The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-07-31
To Correspondents.
The Great Flood.

The city of Baltimore and the adjacent
country were visited, on Friday last, by one
Of the greatest and most disastrous floods
ever witnessed in this section of the country
Jones Falls, which passes through the city
was swollen to such an extent as to carry
away oil the bridges between Eager street
and Baltimore street. being six ip number,
most Of which were expensive iron bridges
of the very best character The City Com
missioner estimates the loss to the city, in
bridges alone, at not less than five hundred
thousand dollars Houses were swept away,
and the entire city adjacent to the Falls,
flooded. The water extended through Hol-
liday street to the corner of Fayette, sub
merging all the houses from Monument street
to that point. The Holiday Street Theatre
had ten feet of water in the parquette, and
the extensive excavation for the basement of
the City Hall, opposite, was filled. Harrison
street was entirely under water to the depth
of twelve feet. The water extended from
east of Front street to Gay street on Balti-
more street, and all persons ON both sides of
the street suffered more or less. The flood
rushed down Frederick street with great fury,
from Gay street to the basin, tearing up the
pavements, and doing immense damage On
Davis street the water rose to the height of
thirteen feet, In some instances covering the
cars of the Northern Central Railway On
Calvert street the water extended from Cal
vert station to Lexington street. Between
Mulberry and Saratoga, the water rose to the
second story of the houses. On North street
the water rose SO high, that in some instances
1t entered the second story of the houses
At Fish Market Space, the water rose to the
roof of the market house. The manufacto-
ries, stores and dwellings on the line of Jones'
Falls all suffered more or less, some Of them
heavily.
Atabout Q o'clock on Saturday, the water
found its way into the press-room of the Bal
timore Sun. On Saturday morning the
Maryland Institute, and the market-house
beneath II, presented a novel appearance
The floor of the market-house was several
inches deep in mud Chopping blocks, meat
receivers and all the paraphernalia incident
TO the butchers BUSINESS had disappeared. -
Early on Saturday morning the doors of the
Maryland Institute could not be seen, for the
debris piled up in front of the edifce.. The
large iron lamp posts in front of the building
were snapped by the pressure ofthe water, as
If they were glass, and the entire pavement,
nearly to the opposite side of Baltimore
street, was filled up with telegraph poles,
bales of cotton, wrecks of all kinds of yehi-
cles and every description of lumber, furni-
ture, machinery, and the odds and ends of all
sorts of things. On both sides of the build
ing the street was washed for some seventy
feet in length, and from ten to twelve feet
deep. On Harrison street, where Che water
throughout the street was about ten feet deep
lamp posts, awning posts, telegraph poles,
foot ways, were all washed away The loss
on this street alone, between Gay and Fay-
cite, is estimated at $4,000.
Whilst the flood was at its highest ON Fri
day, about ! o'clock, a young man, q stranger
in the city, but since ascertained to be an
Englishman, performed an act of gallantry
worthy Of being recorded. Jia" @
A drowning man was seen floating in Cav
street, near Harrison, when the stranger
jumped from window, and, at the risk OF
his own life, succeeded in saving that of the
drowning man, by pulling him to the steps of
adwelling where the current was less strong.
The stranger appeared satisfied in having
saved the life ofa human being, and positive
ly refused to give his name Another gen.
tleman, who declined giving his name, res
cued drowning man on Second street,
whilst hundreds of others were inertly look
Ing on. / 81 ~
At Ellicott City the flood was terribly de-
structive. Mills, factories, stores and resi-
dences were totally destroyed The granite
cotton min of MIR. Benjamin Deford, Of Bal
timore, an immense structure, erected at
cost Of $4,000, with its machinery, costing
$4,000, together with the machine shop,
were entirely destroyed. making Mr.. Deford's
loss about $2950O0. The loss oflife amount
cd to some forty or fifty, among whom were
the wife and six children of Dr. T. B. Owens.
The Frederick Turnpike Company suffered
severely. It can scarcely be seen that road
ever existed, for distance of about half a
mile At Leicester, GambrilIs Mills,
with all their contents, were almost
entirely destroyed At Sykesyille, the
Hotel, with the outbuildings were entirely
I'M