Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-10-11
Additional Details of Losses of Life and
Property-Incidents of the Calamity, &c.
THE FLOOD IN THE PAGE VALLEY.

|
in Baltimore, gives the following interesting
details of the disasters by the food along the
! Shenandoah In what is known as the Page Val
ley. This rich and beautiful valley was sorely
devastated during the war, but the wreck and
ruin which have just been visited upon it are
said to exceed in extent of material loss and
painful consequences the effects of even that
calamity. The writer says:
1t commenced raining here (Luray, Page
county, on Wednesday evening last. moderate
ly, and on Thursday morning the rain fell in
torrents, swelling the Hawksbil creek, which
runs through the town, considerably, but not
as high as I have seen it. Early Friday morn
ing news reached us that the Shenandoah riv-
er, which runs along the base of the Massanut-
tin mountains, from three to five or six miles
west of Luray, was out Of its banks and had
swept away everything in its course. [ went
to the White House about noon, and found the
bridge gone, Modisett's store house, Mauck S
dwelling, Breubaker's barns and stables all
gone. Going up the river, found the Shen-
andoah Iron works. including storehouse, work
shops and FORCES, swept entirely away, not a
building in the fiat left standing, nor one stone
left upon another. Several fine dwellings, in
Slatetown and at Newport, with the mill at the
latter place, containing large quantity of flour
| and grain, are gone
About midnight the food came down upon
| Columbia mills, and did not leave a vestige of
house or mill or WALL carrying houses, furni-
ture, men, women and children with it. Some
few of the unfortunate who were thus carried
down have since been rescued from the trees
along the river Noah Kite and all his family,
except two little boys, are lost. Nathan Turn
er's house at the toll-gate is gone, but he and
his family were saved. Long, mill the only
one in the county on the Shenandoah, with
stood the deuge, though the water reached the
caves and ruined its contents. The water
reached half way up the second story of FL. c.
Strickler's stone building. in Massanuttin, half
mile from the usual bed of the river.
| Mr.. Joel Prices dwelling, at the bridge. went
off with all in it. The old man remained in it
until it gave way, and then swan out and climb
ed up large elm in the yard, where he remain
ed until taken off in boat on Friday having
been UP the tree fifteen hours Further down
the river the current swept away Mauck' s mill
and sawmill, with Is barrels Of -four and 800
bushels of wheat, Then it rushed over the riv-
er farm of Mr.. c. Ii. Finn, carrying away build
ings and everything, and there is no sign now
that houses and barns were ever seen there.
| Still further down it carried off Noah Flem-
ming's house and barn. and everything in them,
he and his family barely escaping. Bixley S
| ferry, below, was submerged and one dwelling
swept away, but no lives were lost The fol-
lowing are other principal losses along the course
of the flood: Henry Mauck' house, below the
ferry; Stovers mill, with quantity of wheat
and -four; Garland & Menefee's barn, horses
and grain; Peter keyser's barn and stables
James W. Goods mill, with all its valuable
contents of wheat and -four, and Nehemiah
Atwood's house, with all he had in it, he and
family barely escaping, were carried away
The loss In Page county is estimated at $3.50
600, and may be more. The number of lives
lost cannot now be aScertained. Several dead
bodies have been picked up, but not yet recog-
nlzed. Great want and restitution exist among
persons who, but few days ago, were in af1u
ent circumstances, and it is hoped that some
thing may be done for the sufferers quickly
Cold weather is at hand; the winter will soon
begin, and they are sadly in need, especially of
material for clothing"
From the Lexington GaSette.l
RoCKBRIDGE COUNTY.
Below we give somewhat in detail the Incl
dents and losses from this great freshet. Bu
from the extent of the calamity larger por
ton Of the details must go unrecorded
BEGINNING ON NORTH RIVER.
The bridges at and above the Baths were
swept away. Both these were new and had
not been built more than two years. They viii
be a great loss to that community as well as tt
the public at large, being On the road from
Lexington to Goshen. The lower bath house
and the kitchen at the Baths and the bridge a
the same place across Hays Creek shared The
same fate. The forge and the dam connected
with the same on the river below, are gone, to
gether with several small dwellings near there
were also washed away. The occupants beinl
unable to get out climbed trees and remained
up them until the water TELL In order to say.
the smaller children they tied them to the limbs
Of the trees and thus held them fast, and pre-
served them from watery graves.
Coming on down the river 10 Alone Mills the
saEmill was overturned, but did not go off
The lower part of the mill was submerged ane
and the grain in the mill. Mr.. Tankersley
living near the Burnt Bridge, lost his kitchen
and some ut-houses and with his family were
surrounded the whole night by the angry waves
being unable to get GU. until the abatement O.
the waters.
The next loss in order was the new bridge a
the mouth of Kerr's Greek This will be fell
more severely from the fact, that the work was
just finished the day it went Off 1t was pro
nounced by competent judges to be the hes
piece Of workmanship of the kind in the coun
ty, and the neighborhood had strained thei
means in order to erect the bridge; in which
they had been greatly assisted by the liberaity
of Mr.. Woods, the Contractor; who by the
way, we take the occasion of recommending il
the new works of the kind that will now be re
quired.
/ Leyburn' Mill comes next in order and snf
fered largely in the destruction of large por
ton of their magnificent race, and by the slack
water in the lower stories Of the mill, damaging
machinery and the grain stored therein.
Jordau's Point, Of which We gave some &C
count last, week. is a perfect scene of desoation
Alexander warehouse, with the merchandise
belonging to j. D. Anderson & Co., and larg.
amount Of goods and grain stored In it. Pat
terson's warehouse on the Point with all it
valuable contents, all lost.
McNutt & Co. s warehouse and McCorkc'
store were submerged and greatly damaged
The Association store suffered the same Ca
lamity, and great portion of their goods Ell
! Their destroyed or badly injured
The houses occupied by Capt. McNutt auc