Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-06-18
The Loss by the Late Flood.

The loss by the great flood in the Lehigh
valley, is estimated at FIVE millions dollars.
The Philadelphia Inquirer publishes an
elaborate report of the disasters, which
says that about one hundred persons were
drowned by the sudden rise of the waters.
At Mauch Chunk, there was high lock
which gave way, engulfng large number
of boats on which at least fifty persons
were sleeping, all of whom perished. At
that point the water was twenty-seven feet
high, being six feet higher than in the
great food of l84l
A correspondent of the Lebanon Courier
gives description of the late food which
devastated the Swatara region, from which
we extract the following:
1t is simply impossible to give anything
like an accurate statement of the destruction
and damage of property, besides the large
number of lives lost, by the recent heavy
freshet on the Swatara creek, commencing at
the Big DAM" or main reservoir Of the
Union Canal. Besides the injury to
the Union, I can only name few of the
large number who have suffered: Philip
Mease, This family having left in the EVENING"
lost his barn, all his stock, fences, in short
everything on his property, excepting his
stone dwelling-house and summer house.
One of his oxen was, however, found next
morning in one of the fields with the trough
fast to his chain this was the only animal
saved his damage is heavy Michael kurr's
$500; John Philips, l500-the water having
come up to the first floor of his store, besides
taking a large number of rails The Union
Furge's loss is $4,000, the food having taken
away the saw-mill and run-out, fences, lum-
Der, &c. Esheman and IIeilman's loss Of
lumber is $4,000; Aleily's is also heavy. Be-
sides these, every one having property along
the Swatara suffered more or less.
The county las we'll as some township
bridges were all swept away, not even leaV-
ing the piers standing, go complete was the
destruction. The woods along the creek are
filed with piles of wood, pieces of bridges,
logs, green trees, stumps and fragments of
fences, pig-pens, sheds, parts of saw mills,
furniture, stray pieces of wrecked boats,
boards, shingles, and almost everything that
can float can be found-dead cattle. sheep,
hogs, &c. Some heaps are as large as ordi-
nary two story houses
The number of lives lost is nine-three of
the Proudfoots' family; William Boughter's
family, (excepting hmself,l consisting of
u, lhO ShiIuleu dud btflu
Drummer and hired girl. There are number
of other instances of parties being saved only
by escaping through the water up to their
shoulders. Those nine who perished were
within a distance of Il mile and three quar-
ters, all living along the creek and canal,
near the Union Forge.
Commencing at the extreme head of the
Union Canal company's works, the Big Dam,
! situated about two miles above Pinegrove, or
better known as the Berger Reservoir, is en-
tlrcly swept away. carrying great destruction
with it-Jhree grst mills, some saving mills
and number Of other Improvements, such
as all our feeder dams ut and near Pinegroye,
| together with all the bridges across the canal
and Swatara, doing great Iamage all along
the line. The little dam is also swept away,
leaving the channel in such condition tn 1t a
stranger could scarcely know that canal
was ever there. The Big Dam in Swatara
Gap, known as the Main Reservoir. is also
swept away to near the bottom, carrying with
1t all the acqueducts and bridges, with but
few canal bridges left. The general damage
to the embankments from Pinegrove to Jones
town Is immense, in many places scarcely
| showing that ever Il canal was there
The Big Dam or Main Reservoir, is stua
ted in Swatara Gap, Is feet high at breast,
base 200 feet This reservoir is six miles in
length and covers 700 acres of land-deep
water all through the dam.