The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-08-01
THE GREAT FLOOD!
APPALLING CALAMITY
OSS OF LIFE.
Immemse Destruction Of Pyopcrt,

We are this week called upon tn record the
most terrible calamity tat has ever bcfillcn our
sec'ion-one that has stripped whole ihmiirs Of ,
lic--tht' his destroyed millions 81 dollars worth
Of propcii nnr county and Ia the ciiy-ihat
has leit ha ia 'i' 81: bereavcd hearts and ruined
HOMESTEAD. .tl,u'ailcd a ruin aud disaster upon
couUi ',.t u. rizchs that IL will take years
To ubtr,', Dat after day have the pariicu-
lars Of III, tain caused by the Hood Of last Fri
day week reached us-hcur after hour We hear
OF the wide aud still wider disaster brought
upon our people by this mighty rush Of the WA
ters-uhiil the details are sckrning Marty
my y our county edi;,as met rli,ry grirss,
while the pecuniary loss sustained will reach
millions Of dollars.
We scarcely know where OF how to begin the
recital Of the sad events which have occurred
since our las, ISSUE can give any AIDE.
quatc idea Of the fearful scenes VIII ch we have
witnessed. No tongue eau tell no pen describe
IL; but "" will cndra' or to give in ~ connect
ell manner possible, the results OF this terri
Die flood ,
TN Friday morning Of last week /, commenc-
ed raining al an early hour, but with no unusu-
nj fall of water until about iOl o'clock. from
which time until hai-past twelve the rain fell
in perfect torrents The quantity Of water whirh
fell to the earth In that time was immense swell.
ling the streams To an extent tn which they were
never swcllcd brforc. causing water ruurses
where none before existing. aud in is rush To the
sea creating rrss'lcss Hood whirh carried every
thing before u. Our space ior,ds u, entering
into m! particulars occurring II n. time ~ the
food We only take III. diirtrnl streams
AMI localities aud give results
rLLicOTf's cry
The PatnpscO rose to AN unprecedented height
full! - Icc,, almost sweeping from earth that Z
pat oi tie town situated uu the Bal imofr coun- !
y side 81 the river aud At this one lort.iy de-
siro!lug the lives Of nearly fifty persons. all cii.
gems ~ our county. TN this side 81 the river
there stood row Of fine stone houses number
ing fourteen ur fifteen. These were all occupied
~ Irvaie Residences. aud were swept away, and {
nvail. nll the inniats with them Mr. Fulton
OF the Baltimore .imeT,cGn, visited the scene on
SUNDAY. aud thus gives the particulars after re- I
counting the destruction ui Nj Drfufd's i'm !
tHensy cotton mill
AhuUt this time conmrnccd a scene Vt terror
tina, has quite Vetwhelmcd this little coinmuni-
". In the frs, place all the wofkmtn but eight
ESCAPED rom ihr Grant, Mil before the water
rose above the iipofs, and ~ these began to find
AtthA Wv w uhtlkfi. tNtt All nlhut
their rsrapr hy swimming or b, hrng drawn 70 !
IT, s'4F b. the aid OF tuits rXc-Ii VI. Matthias
MtCHu-t Mlu not lcing able 10 swim Aas
afraid :" 'cu'utr. lie went Up in the mill de- ,
tctmiui1s iu ;rn4iu. but finding the walls 10 bc
cFirkiu' and the immeusr structure rocking un.
Her The h.fcs o. 'hc watrr be- climtd out on 10
the siuIr 'r~er suFmouuing the roof aud in !
moment n''rr the wtur hui ding, except u part
Of the wal on the east land side and the tow.
et, f u in" the stream. Mr. McCaulr, was OBJ J
served still "n the tower, aud great efforts were
made for la, rescue. n IL wa also swaying To
and fro like rr,d. Roi+s we're thrown to him,
and hc Was urged iu jump into the water as the
only chance ui safety but he declined. AID in n ,
few muBtn's the granite tower rocked aud fell,
carr wing him down with II, and the unfortunate
man was seen no more
FrRimER CALAMITY
80 soon n. the mill had fallen the river spread
the spot where il had stood widening the
stream iu ihtitxirhi. The mill had acted as
shield :" the long row Of stone dwellings al
joining 10 extending from the railroad bridge to
the Pt'tpsc0 Mil The subsequent calamity
might have hrcn prevented but With the first
rush Of the Widcntd torrent the ffs, 81 these
hous's although built Of stone. ctumtl.d like
~: shrii and disappeared.
TIE ,L''. iWut', inmates maut o. A'1m were
sn'hlc "a rsrair. could nov hc observed making
their M, To the roof. aud scrambling along
men. women aud chillitn-'.Om roof 20 roof
upllNE W rfAHEt llht bI more safely. inc
whole population Of the city wa. assembled on
the elevations surrounding. helpless witnesses Of
these appalling scenes. Even husbands, broth.
crs and fathers we're compelled To stand aud wit
ness the peril Il Iheii own dear ones without
power to succor or save
TN HORRORS INCREASING
This ron - HOUSES numbered fourteen or fifteen.
and With the exception 81 twelve foot alley,
next 10 Dr. uwings house stood CLOSE together.
The; were ncai, all a. one height. and the
roof quite Hat After The first OF these buildings
fell, the inmates b,gan To appear on the roofs -
The house 80 Dr. Uwings was % wood. aud IT
soon hoa,c'! 90 it, foundations across the alley
adjoining. and against the next house. which
was u siorc The family consisted Of Mrs Ow-
iugs and .ix children. aud crlufed man and
woman. servants William. the cOlorcd man.
was seen eating hole through the roof vita
an axe aud soon appeared with the youngest
thill IL the Doctor his arms lie then hcl,ed
Mrs Owines through and the other children.
aud conveyed them on 10 the roof Of the next {
house, and seemed To watch over their safety
and comfort Ia this hour Of peril. with - dcyo-
,ion that will do honor to his msmory 30 long
n ilosc who witnessed his s-lisacrifcing labors
shall live Every hOdy Is speaking Of the bra. q
very and devotion Of Dr. Owings man William
tins thrown in moment as the only human
hand 0n which mother and children could RELY
IN the hour of peril His efforts were. however,
altogether 10 vain hut he stood mtn'ully by his
Agh-l W ilf INST Atlu Uubll tifil'u up Iis ttt
without making any effort to EEK his own per.
sona safety With one Of the younger children
III ~ arms Pc went down With mulhrr and III.
'lr onrs around him in the boiling and raging
current y intiN of Young men .ia'ior'i nn the
Pa'nps'p Mil. bridge with ropes 90 avnting
:" save 'hosr who nigh, he able To- I'M report
having seen Nj Owings on ihc suriar. Of the
water. aprafcnil swimming with nb- hand and
underwriting {" sustain her youngest child with
The other. hui she sank Ia rise no more and
W.. crrii'd of IL the torrent
TAtL 90 TnE LAST mousE
llouse after huu.'. in this row. w-nI down,
and the victim, iird before the wrath Of the food
from fouf H. tUn'. until but one ROOT remained ,
ON which the survivors had gathered to the NUN.
Der Of fifteen Sjmr wer- observed in the aii- .
,udr VI praAst. and others in desperation, but
nil were distinctly recognz-d aud unidentified by ,
Tie spectators ~ relatives or personal arqUaint.
ances y" All could bc given them, aud none
was am 1isisi ~ them amid their terrible sur
runndngs FINALLY, this last house vent down
aud the fifteen ~ho were congtcgaicd on the roof ,
weIo engul'ri ~ the ruthless element in which ,
u sr''i''i impossible for ban To live loA,itd as
u "as Nith dn'iirg iim'efs, trees, houss. cai-
lie. aud ever, variety 81 dbFis gathered 10 ~ /
destructive ruuts~ \ lew Of ihrm sustsinrl
ih'insr.'e- i"r q eN minutes on some Heating
atitI, HAT th", had gr.sl,rd hnt all attempt,
10 rrscu" Them ~ the, passed do~n the sinam
proved iriilc. \ swim death overlook them all.
tiST ~ Ttg VICTIMS
Mr. Dr 7 u Owing. six children aud three ,
servants Dr oWings h.. two other children
who were ah-cn' from home ~ the time 81 the !
sal occurrence :; VIM. Patterson, wife aud child
John Rs'sr daughter, sister in.lAw and her !
daughter John Debrow, wife aud child; Mr. {
Fountain. wife and daughter: Nissrs Mary aud
Fanny Duvall scrvani aud n lady visitor Vim. {
Partridge, wife and child Matthias NcCauley I
VIM Snyder. w. Murphy. wife, child aud moth.
eF.tu.laW. and Mrs Timmuus aud hsr sUo eteu
daughters the Misses johnson forty three al.
tutoether