The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-06-17

TIE Federal Asss Left v,cksbusy early TuAsday
nof1lak II - eons down the fivsr.
s.r.s...
Crest f1eod In Pc.nsylvsnil.
A correspondent Of the Philadelphia Inquirer fur
nisaes the subjoinsd account Il disastrous food
in Lshigh Valley. PA:which involved the loss Of
over one hundred lives and an immense amoun. Of
property.
A great storm llas passed. over Eastern rennsyl
vanla. In its wake arc ruined fields Of grain,
stranded boats upon three greet rvers totterng and
deserted h0nses, and at least hundred dead bO-
dies, dashed by wild current aganet mountain
rocks or floating logh The works completed by the
joint efforts Of labor and capital In long course At
years. have been swept almost out Of existence IN
single night scose Of iron fuAIAces have ceased
to scatter their sparks into the air; hundreds Of
sturdy laborers have been thrown out Of employ
ment and the scsues snd incidents which marked
enlarged scale In June, 1854 In no section has the
loss teen a. heavy ~ In the valley Of the Lehieh
although the schuylki and Delaware We'd with each
other In their rage.
minds Of our readers. On Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday last, the heavens were opened az II to
inaugurats Q now deiuge While the torrents
swept tho streets Of the city and filed tho sewers.
tT,dts changed rivulets into miniature rivers and
poured into the Lehigh hntil la ususly coalhlaek
wstef assumed . muddy hue and It's bosom held the
debris Of the ruin which 1t had caused
There is river east OF the Ohio that has render
ed moro service to man than the Lehigh Almost
at the point where II first energies from tue noun
tains. and assumes It name, It 10 checked, turned
FROM It's courss and made feeder to the canal
The dams followed each other in succession until
near Easton, distance of over forty miles. They
averaged at least enc to every two miles.
The head waterp of the Lehigh were tho trst to
feel the heavy rains but effect visible until
VVodu csdo nil Loaf Tha VI harm dpu
r is believed, then gave way. This was at or near
White Haven. Tho food Of water poured south
ward carrying everything before IT, and receiving
new force and acquiring new impetus a. It over
cane each obstacle. Dam after dam was destroyed
until scarcely three remained between Mauch
Chunk and White Haven
This food rolled on in the dead Of night beralding
its progress by terrible It tore canal boats
from their mooringx, and swept them away like
feathers it dashed Into the cellars, and mounted to
the windows Of residences upon its banks 1t under
mined the walls Of townf and now and then carried
OF prize In the form Of unlucky sleepers who
could not escape II encroached upon new terri
tory, reaping the waving fields no scythe could
have done, and In apparent revenge seized fences
and farm vehicles, and conveyed them to placer I'M
The storm spread along the river The water
actually rose fifteen feet in ten minutes. FireB
were built at many points. and crowds collected
around them, gazing into the black. void beyond
and fearing to hear human cry pierce the duh
roar Of tho stream. More than voice was thus
raised for help. canal boat drifted down. now in
Ginning 20 one side, and dipping its deck into tho
river and again reversing Its position On it were
six men Their shouts could be distinctly heard,
but aid could he afforded. The brief interval in
which they passed the ga.ers was one of horror:
The boat struck d rock at the head Of an island
near Bethlehem and split asunder The man chung
to the wreck, and finally mauaged with one excep-
tion to secure a resting place until the morning of
Thursday: Before rescue came. they were joined
by Eve others These were taken to the shore by
Mr. Yche of Bethlehem The body Of the dro. ned
man was recovered and properly inferred 1t WIS
terribly bruised
There are many islands In the Lahigh The sou
10 generally fertile aud they nearly all well cu,.
tivated This was the case with the ons opposite
Allentown. covered bridge led 10 the main land
During the night great crash aroused the three
families living upon tho isand Their only snssns
Of escape had boen carried awsy by bridge which
formerly had spanped tho stream above, and the
two fabrics were now en- route for the DelawaTe-
There was no boat, and even If there had been, the
chances Of safely rowing through such swift cur.
night Of Wednesday aud the morning Of Thursday
we do not know. But when daylight appeared
they found many acres OF grain and garden trans
formed into a barren waste The rich loan had
given place to white sand. and fences and barnes
had disappeared rs II by tie touch of q magician.
For their own safety they were indebted to rroyi-
dencs aud solid brick walls.
There was high canal lock at Mauch Chunk H
was veteran. and stood the shock Of the rushet Of
ls4l without trembling Whom the rush CANE last
week It's good reputation made the quiet water be-
low hxrbor for scores of boats, the crews look
ing over the river, AZ well ~ tho darkness would
permit ct their less fortunate companions, and
blessing their luck. Many OF them went 10 bed
Tie lock gave way. Tho boats were cnGulphed In
the torrent and Of the seepen It Is behaved that at
least nfty awoke to find themselves struggling with
q giant whose touch sHnihated tho great world be-
fore the days Of Noah The names Of these victims
viii never be known. They were. Of course stran-
gers at Maueh Chunk earning their living by trav.
cling with the boats from place to place. number
of women were among che lost
The writer here introduces good deal Of detail
showing tho immensty of the destruction by the
Aood, and closes as follows:
: Il IL almost impossible to imagine the devastation
cansed by the freshet- Every town In the Valley
situated near the river was more or less injured
No details a. to the financial extent Of the loss can
be given Private citizans awoke TO hnd their cat.
tie and out buildings washed away. Turnpike and
Bridge companies gave mp all thoughts of dividends
for at least q year, and general devastation con-
auersd the smiling country. -. -.
river, at Allentown. not . vestige remains 81.
cept an old stove. The cellars are recspta
cles for sawjoSs end miscellaneous lumber
Bsdsteads from Mauch Chunk lie quietly
side by side, With railroad bridges from White
Haven Carriages in disorderly condition sport
their throe remaining wheels In half.broken trse
tops. and cellar doors recline gracefully on Old
canal boats whose cargoes Of coal arc leaking out
Ths story Of . miner from Maueh Chunk was q
sorowful one. The man had lost wife and three
children. He came home at . late hour and found
small Niagara rushing past the spot where 10 had
erected his family altar. When the water subsidized
be started down the valley 70 learn the fate OF BIZ
wife and children We saw him AZ he passed Al
lentorn II be WA rough In extsrnal appearance
there was no reason TO believe but that tho heart
bensath tbe vest felt tbs loss keenly. The bodies
win pfobebly psver be found. They may sweep
Into the Delaware, and from thence Into the ocean
TaE FEELING n voafoLk.-rhe following let
tor. dated Norfolk, June 7, appears In the Peters
burg E1wess, Of yesterday:
I have not much Of interest 70 communicate
The Yankees suppress al news here 70 far % = y
their power, and we have nothing but street m
mors Of which tbs city h full.
We h.ys every reason e Rslisre snss hos,l y
The Yankesa have suppressed tho Dey Book. and
started il Il plAos miserable; lying little .nsss
called the Norfolk INi1n. Nobody buys exeep,
their own men, and think It win soon perish o.
in.nition. It is puhlkhed Ut the Asratd omcs