The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-20
TEE NEW JERSEY FREsHET.
TUonfy Square Miles TnuDdRted--De-
AtruetiOm Of PrOPertys-Catsie 1raln
bnamPed.

AfruetiOm Of RrOPerty--Cattie Ahalh
Z" amPed.
The telegraph has given us an outline OF
the great food on the Sehuylkill and Rsri-
tan rivers, in Pennsylvania and New jar
sew. A letter to the New York Herald,
printed yesterday morning, gives the fol-
lowing particulars. We extract:
MIDDLEBReoK, N. j., July II, 1865.
We have Just had 3 very sudden and
destructive freshet here. The freshet ex-
tended from the vicinity of Plainfeld, 6
point near the line of the New jersey Cen
trail Railroad, about eight miles below this
place, to and above Somerville, a distance
of four miles and more. The Rrea of country
submerged could not be less than twenty
square miles, and the extent of the damage
is moderately estimated at two hundred
thousand dollars. z.a' 1ia
The food was caused by the Rgritsn
river overlooking its banks, and causing
the mountain streams from the Blue hl1ge,
which lie a few miles back of the railroad,
to overflow theirs. These streams, being
greatly swollen with the heavy rains OF
Sunday evening and Monday morning,
became fosmiDg and irresistible torrents,
sweeping down with them bridges by
which they were SPAWNED and everything
movable along their banks. From mid
night of Sunday the water, which was
already high, began to rise at a trlghttul
rate, and at one o'clock the RsrltAn river
had overlooked its banks. The rain still
poured down in torrents. The mountain
tributaries became more and more furious
and the rise in the Rsritan continued at an
alarming rate. Joined TO these influences
it is supposed that the Delaware and Kari
tan Canal had breaks in its banks st Tsrl-
GUS points, and that the vast volume OF
water confined in its artificial banks was
poured into the channel Of the Rsritan,
and the capacity of the latter thus over
taxed.
These are the causes which brought
about the freshet, which was the highest
on the Rsritsn since 1910, and the most
destructive that ever occurred in this part
of the country by all odds. After one
o'clock this morning the food had the COM
plete mastery Of everytniDg. 1t overflow
ed the banks of the RAritan and its tribu-
taries, converting the country into q lake.
1t oveTflowed the track Of the New jersey
Central Railroad, flowed into easements Of
the houses, rose thence to the second
stories and compelled the inhabitants to
leave their beds, make for the top of their
houses, or if they were fortunate enough to
have boats they were brought into use.
Strange to say that, Notwithstanding the
tremendous rapioity of the rise and its
fearful height, not 8 single life was lost, so
far as l have been able to hear. There is
a Tumor that one woman was drowned; but
on further investigating this rumor, l be-
Iieve it is untrue.
Daylight broke upon this village and
the adjoining village of R~Oundbrook COM
pletely submerged in wafer. The tops of
the houses, the chimneys, and other promi-
nent objects alone showed the locality Of
the village. Il is surprising, considering
the magnitude of the hoed, how slight ia
TIE damage. Not q single house that l
can hear of has been washed away. This
was fortunately owing TO the sluggish
character of the river at this point which
Goes not fall 3 foot probably to the mile.
Besides this, the day was calm, SO that
there was little force of either stream or
waves brought against the objects which
the food had mastered.
The damage to the New jersey Central
IN1AAAOaO wa 4uANO bOIlOuEs uuhkol VI
however, no lives were lost by accident.
About half-psst one o'clock this morning
a freight train of seventeen cars, bound 10
New York, met with an awful accident at
this village. The track, which is consider
BUY vrUVuSOd- wss
weakened so much by the washing away OF
the esrthern embsnkment supporting it,
that when the heavy freight train to which
reference has been made came along, the
engine and two cars alone passed over be-
fore the track and its supports gave wsy.
The engineer, fireman and officers of the
train we're all on the locomotive or car i'm
mediately In the rear of it, 30 they passed
Over safely. The great weight of the other
cars caused the track to break down. All
this time it was more than two feet deep 10
miles an hour when Lno-s IUGSlE-
red. Ofcourse little could be seen, for the
night was dark and the engineer and his
companions scarcely knew anything Of the
accident till it was sll over. The scene
was awful, IS car alter car went crashing
over the break in the road and ~plunging
into the water. No more could be seen VI
them till the flood sbsted, when their con-
dition was no longer q mystery. They
were literally rent to splinters and piled
upon and alongside each other. These
cars had the appearance of considerable
strength and solidity, but this did not avail
to a them in the least. Never, perhaps,
did q train present so complete a picture o.
a wreck. These cars were freighted with
ordnance and stock. The cannon lay
around in profusion-siege guns and field
pieces. The poor hogs and other animals
were all killed or drowned.