embankment, when the water came
rushing down into the mill pond
The dam, not being able to stand this pressure
gave way on both sides of the ravine. One portion
OF the water found vent round the dwelling house
while another portion burst the dam near the mill
building, Immediately facing where Mr.. Clegg and
the women were standing in dreadful suspense ex-
pectlng every moment to be swallowed up in the
torrent. The break near the mill house forced the
water into the dyeing house, and demolished it in
an instant the mbers, roof, flooring, and building
stone, all crumbling in one confused mass.
The course of the water downward was directly
over the roadway leading into the mill. This was
wide enough for two three wagons to pass
abreast, and was supported on the east by a stone
wall forty feet high The water boiled and foamed
over the wall like mighty giant, when a portion
OF 1t gave way. Once broken, the wall did not
stand minute. The whole roadway, remnants of
the dye-house, and the stone wall, were all swept
down towards the Schuykl with almost super
human force, leaving a chasm frightful to behold
where the road had been. The culvert beneath
was completely crushed in, and the whole scene
presents one mass of ruins.
The greater portion of the mill-dam remained
hrm, and IN short time the water began to sub
side, whea Mr.. Clegg and the females waded across
the bottom OF the chasm and got on the side of the
hill, from whence they made a circuitous route
dow n by the Reading railroad up to Mr.. Cegg's
dwelling house. Yesterday, a temporary Golfer
dam was erected till the repairs to the mill pond
are made Mr.. G. cannot estimate his loss at pre-
SENT but thinks it will reach S. 900 to $40 0O0 The
engine room is filled with mud as high as the gear
ing of the engine. Eight bales of cotton were
swept off from the factory but one or two of them
were subsequently recovered.
POLITICAL,