The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-05
Gathering of Waters in the Sohuylkill
and Delaware-The Deluge's
Damage-Appearanc of the
Inundated Districts
To-day.
The Schuylkill Subsiding-The Della
ware Rising-Prospects of a Re-
sumption at the Water
Works - Additional ~
Particulars. F,


the schuylkill front were thronged by hundreds Of
spectators, voluble with comments the food, and
curious i'm discovering cellars squares away from the
rivers wonted limit that noated in inundation
Men, women, and children of the poorer kind who
live in the western skirts of the town, were busy by
the dim light of the stars in gathering piles OF drift
wood, swimming it to the edge Of the water, and
thence carrying it to their homes.
This morning the shores of both rivers, the Della
ware and Schuykill, were crowded. The scene at
either front was indeed one of desolaton. Wrecked
tmbers, barrels, and car-boXes shingles from roofs
of houses soaked tufts Of hay and straw, and num-
berless other articles light enough to loat covered
the Streets Oiled up the cutters, and adhered to the
walls OF the houses.
The Delaware river is still rising. The Schuylkill
on the contrary, rapidly falls This morning, at
O'Clock, the water passing over the dam at Fair
mount was six feet six inches in depth, having
fallen since yesterday some half-dozen feet
The prospects that the various water works
will be enabled to resume operations tonight. The
turbines" at Fairmount can work under water
when the flood is not too deep-a thing absolutely
impossible with the old breast-wheels.
The water in the reservoirs is sufficient in quan-
tty to supply all needs until the wheels can again
operate although the exact depth in each one was
not ascertained this morning.
The subsidence in the waters Of the Schuylk has
emptied the streets it, but of course the hun
dreds of cellars which were flooded still remain So
At Twenty-fourth and Vine streets, however, where
there is sort Of depression in the ground, large
lake still presents its unwelcome surface to the
dwellers on its banks.
In addition to the particulars furnished in yester-
days TELEGRAPH, the following were collected this
morning.
Here and There.
The basement of the American Meter Company's
establishment, at Twenty second and Cherry streets
was filed with water. The tannery Of j. Hadley,
on Cherry street, above Twenty-second, was also
flooded. The building occupied by Il. Il q. Walden,
manufacturers Of patent fan-blOwers, was also
damaged. On Race street, above Twentysecond,
the machine shop of j. e Packer Co. was filed
with the fluid, as were also the Easements of row
on The west side of the river, lust below the
bridge, the coal oil refinery of Renshsrd d Street
submerged containing two engines and one boiler.
OF oil in The tank, but whether had escaped or not
was not ascerGainabe. There 1oated of twenty five
barrels of crude and twenty-five borrels OF refined
OIL together with about one hundred empty barrels.
just below stable, with dwelling attached was in
similar condition Adjoining this was the lamp
black factory OF the Messrs wilson, which was con-
sidcrably damaged.
Below the Chesnust street Bridge.
At the western end of the Chestnut street bridge,
L. Morgan Son. manufacturers of terra-cotta drain
pipe, are the lessees of wharf upon which they
store the product of their works. Their wares were
protected from the weather by sheds; the flood
nearly covered the sheds. The firm will lose about
$500. Just below Morgan q Sons are the petroleum
works and storage wharves of Wallace Curtis & Co
They are losers to the amount of about $1,000. one
hundred and fifty barrels of OIL five hundred empty
barrels and some shedding were carried OH Two
large tanks at the south end of their depot were
lifted from their foundations and the pipe connect
ing them with the barrel-iillers twisted or and
the oil in them lost.
The fence surrounding three sides of the West
Philadelphia Skating Park at Walnut street was de-
mOlished. The Almshouse meadows We're over
flowed, and all the property on the west bank of the
river below them was more or less damaged. Six
spans of the restlework of the Point Breeze branch
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, nearly oppo-
site the AlmshOuse buildings, were destroyed The
SAMSON, are filed with water. The wood wharf OF
John d. Ward at the east end of the Chestnut Street
entire stock of cord wood was carried of The slpd
wharf Of j. S. Buckley, at SAMSON street. was sub
merged, as were also the marble wharves OF D. X. n
NJ. Freedley and j. S. Baird, and II. Barker & Bros
granite yard at Walnut street The stables of the
firms were Hooded. Their loss however, is imma
teral
Baker 4 Smiths coal wharf, and the wharves OF
W. II. Phelan and Harbet, Davis & Co., lumber
dealers at Locust street, were completely covered
by the broad river The lumber firms lose several
thousand dollars by the noating Off OF boards ois
The storage house Of the Penn Ice and Coal Com
pany, at the foot OF Spruce street. containing 25OO
tons of ice valued at 100000 under water during
the nood. The ice is supposed to be total loss.
Allison Fince d Co. had large quantity of cord
word piled on the Ice companys wharf, which was
carried away.
Jesse Williams coal dealer, opposite the ice COM
panys property suffers slight damage to his stables
and fencing and also by some of his coal being
swept into the dock.
The basement Of the worsted mill OF Griswold
Chase ~ Co., on the south side Of Spruce street.
was filled with water, which damaged the ma
chinery considerably and caused a stoppage Of the
hands.
At Pine street wharf are the coal depot Of Donaghy
watt, and the Cold Spring Ice and Coal Company
Their stables and offices were Hooded.
j. S. Lowry Son. wood dealers, at Lombard
their stock.
s. Engel Co., coal dealers, at the same dock, lose
slightly. - ~
Maule Bro, and John c. savery, lumber dealers.
opposite the Naval Asylum suffer considerable loss
by their stock being carried on of their wharyes
Several dwellings on Chippewa, Clay aud other
small streets facing the river have water in their
cellars and first floors ~
Some trihng damage was done at the Arsenal nro
peTty and at the coal oil works Just below it,
large canal boat lodged against the bridge OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Just below the oil
which was swept down from near the Falls.
All of the meadows and lOwlaIds were submerged
tables were likewise covered with water and tn
crops either noated OF or ruined.
At PhGniXviIIe.
Although the rain descended in torrents in Schuyl
Kill and Berks counties, yet the residents OF tn
vile experienced none OF the damaging result
which have been felt by those residing below
PheniXvile proper is located on a series OF hgl
hills and the residents thereof suffered none from
the freshet But between the town and the river is
long, low gully, in which are situated the dozens o
furnaces OF the PhGniXvile Iron Co., and on eithe
side OF this extensive range OF buildings are severa
rows OF houses In which the workingmen live. Th
occupants were warned of the approaching freshe
at about midnight on Sunday and before daylight
they were compelled to leave their dwellings ant
seek other quarters BY this time the water begaI
encroaching upon the premises OF the iron company
furnaces, and so rapidly did the current adYanc
that was with extreme diIculty that ae me Har9u va
long but 1t was thought that by this morning the
would resume operations
This small borough line lies In the low lands oppO
site Phenixyille, with which It is connected by
wooden bridge. The houses were all invaded by tn
watery element, which managed TO now over tn
AZ nlan NNl..