The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-06
THE GREAT FLOOD
FURTHER NEWS FROM THE
LOWER VALLEY.
Great ID estructfOn..Lyoas OF Life.
Houses Drifting Away-Desfruc-
ton of Money.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM 70 H DISPATCH ]

STANTON, NA., Oct. B., 1870.
The railroad bridge below strasburg is en-
tirely gone, and great damage is done in the
vicinity, thence down the island ford, TIT
Hammer and Swift Shoal mills, and all tie
houses at Berry's Ferry save one shep-
herds mill, and, we presume, all the houses,
barns, &C., on the river from Castleman's
ferry to the head-waters Of the Shenan-
doah.
At Castleman's ferry the destruction is
complete. All the houses sixteen in num-
ber) were driven FROM their moorings by
the surging waves, and the main building
| of the hotel and storehouse alone left to
mark the spot. The ferry-boat, we learn,
| was saved. /,
/ Among the sufferers at this place is Dir.
! James w. Jones, formerly Of this place,
| who, with his family, lost everything save
the clothing they had on, and barely es-
capped with their lives. The next in, order,
| it is our melancholy duty to state, resulted
in the drowning of John B. Lewis, an esti-
| mable gentleman with q large circle Of rela-
| tives and friends. His house, near the mill
| OF Rockford, was recovered on Saturday a
] mile or so down the river, where it bad
washed ashore. The mill at this point was
considerably damaged.
The steam saw.mill of Mr.. Geo. ". Rech-
| elberger was in operation at a point near
| the Clarke line, but shared the fate COM
mon to all impending obstacles to the rag
ing pillows. He also lost a quantity of lum-
I Ion Nv To,y,,o- aT,orc,. 1,orp n,1 al bju
| buildings except II were destroyed.
| Johnson's large wooden factory, at the
mouth of Bull-Skin run, was submerged to
the second story, and the damage to stock,
machinery, &C., must be considerable.
The old ferry-house at Shannondale is no
more, but acted as escort to its down.
stream neighbors.
Walraven's saw-mill and house in their
| transit oceanward, the fine distillery Of
Avis & Co., with its stills and fixtures COM
pletc, as also dwelling, was swept off and
the loss of Mrs. Mary Fanvactor in sta
bling, ETC., was very considerable. The
house of Mr.. Joseph Starry, opposite this
point, went down. The tenant-house- of
| Mr.. Joe Harris, with its household fixtures,
| shared the same fate also as far as we are in
formed. This brings us down to the exten-
sive saw-mill and sash factory Of Messrs.
Hearsly g. Skerres, at the mouth of the
| Charlestown Run. Their loss by damage
to mill. iniuryt to machinery, washing away
of immense quantities of lumber, etc., is
VERY heavy.
One of the two new dwellings recently
erected by this firm, just below the mill
was swept away, its inmates barely escaping
with life. This house was in the occupancy
of MIR. Ainsworth, who is quite poor, has q
large and helpless family, and saved not
one dollars worth of furniture or clothing
from the common wreck.
The dye-house and other out-houses al
Watson's factory were swept off, and hi:
mill, stock, and machinery very considera
bly, damaged.
The large brick mill of Thomas FL. Wills
Esq, withstood the raging waters, but i
| doubtless considerably injured.
The distinctions at KeyeSs ferry was com
plctc. The old mansion house was in the
occupancy OF Dir. Daniel Allstadt, who hat
scarcely succeeded i'll removing his famll!
before the house, stabling, farming nipple
ments, &C., became common food for TIT
raging waters. In this connection, we re
sret to learn that Mr.. John G. Cockrcll, who
is the father-in-l law of Mr.. Allstadt, los
81 900 in bonds, which he had spread on
on q table in the house to dry, they having
been wet the day previous. The home wa
long and familiarity known as the house o
Gershon Keyes, and had withstood th'
storm and the tempest for over a century
1t was the birthplace of our venerable Eel
low-citizen, Humphrey Reyes, Esq, ant
had furnished shelter and food to many
wayGarer in past generations, particular!
among the itinerancy of the Methods
Church, to whom it was always a home o
welcome. ;,