The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-05


the town, was also destroyed by the same means.
SO far as known, these are all the bridges be-
tween Norristown and Pottsville that have suf-
fcred seriously. A number of boats lying at the
dTy-docks of the Schuylkill Navigation Com
pany were swept away
The damage along the river front of the city
VIII be impossible to ascertain fully before the
water subsidies to its ordinary level, but IL is
very great. The lumber yards suffered and also
several of the iron works. At the gas works the
fires in the retorts were put out, and the mains
leading into the city were filled with water
owing to the wrenchng off of the lamp posts by
passing timbers.
For the first time since the freshet of 1850 the
city was without gas, and the streets presented a
gloomy appearance, the stores nearly all closing
at dark. 1t is believed that the gas supply will
be resumed tomorrow evening. Many families
have lost heavily in furniture, and some are en-
tirely homeless. The Mayor has called a town
meeting on Wednesday night for their relief
The scene along the river front this morning
was pitiful. The telegraph line of the Schuyl-
kill Navigation Company was swept away.
The superintendent was unable to get much
information to-day in regard to the condition OF
navigation, but it is known that none OF the
dams or bridges above Reading were carried
away, and that the canal Is unlnJured above
An absurd despatch was received here stating
that about seventy-tive feet OF the bank, in what
is known as Mitchell's level, below Schuylkill
Haven, was carried away. The two feet water
main from Barnhart's dam, the main water sup
ply of the city, was severed by the breaking of
an old dam below the former.
new brick house in the upper portion of the
city was washed down, and the culverts all over
the town were torn up and cellars filled. Rail-
road travel was interrupted in every direction
excepting on the Reading Road from here to
Pottsville. We have had no railroad commune
cation with Philadelphia all day, in consequence
of the track being submerged for some miles
below Norristown.
The Philadelphia, Reading, and Pottsville
Telegraph line is also carried away at this place.
The morning trains down to-day returned this
evening from Norristown. Five small bridges
are said to be washed away on the East Penn
sylvania Railroad between here and Allentown.
At Rubesonia, on the Lebanon Valley Rail-
road, five miles from Reading, n bridge aud
some three hundred feet of the track were
washed away, but the damage was repaired, the
morning tram from Harrisburg being delayed
only about half an lhour 1t is said that the
railroad travel will be open tomorrow again in
all directions.
The water fell to-day almost as rapidly as it
had risen, and by this hour, midnight, has got
down some ten feet. No further damage is ap-
pretended.
BETHLEHEM, Oct. 4.-The heavy and con-
tinuous rains of Saturday night, yesterday, and
last night, have caused the greatest freshet ever
| known in this section. AS early as two o'clock
| this morning, the residents on Second street,
| South Bethlehem, were aroused from their
slumbers by the rushing of waters into the cellars
| and Easements of their dwellings,, and in a short
| time the water filled the street, and the lower
portions of all the buildings.
| At eight o'clock the Lehigh river had risen II
feet and continued to rise till 4 p. NJ, when it
| reached point 10 feet above low water mark.
About ten o'clock an old gentleman and lady,
| who attempted to cross from the canal bridge to
| the Lehigh bridge in a carriage, had very mar
| row escape from drowning, by the overturnng
| of the vehicle. They were rescued with great
| difficulty. The damage to property is immense
The Lehigh Zinc Company's row of houses
| were completely flooded and badly damaged
| Peysert's store is submerged. The cellar of
| Gauffs Hotel is also flooded. The store, cellar
| and lower floor of building on Philadelphia
| road, known rs Five Points, is under water and
| the goods badly damaged.
The water has been falling since Z. NJ and
is now several feet lower.
ALLENTOWN, Oct. 4.-There is a terrible
freshet in this region. All the streams are swol-
| len and overflow their banks to greater extent
than in 1S41 or in 1862. The rolling mills and
| manufacturing establishments on the river banks
| are idle, owing to the water having flooded them
| to a great depth. No information can be re-
| ceived from any point north of Catasauqua
| owing to the washing away of the Lehigh Valley
| Railroad and telegraph lines.
The water works supplying this city have
| been stopped and considerably damaged. The
| supply from the works is smaller now than at
| any time during the dry term. During the day
| it has been impossible to reach either the rail-
| road depot or 90 into the country. The bridge
| crossing the Little Lehigh at this place was
| washed off the abutmeuts and carried away.
| The Jordan creek rose to about nineteen feet,
| running over the tops of the arches of Hamilton
| street bridge. The large island OF sixty acres
| is submerged to the depth of fifteen or sixteen
| feet, and the truck thereon is total loss
No lives are reported lost, all the inmates of
| the inundated houses having escaped in time.
| The freshet attained height of over twenty
! one feet. The lumber in the yards of David N.
| Taylor, below New Street Bridge, consisting of
large stock of newly-sawed stuff and seasoned
| lumber, was washed away. Loss not less than
| $7000..
| The Monocacy creek is very high and about
| five times its usual width, covering fields and
| surrounding houses, barns, ETC., all the way
| from here to Bath, where it washed away the
| dwelling-house of L. Barber, the family barely
| escaping.
The tannery of Bodder & Bro damaged to the
| amount of $1,000. Foundry of William Evans
| damaged to the amount of $4,000. Several of
the railroad bridges below Bath were carried of.
The bridge across the Lehigh at Catasauqua,
| was also washed away.
| DELAWARE.
| WILMINGTON, Del. Oct. 40 Z. M-This has
| boon ,o HOod in tbp Rr0nnVWinp since