The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-09-26
PHILADELPHIA FLOODED,
100000 Worth of Property
Destroyed.
SEW Err AL LIVES LOST.
Families Rendered Homeless,

From the Philadelphia Press Of Saturday.
One of the most fearful and disastrous
freshets that ever desolated any country
visited our city yesterday morning, spread"
idg devastation and ruin on its triumphant
march in homes made desolate, and among
families rendered homeless, destroying hu,
man life in its onward march. Houses
were thrown down, trees, lamp-posts, fire.
plugs, fences, pavements, wagons, and valu.
able property of every description swept
away by the irresistible current. Water,
for the time being, assumed absolute sway,
making wild sport with firm foundations
and sapping them to their overthrow. Large
masses of lumber, about ten feet high and
twenty feet long, were carried for squares
before finding resting place. The water
The passenger cars on the Second and Third
streets, Fifth and Sixth streets, and Fourth
aud Eighth streets railroads were compelled
to discontinue their trips.
In some cases the passengers were obliged
to stand on the seats in the car to prevent
their getting wet, because of the mass Of
water which coursed its way through the
cars Boats and RATS were used in trans
porting the frightened inmates from the
flooded buildings to places of safety. In
some instances the police officers were
Obliged to swim for their lives to get out of
the way of the moving mass of furniture
and lumber coursipg its way rapidly to-
wards them, while ever an annon the cry for
help arose from the bubbling waters.
Large numbers of persons suffered hair
breadth escapes from drowning and beng
crushed By falling buildings. The food was
as unexpected as its consequences proved
disastrous. Many persons are deprived of
employment, and the immense destruction
| of property in such a short time is almost
unparalleled The greatest excitement ex.
listed during the day throughout the north
eastern portion of our city; the compare.
lively trihing loss of life being greatly ex-
! aggerated and rumors of all kinds rapidly
circulating in the community.
The origin Of the flood has been traced
to natural causes. Owing to the heavy
rain, vast body of water accumulated west
of the Lamb Tavern Road, in the Twenty
first ward, and the usual channel being obs
structed by the lodging of vast quantities of
| lumber in the aperture OF bridge on the
Lamb Tavern Road, the water soon carried
away the opposing obstacle and rushing
over the remaining abutments of the
bridge, precipitated itself with overwhelm~
ing force through the low country lying
west of the Norristown Railroad. So great
was the force of the immense volume of
water thus pushing itself forward, that in
what seemed to he only few minutes, it
had crossed the bridge at Broad street,
above Turner's line, and apparently in.
creasing il velocity, carried away portion
of the embankmeut Immediately west OF the
Norriat town Railroad. Dashing under the
bridge at that point, and speeding over the
intervening space, it poured forth an ire
sistible current through the streets and Bye
ways of Seventeenth and Sixteenth Wards,
spending its remaining force along the Dell
aware front.
The average height of the water in some
streets was about five feet, and its extreme
height, in many places along its devastating
course, was nine feet. In many cases, the
ground floors of dwellings were covered TO
the depth of two or three feet, and when
the waters had subsidized bed of shiny mud
was lett behind, in which the lower extrem-
tiles of everything, animate or inanimate.
were totally invisible.
The only case in which an actual loss Of
life occurred was that of three children,
daughters of MIR. Peter Wolf, whose resi-
dence was at 1884 Miflin street, below
Oxford. 1t appears that the children with
their mother were endeavoring to get out of
the house, when the water entered the open
doorway. The mother succeeded in effect.
ing her egress, while her offspring were
overwhelmed by the running torrent, and
drowned before they could render them any
assistance. The girls were named Mary,
Fredericka, and Wilhelmina, aged respects
lively eight, ten, and twelve years. The
father of the unfortunate victims is an en-
ployee in morocco factory on Third street,
and when notified OF the loss of his darlings
became almost frantic.
The bodies of three girls were recovered
about an hour and half after the fatal
occurrence, and were Immediately removed
to the residence of brother.inslaw of Mr..
VOLTS, MIR. George Hinger, No. 1907
North Sixth street. During the afternoon
of yesterday, large crowd of people, desi>
rous of seeing the bodies, congregated about
the house, and the attendance of force of
policemen was rendered necessary to pre-.
vent the admission of those not entitled to
enter 1t is reported that two girls, named
Catherine Collins and Mary McGrann, were
carried away and drowned. Nothing def
mite is known of their fate, their bodies hav-
in not yet been recovered.
The house in which the girls named
Wolf were drowned was almost destroyed,
having fallen in. .. -...
The destruction of property has been
chiefly confined to dwellings and manufacto,
ries located along Sixth, Fifth, Fourth, and
Third streets, also, along Montgomery, OK
ford, Jefferson, Master, Thompson, Colum-
bia avenue, Germantown road, Leithgow,
Apple, Miflin, Culvert, Canal, Beaver, and
George streets. All cellars and Easements
of buildings fronting on these, streets, or
situated in their vicinity, were more or less
under water, and cases were frequent in
which the lower portions of buildings were
totally submerged. Pavements and side.
walks disappeared as if by magic, trees
wera tranenlanted and street lamna which