Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-01-17

. Ai@ 400 - lANHN-'g y
ton is immense, probably amounting in
the aggregate to one million Of dollars.
The principal losses are of buildings,
household furniture and wood. Many
Merchants on j. and X, streets suffered
heavily in the damage done by wetting
their stock, but very generally they sue
ceeded in pling their more valuable
goods on upper shelves or boxes, out of
the way of drenching.
The breaks in the II. street leyee, up
on which the railroad is located, are
seven. The first at Fifth street, 100
feet; second at Sixth, POO feet; third
near Eighth, $50 feet fourth at Tenth
60 feet; fifth at Twelfth, 90 feet; sixth
at Thirteenth, 100 feet; seventh, at Eff
teenth, 100 feet,
The flood was also very severe at Ma
rysyille, and accompanied by startling
catastrophes, as we learn by the Mays
vile Appeal That paper of the 18th
ult. says;
"Marysville is now slowly emerging
from food more disastrous and extern
sive in its character than any which has
been known since the place was settled
by white people. On Saturday the rivers
were slowly rising, but not rapidly
enough to justify the opinion that there
would be much of flood; but by Sun
day morning at daylight, it was found
that the Yuba had backed up into the
slough to such an extent that The lower
part of the town below + street was in
danger, and the flats were fast filling up
with water. The rain continued to fall
in torrents during all Of Sunday, and by
night one sheet Of water was stretched
from the slough above Third street to
the Yuba, making islands Of most OF the
buildings below E. street, on both sides
of the slough, below Fourth street. All
night long of Sunday the rain fell in
sheets, and the wind blew furiously, add
ing to the terriers of those who watched
through the night.
About daylight on Monday morning,
the outer side walls of J. L. Eaton's store
on the Plaza, fell with a tremendous
crash, the foundation having been com
pletely undermined by the water, which
had now risen to such an extent as to
cover the whole Of that part Of the city,
except where the street was higher than
the adjacent lots. Mr.. Ea;on's family
reside in the upper part of the store, and
they were hurried out at once, in their
night clothes, and taken to the Mer-
chants Hotel, round the corner on First
street, and in about ten minutes after, to
the horror of every one, the floors OF
that building gave way, and great por-
ton of the interior Of the hotel was pre-
cpitated in a ruin, the whole Of the cell
lar supports being suddenly cut out by
an immense body Of water which rushed
in.
The alarm which prevailed was fright
ful in the extreme, for at that early hour
but few were up in the house, and the
inmates, among whom were many tami-
lies, were still abed, and came rushing
out in their night clothes, and barefoot,
in the rain and water. To add to the
terrors of the hour, other brick buildings
began to crash, large brick storehouse
in the rear of the hotel falling with a ire
mendous noise. Then the interiors Of
all the stores on the upper side Of First
street, around the corner to Lennox K
ElwelIs, on the Plaza, fell one after an
other. The fre-alarm bell now rang,
and numerous citizens went to the res
cue with teams ard skiAs, and began
taking people and goods to places of
safety.
All that portion of town bordering on
the slough, which makes into the Yuba
above A. street, was afoat by daylight,
and as the water rapidly rose during the
forenoon, house after house was sub
merged, many Of the smaller ones going
off with the rapid tide which set toward
the Yuba, Nearly the whole town was
submerged, and southwark the whole
PLAN toward Eliza was one sheet Of wa
ter, dotted with trees, roofs of houses,
floating animals and wrecks Of property
Of every description. There was ten
feet of water on the turnpike. West
ward one vast water level stretched to
Yuba City, where a kindred inundation
was raging, the entire town site being
under water. Northward the plains
were cut up into broad streams of run
ming water, which were swiftly coursing
toward the great sheet of water stretch
ing between Yuba and Feather rivers.
The water reached its highest point at