North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-03-22
THE SPRING FLOODS.
The Freshet of the susquehanna.

EHe rre8uet Oh the Su0Qucla00aS
HARRISBURG, March 1S-The food in the
Susquehanna is unprecedented. IL exceeds
by 20 inches in height the memorable and
destructive freshet of 1886 Thousands of
timber logs, with millions of feet Of sawed
lumber, have already passed this point.
Intelligence from the north and west of US
indicates the most frighuul distraction of
private and public property on the many
streams emptying into the Susquehanna. -
Bridges have been swept away and torn to
pieces, and from the character of the ruins
floating by Harrisburg it is fair to infer that
many dwelling houses, barns, &c, lave been
swept from tue shores.
At 7 o'clock this morning it was ascer-
tanned that the bridges at Northumberland,
Duucan's Island, and part of the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad bridge, above this city, had been
carried away, while as write, bridge, said
to be from the Juniatas 10 being borne with
fearful violence down the stream.
The Cumberland Valley Railroad bridge,
which is also used by the Northern railroad,
is in imminent danger, several spans at the
eastern end being submerged to the depth of
two feet. 1t is scarcely possible, as the wa
ter is steadily rising, that the submerged
portion can resist the force of the food for
many hours.
There have been no trains passing through
Harrisburg from Pittsburg or Philadelphia
for the last twelve hours. The lower part
of the city is completely submerged and
much suffering has been inflicted upon the
poor families living in that part Of the. su+
burbs.
At Middletown, Dauphin county, and the
villages along the shore, clear to Columbia
in Lancaster county, the destruction of pri-
vate property and the suffering among indi-
viduals is immense. The fires in several
iron furnaces have been quenched and of
course the furnaces will chill.
Thousands of dollars worth of lumber,
usually stocked at Marietta, Columbia and
Middletown, was swept away. The bank in
front of the city has been lined all day with
thousands of people, watching the progress Of
the flood. Families are being removed from
the streets in the lower section Of the city,
which was not approached by the waters of
the great food o: 1876, but which are now
considered in imminent danger of being OVER
flowed. Our city water works are complete
y submerged, and all the pumps stopped.
1t is conceded on all hands, alike by our
oldest inhabitants and experienced river men
that this is the most immense food ;that has
taken place in the Susquehanna within the
memory of man.
EANvlLLE Pa, March 18-The most de-
structive food ever heard of is now raging on
the north branch of the Susuuehanna. The
railroad is submerged and all travel suspend.
ed.
All the bridges on the west branch as far
as Willamsport are gone The Lackawana
and Bloomsbury railroad is under water III
places ten feet. The canal in many places is
completely destroyed. Half of Danville is
under water and the river is rapidly rising.
Thewires south have been broken by the
cables across the Susquehanna at Havre de
Grace being carried away. We are conse-
quently without dispatches from Baltimore
and Washington.