Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-06-14
Disastrous Freshet.

most entirely destroyed.
The heavy rains of last week, continu-
ing from Monday night until Wednesday
almost without cessation, causing one of the
most disastrous freshets ever known in the
Lehigh river. We went over to White
Haven on Saturday to learn something of
the extent of the destruction and al
though the wreck about there does not
seem TO be tithc in comparison with
that farther down the river, enough is
presented to satisfy the spectator that the
lumbormen and others interested in the
business along the line have never suffer-
ed such calamity since the Lehigh region
was inhabited. We learn that about 8
o'clock in the afternoon of Wednesday, the
upper boom gave way, driving the immense
crowd of logs into the one below. Here
they hung for about an hour, the strong
cribbing work resisting the immense force,
when the lower boom also went out,
carrying with it the past years work of
nearly all the lumbermen in that region.
One of the most extensive operators esti-
mated the loss to be not less than DO mill
ions feet of logs, besides a great bulk of
the manufactured lumber that was piled
along the banks. Most of the mills too
are seriously injured, Among the heayi.
est sufferers at White Haven, perhaps are
Keck, Childs & Co., who lose in logs 21
millions feet; S. Saylor & Co., 81 mill
ions Whitaker & Blakesly, . millions
A. f. Peters, millions; Brown & Stod.
dard, . millions j. w. Adams, II mill
ions; to gether with large number Of
others, who lose in various amounts.
Nearly all the mills on Bear Coeck are
badly injured. Pursell & Mexican lose
large amount of lumber. The dam at
Yohe's mil! is gone, and perhaps others
An intelligent lumberman estimates the
loss in logs alone at White Haven to
amounts to $500, 600; which, together
with the loss in lumber and the stoppage
Of all business for the season, by the de-
struction Of navigation, amounts to almost
utter destruction to the business prospects
of upper Lehigh
AS far as could be ascertained, but two
dams in the Lehigh (Nos. and 6) were
/ known to be swept away. The one at
White Haven stall stands. A number of
locks, guard banks, &C., and in many pla-
ces the entire canal, are washed out. The
number Of lives lost it is impossible as yet
to estimate, though VIC believe the first re-
ports in this respect were much cxaggcra.
ted. 1t is said the principal destruction of
life was among the boatmen, and these may
amount to upwards of hundred.
Capt. L Dodson, of White Haven, we'll
known to many of our citizens as captain
of the packet boat that formerly run on
the Lchigh canal, together with his ncph.
ew, "a boy of l6,) was swept from the
lock at Penn Haven and drowned. Their
bodies have since been recovered.
Further down the river the same terri
BILE destruction marked the course of the
food. At Mauch Chunk the water is said
, to have been Is feet high in the principal
street, and all the lower part of the town
was washed away, including the gas
works, which are said to be totally de-
stroyed The large bridge of the Lehigh
Valley r, r., at the narrows, is gone, as
we'll as every bridge along the whole riv-
er, including those at Catasaqua, Allen.
town and Bethlehm. The lower part of
all these towns were inundated, with much
loss of life and property. At south Beth
lehm, we understand, the water ran into
the third story Of several houses.
The canal of the Lehigh Coal and Nav.
igation Company is so seriously damaged
that it will require the whole season to put
it in order. Indeed, it is doubted whcth.
er the Company will attcmp to repair it
above Mauch Chunk. The opinion is
pretty general that it would be far better
to abandon it entirely and substitute q rail-
road. The Beaver Meadow II. r. it is
, said will require three months 10 repair.
[Snce the above was in type, Mr.. Drum
heller, the Superinten dent between here
and White Haven, brings later advices
from below. As the water subsidies, the
destruction is found to be still greater than
we have stated above. 1t is ascertained
that o locks and - dams on the upper
division have been swept away, between
White Haven and Mauch Chunk, and that
80 bodies of the persons drowned were
found aud buried up to Sunday night,
;, while very large number are still missing
Narrowing stories of suffering come from
all along the line, among them that every
wooden house in the town of Weissport Ga