Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1870-10-08
TERRIBLE FLOOD IN VIRGINIA.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
Numbers Homeless and Destitute.
MILLIONS OF PROPERTY DESTROYED.

sud portions OF Eastern Virginia have
been visited with one Of the most terrible
and destructive floods ever known in
modern times. Valuable lives have been
lost. houses. barns. and manufacturing
establishments swept away and damaged,
bridges and railroads destroyed, and The
country adjacent TO the angry streams de-
vsslsied for miles. In some localities the
scene is ,suly appalling. Where once the
eye was greeted with happy homes end
The tuay hpm Of industry, naughl but de-
VISITATION and ruin now appears. In a
number OF cases, no, stone 10 left 10
mark The sites of former abodes.
Early on Thursday mornings general
rain commenced falling. which in The Up
per Valley and on towards Lynchburg'
poured down in torrents. A dispatch
from Greenwood Depot. dated Thursday
evening, says ,hs, sill modes Of travel in
that section, and as far as heard from in
The STATE, has been intercepted. The
eastern bound train on The Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad from the White Sui.
phur Springs. was unable 10 proceed any
further than Alton Station on account OF a
wash on the road and FIVE land slides be-
tween Alton and GordoDs,iIe. The
train commenced 10 return back 10 Sisun.
ton, bul after passing Blue Ridge tunnel
ii became unable 10 proceed further. the
water on the track being nearly up 10 the
fires in The engine. The specisl train
containing President Wickhsm, Director
Fisk and party had barely passed the
Way nesbo,o' bridge when il was swept
away by The food. The eastern bound
train containing large number OF pasSen-
gers, returning from the Virginia Springs,
is weather bound al the west end Of The
Blue Ridge tunnel. No lives wers lost
as far as heard from. Considerable dam.
age has been done ncsr Slaunton.
Although extending over the lsreest
portion Of the State Of Virginia, the prln-
cipal destruction by these waters SEEM 10
have been on the line Of the Shenandoah
river, and most heavily fell. in our own
county. We are moi able al presen, to
give foil particulars, but will presen, to
our readers IS far as possible the details
OF this sad calamity. After The announce
men, OF the destruction OF The Wsynss-
boro' bridge, given above, the next dam.
age tina, we hear of in coming down the
Shenandoah, is the loss Of a
Large New MiH and Bridge neqr Front
Royal.
which are reported 10 have been entirely
svep! away.
The Railroad Bridge Near StraSburg
is entirely gone. and grsa. damage done
in the vicinity.
Thence Do,,H.
The Island Ford. Tilt Hammer and Swif,
Shoal Mills, and all ,he houses a, Berry's
Ferry. save one, Shepherds Mill, and,
We presume. all the houses, barns, &c,
on the river, from Casilemsn's Ferry 10
The head waters Of The Shenandoah.
At Castleman's Ferry.
the destruction is complete. All The
houses, sixteen in number, were driven
from their moorings by the surging waves
and The main building OF the hoiel and the
store house alone leli TO mark The spot.
The erry-bos,. we learn. was saved.
Among ,he sufferers q, this poin. is Mr..
James w. Jones, formerly Of this place,
who, with his family, lost everything
save the clothing they hid on, and barely
escaped with their lives.
The next in order. it 10 our melancho.
ly duty 10 state, resulted in the drowning
Of
Mr.. John B. Lewis.
an esIinable gentleman. with . large cir
Gle OF friends and relatives. His house,
near The mil! q, Rock Ford, was swept
away. and lie, unlor,unstely. alter remov-
ing his family, had returned 10 lis occu-
pancy, when the food-,de rsme. His
body was recovered on Saturday,, mile
or so down The river, where IL had washed
ashore. The mill a, this point was con-
sdersbly damaged. The Steam Saw.
NJ jill OF MIR. Geo. w. Eichelbergcr was in
operation a, point near the Clarke line,
but shared the fate common to all impe-
ding ob'tacles 10 The raging pillows. He
slso lost quantity OF lumber. Mr..
Joshua Myers barn, and all his buildings
except one, were destroyed.
Johnson Large Wooien Factory,
a, the mouth Of the Bullskin Run, was
submerged 10 The second story. and the
damage TO stock. machinery, &C., must
be considerable. The old Ferry House
al Shsnnondale is no more, but acted as
escort TO lis down stream neighbors,
Wslraven's sswnill and house, in their
ran'it oceanwsrd. The fine Jisillsry
OF Avis & Co, with lis stills and fixtures
complete. as .lso dwelling, was swep, of;
and The loss of Mrs. Mary Vanvac,e:, ill
slabIIng. &c. was very considerable.
The houae of Mr. Joseph Starry. oppo.
site this point. went down. The ensn,
house OF Mr.. Jere Harris, with it. house
hold fixtures, shared the same fate. This,
50 far as We are informed brings us down
TO The extensive Sa s.MilI and Sash Fac.
Tory OF Me.srs. Kearsley 8. Sheerer, al.
the mouth OF the Chsrlestown Run.
Their lose by damage 10 mill, injury to
machinery, washing away Of Immense
quantities OF lumber. &C., is very heavy.
One OF the two new dwellings, recently
erected by this firm, jus, below the mill,
was swept away. it's inmates barely es.
Gaping with life. This house W. as in the
occupancy of Mr.. Ain.uo,,b wbo -