, 1865-03-22
THE GREAT FLOOD.
Immense Destruction Of Proper
ty in Pennsylvania;
The Damage Estimated at
Millions,
Details Of the Loss at Oil City.


Mzillious-
---
Details Of the Loss at Oil City.
lFron tho Ettsbnrgh Commercial, Aarch 2o.]
On Saturday afternoon, We visited the
boz Tough OF LawFencesflle, and returned along
the banks Of the swollen Allegheny. In maay
places, where the ground was iow. the water
had '4bached up for considerable sstancs,
which had either to be crossed on hastily con-
atIucted rafta or BY q wide detour. It would
require 7hole columns to 70 into the mtnu-
tia Of the destruction which c1me under our
observation. There ia scarcely manufacture
ing establishment or pirate dwelling located
near the river, along the entire distance from
Law1enceyilie to the intersection of the Al
legheuy with the Monongahela at the Point,
that has not t3ustafned more or less damage
Nor can The loss be computed until the aood
shall bare entirely subsided, and workmen
clear away the mud and sand left by the re-
ceding Taterz.
- The loss to The iron manufacturers, ma
chiniets sno toundEymen. will not be 50 heavy
as at first glance N sht bs supposed. Take
T.. Zug, in The Fifth Ward hero the wntcr
took complete possession, drowning out the
fires and hiding everything from view except
the immense 1y wheel and other elevated
portions Of machinery. Yesterday, the water
having 1eccdtd, the entire ground door Was
covered with: yellow mud, to the depth Of
seyc'al inches. It will requi.e some days to
clean uway The sand and dirt aud put the ma;
clincfy,. ETC., n working order. The main
loss to the establishment, as to most Others
Of Similar character, will be in the loss Of
time aud the expense attending setting
things to rights again.
Other branches Of business suffered more
In kr1 1oe1 hroxu fow 3x-.n
literally submerged, and the loss Of. the pro-
p1ictor, 1t IS said, will reach 5000. Two
stcnmcrs-the ALI gheny and Vigilant-Were
engaged on Satur1uy tight. and yesterday
pumping tue Tater out Of the extensive eel
lars, tiG job. By The ray. as the whole
: In the afternoon, one Of the lremen informed
us they we're" !" gaining On the Nater," and
would soon pump the cef1ntadty.
The heaviest sufferers BY the flood, as be.
fore stated, are the oil and lumber men, who,
at present, can furnish no accurate state
ment Of their losses, a. much Of their prop
erty may yet be recovered. One heavy oil
dealer is reported to have lost SIC, 900 worth
Of oil, and many others from $500 to s., 600
worth. So with the lumbcrmen and owners
Of water craft, many Of whom have lost en-
tire rafts or valuable boats which may have
been secured at some point below, though,
from the spadenness of the rise and swiftness
Of lie current, the probabilities are that they
have been dashed to pieces and entirely lost.
The loss and Inconvenience to private fami-
lies will be incalculabln An army Of wo-
msn aud men were engaged yesterday IN
b1ooms, brushes, &C., compelling them to
carry away the filth and dirt which wonld
ot1tIwife have been left upon the floors. It
will require weeks before The hnbttatiops in
many parts Of tho city will become tenanta-
BILE. None but those who have had expert
In f1x1nct tfr+h% F1-r 40
idea Of the Inconvenience and expense ut
ttrdsrt np6n floods like the one Just passed
awuy. In ft1y instances, families were CON-
PEELED to hastily abandon their honses but,
as q neral thing, they moved to the upper
stories, hnd there, like Noah ana hts party in
the ark, calmly awaited the subslding Of tic
waters.
Many 1umors we're set aAoat On Saturday
of accidents frolh drowning and other ca uses,
none OF them however, Iaccable to reliable
source, aud NE arc glad to record the fact
that no deaths OF other serious accidents oc-
Cured in this vicinity.
The Monopgahela river was also Hon q
high" but SO far as we can learn, but little
damage Was suAtal0Ad By those doing busi-
ncss or resident a9Vhg its shores. Tic cur
lent IN that stream is not go swift, and the
rise less sudden than the Allegheny, hence
the people hud more time to prepare for the
hocd. Considerable damag.: was done along
the foughiogheny among the coal baeges and
coal 1ailways- The track OF the Coanell5yil!e
aui'road vas covered with water at some
points, but no delay in the running Of the
t:a&pt has occurred.
All along The southern shores of the Mn-
nopsahela and Ohio rivers, from East BEr-
m!ngnam 70 1enspelaaeeVile, tae manuiac-
"looded out" suffering fully as severely Us
those on tie banks of the Allegheny. The
came may be said Of tile north SIDE, from
G!enMooa 70 tne LONE. 1noeed, amos. eseEy
nlanulactu11nH esenonsu,nent, sl9se Or pll.
sate 1es.aence; nunt N ciose ptoAlml1y 70 Inc
soo srs ie t;,os or '15s r. una .n
"no ;;an -; soe 81, iossGs sns u;
=, mark: TX KIT tb. % indomltah1e m ener"v ~ aad d pers @
;; ordas tuc ranees se1 81. ~
tanue .nI ~ oduet t,ci,u. t"a,;T,r W. a;s,on,
suMcu' anu u laMiEes ,t1 tempofat1ly a'sSom Goa:
ae9to eo1S 1scE ,T l, a ~ LIE ,ae 5J9b ;th
~ t ho, io, e.o"da ~" le :, ~ ass ~
tssta sioee snas oafe p'eeeaeo IL auo pass LILO
49, - sst.,nds ..s,r ~ T., ~ .,s,"t,,,ehJI
~ - .,t2i T,he eaf1o.s ~ ~
t tne suunic!se4 ust!iso !no sena'e ~ ~
@ ~. aanta,,+a auu ri,;,,, norses ~
aae - sar.tr po1soas s,;nr1 4eo ~ ~ ~
~ " a;3a - +oEan =" sn1 ~ e'ss ~
bJ,d~rs m @ in % yn"ons md skigs md % anite % snm NM
eo1i4td H. Gr noa dr1,s nu ,s1' ~
"na ar - o4lta esai "n
oror ~. wotar Wonv n,rsonz o1da3roraJ
~ a,.ee ~ e,..,, -aT,s r., 49,. trae,,outi..
i.,oe1 "a ~ +h..rn in4o +ho .re+e- ,a,'n,, -
~ nerr,sneut NJ ~ Tho crc% %;,s an III. at rce.a ~
Thc Ir;dccs wcrc crowiea th1on~hnnt RI.
daT ~, nEesors % ,rhnse res3dsnaas ,9a s,31
oa ~ TO- . n Mess
fron Iomr 4 1h,i},;nH scena "a oecnrrefl ot,ont
10 M ,a1oa1 Il, ~ .eA1 T1r1. hass ah,t
.tt4eo.. ,,o@,e ~ - 49,. ,.,., ,'n ~, - ~,
r.. rI ~ on of II IL ,'srs ~ H. Hard ~ s1rsat
hr,Sro y" nud Viva % c,,eroS ~ ~ e,enriuo ,,,,s
te tt'a unu 49," ne ~ s,|na 1ssn .nn .u'
oer, P9'ar1n u sne d'ot ~ MasaGu aMay.
one VI lne po3s eosaIEa, "hile tns otue!
Was car1lca on lue ueo1ls+ nc 4ut-Elx eot
astr1de OF large saw Jog and 1loated down
t tne .Ner: soms PERSONS on .ne s9spsnslon
u1u@e "ltuesse9 .ae aGSsoent' ana n1sien-
nS 10 IN 1d)acent hoas.. procured
A.. Inc nsluee, leI one end down 70
hm ne 9nenss Seed H. "hen h;, 'nosc On Ing
br!ose coninencea 10 dta" nlm up. I!eat
itaI VAS 1clt taa1 Tue poor 1ei!o~ would lose
~ ho!a upon .1s auu ~ tns ~
o. those On In Inc nf,ase selzeo @ IL a'so VILE nas
pense io4io"su & US sns eoIo was stoM'y usa~n ~
up"atus, aau ,.s Mnsn ne "as 1eacoea ~ nts
!secaeis anu iateu otgr t1s no9 laiaans utoa
~ suou' " oul fiIns ~. ~ ..ous auo
eAeteSo ~ Mtnsses; 4ne poos ic.u" Mas eo.1'
plsaF e4ha4stsu ~ ES. W. M M"s 1Aen W Lis fcsl
n. ~ 49, ~. .4u -
oustuess way way nearly bus spenoeu ~ t1e lo"ct
pa1t o. the ci!y during me day, as II was sup.
Enseo tnat me water you'd feaeh at Ieast
!n!riJ iecl' ahd neal every laMl!y south ol
the % rsnro7a % were maktns perpetrators LOT inc
expected Aood. fortunately the water com,
mcneec to recede alter gaining height o.
tnlty 1eet, ana anrlng me evening feaefal
6'1cet Nss s, aGa!n PassapIe 1or peoestrlans.
IN 1ne rhin Nata me aamasG was nos so
EIe1t. LIZ lp"cF story OF sIe rem Coston
Mn ,',n Mas LIEU 1h VII "att1, ~ "eT9 also nlaly
4mea,neo G as on aea asaoeia aetee Inc steamei
fs, fsn1o "m ~ as'ia- ~ ~ pupa4 .a oz
fsoho1,n .e4. ~ t.oat rs IL 'asAsono fo"' "
Tha .Iec1,o.,;c stro-t br;a,.a IN IN ror1
An& -1e%"ta'S e'l%ee oiiu3e - ~ u sei