Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-08-13
THE BALI,IMORE FLOOD.
Graphic DesSrI sslon o. ths as y. %oEr Ssr.Ss %

the WaterA- ncidents Of the Great
vSSn Cals%iszii sSs SStimSEs piD, saturday, July
Our qity Aehs .YesteldAy waited with one or
|la most App and destructive caiAmltles
that has oTeftARen 4 since 1887 which swept
nway All the old stone ana brick bridges that
preyionhly spanned Jones Tails. Il waa
thouaht that the elevated and broad span
iron bridges that Nave since been constructed
would prove an eflhctual bar to similar yis-
itation, but even these have proved nefiectu-
al. and we have now TO record q flood the
most disastrous that has ever visited Balti-
more. The amount Of destruction TO proper
/ ty no doubt far exceeds that OF 1887.
About two O'Clock on Friday morning 9 rain
storm. ACCOMPANIED by thlinder9nd light,
ming, commenced, but the fall OF ram was
not seriOus until eight O'Clock, when il cons
menced TO pour down In such volumes that
fears at once were entertained as to Hood
In Jones' Falls, which passes through the
heart Of the city, dividing East from West
Baltimore, This heavy fall OF rain continued,
without intermission, until after one O'Clock,
flooding the streets tsandrendering pedestrian
ism next to an impossibility, ,.in,,- l.,,'i.-
Aocothbanying the rain was strong wind
from the eaoutheast, and persons owning prop
erty OF any kind in the vicinity OF Jones Falls
/ were instantly Apprised upon arising yester-
day morning that their old enemies, heavy
rain and a south wind, were again tat work
and that they must move quickly ii they,
would save their goods and ciiattels from
damage or destruction The water In JOnes'
Falls Commenced rising very rapidly about
o'clock, aud gradually creeping upwards ffst
oyerfowed its banks and filled the east side
Of Centre Market Space and Swan and Hawk
streets.I Another hour and il had backed Up
snficiehtly to overflow Harrison street, and
I'm few moments II was. in Holiday, tTeder-
| ick and Saratoga streets. Persons living IN
these stfeetsin the depressed sections OF the
city. had been hard at work all the morning
removing their furniture ndgoods to place
Of safety yJ4 d.. Jiii .ut ~ a .
At twelve o'clock the cellars ofperhaps two
/ thousand houses In this section Of the city
were filed, and tho water was steadily rising
! on their first floors, but as the storm had
commenced TO abate hopes we're still enter
tsined that tie flood was at its height. About
| 12b O'Clock, however, the flood commenced 10
rise more rapidly than ever, and in half an
hour reached ceilings where II had previously
odIy invaded floors, and the greatest oonsters
! natian prevailed so rapiawa this rise, and
/ so wild and furious the rushing torrent, that
the liv6siof many persons were jeopardized,
and We regret 10 add that several lives wero
lost Had. 1t occurred at nigh, ,--as in the
great food of 1887, the loss Of live could not
! but nave. .Deen lullueubG.
\ About hdlf-past u o'clock one Of the city
passenger cars Of the Gay street line crossed
/ the bridge, coming towards Baltimore street,
with about dozen passengers, including
one lady. Immediately after crossing the
bridge the car proceeded on as far as Sara
toga street, down which the water was run
| ming at a. furious rate, reaching the door Of
the car The horses fouhdered in the water
and the front wheels left the track. The
driver unhitched his horses and endeayored
tv attach them TO the other end OF the car
and draw it back 10 the bridge, but his efforts
were not successful. The car was overturned
and two Of the passengers we're drowned :,
4 Standing at the corner or Frederick and
Baltimore streets, about 'half-past one
O'Clock, the scene was truly distressing iIlIc
food had now swollen into an angry torrent
that rushod down the beds OF Harrison and
Frederick streets in volume and swiftness
resembling tho rapids Of Niagara. At the
corner of Harrison street, IN front Of La
roaue's drug store, the water was within one
foot of the top Of the street lamp
Ever and anon masses OF timber and
wood, boxes, barrels, railroad ties, articles OF
household furnitur fencing, trees, wagons,
outhouses, and, in ahort, all manner Of de-
bris from the wreck and ruin along the line
Of the Falls came sweeping down the fearful
current, and piling up in front Of the Mary.
: land Institute, where, in this way, a sort Of
breakwater was formed, protecting that
building against the beating Of the billows-
for, in truth, nothing less than billows they
! were that swept down both Harrison and
Frederick streets. The water, soon afterthis,
was seen to dash over the bed OF Baltimore
street bridge, driving the people assembled
there in wild confusion toward High street.
About this timo word came that Gay street
| l,;1o,a mas earinra1yy tbraafanp1 and in af
testation OF this report there was soon a flood
of water pouring down Gay street, and short
ly thereafter the backwater came down Hol-
liday slr rect also. Language is almost made
quate to describe the scene that was now
I Witnessed. The surface of the angry flood
was fairly covered with every description OF
material, telling sadly and painfully of the
immense loss, destruction and distress that
this disaster was occasioning. Now the porch
of house, now the contents OF some store,
now the timbers of bridges and warehouses,
would come dashing along with fearful rapid
ity, driving up against buildings, crushing
window glass in the first floor, and bursting
in doorways At one time we noticed child's
crib drifting down Harrison ST., and several
4 bodies of animals, cows and horses, we're al
SO seen, while not a few of the lookers-on
were OF the opinion that more than one or
two dead bodies of human beings were seen.
How this may have been, it is impossible a.
this moment to say; but serious and seem
ingly wellrgrounded apprehensions. are enter
tanned that serious loss Of life has been occa-
l stoned. u .....t .lt,
The effects of the food were very severely
| felt on North street, and it is almost impossi-
| bic to estimate the extent Of the loss sus-
\ tanned in this portion Of the flooded district.
From the high ground near the City Hall ex-
cavation, Just south Of Lexington street, the
water covered the whole extent OF the street
northward towards Eager street, flooding ev-
| cry building In some places, say from Pleas
ant street northward, the water was fully ten
to twelve feet deep. The residents Of the
small dwellings, in the neighborhood were
obliged to take refuge in the upper stories OF
their dwellings, and sorno made very narrow
escapes, zoe. "9'
! Holiday street. also came in for "a large
share of the overwhelming flood. The water
extended the whole length OF this street,
even across the elevated portion of it at Fay
ette street, and thence passing down into
Baltimore street % % fn'-t 'i''tNW %"''
In frohtr Of the theatre the water rose
above the ,cillsof the doors, and thence ex-
tended in broad sheet aetosss the street to-
the new City Hall excavation, which was
quickly filed, the water rushing into it With
great 7olunie, presenting the appearance Of
" uhIt uhlua .ENDIOuhuAu btiO 'NhviV IOHBVii
of the street was like an angry river, and the
occupants OF the small houses above Saratoga
street we're in no small peril. Some Of them
were rescued from drowning only by tEeh
name efforts of others. Smith & lCur4ettS
soap and candle factory was entirelyeurs' 4
rounded by the flood, and the water dashed
and beat against its walls, on al sides np TO
the second floor The whole appesranee Of
this region was 80 changed by The ectibn of
the water that one even tolerably familiar
with the locality could scarcely recognize II.
On the opposite or eastern bank OF the Falls
many of the small dwellings, had completely |
disappeared aid on this side, those that
we're left standing, as the water subsided,
we're IN ruins, az though an earthquake had
shattered them Just above Bathb street,
bridge, which had disappeared at an earl |
stage Of tho food, o frame dwelling on the !
vest tside Of the Falls was nted bodily from
its foundation and carried out into the
stream with all It's contents, and soon be-
came o, wreck, its shattered fragments joining
the 1nass Of madlyl rushing timbefs, boxes
aud household goods continually passing
down the cufrent. What became Of the, in
habitants we did not learn, but presume they
escaped t faaf9 fNI