Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-10-11

losers in wheat, and Mr. j. ii. Biggs lost
everything he had, wearing apparel and all
Tho house aud contents of Vast. Lewis, .
coIered man, was swept away, and he too. left
destitute.
AnBEMARsE.
From the Charlottesville Chronicle We copy
the following Incident
A. Mr.. Jennings, who is the miller at Rio.
on Thursday night aWoke and found the water
fast taking possession of his home, and inn
mediately set TO work to rescue his wife aud
children from the destroying clement. TAX
ing his wife and youngest child, he sought to
reach the land by wading, instructing his two
other children to follow. Fearful OF the inn
pending danger, the children did nor heed tho
4dmOmitioa of the father; and attcfresching
land with his wife and child, ne turned only
to see his house aud remaiting children swept
onward with the rushing waters. The rise
in the river was then at the rate of about ten
feet in twenty minutes, and few of the inhab-
itants of this little village were able to escape
Mrs. Wilsley, the wife of one of the millers,
shared the same fate of the two children of
Mr. Jennings, being carried off in their house
Mr. Burnley was carried down in his mill some
distance, but made his escape to a friendly
tree by which the mill passed, and after stay
ing there long time he was rescued. The
disinterested heroism of Mr.. Ned Wood was
most commendable. Hearing the cries of
Mrs. Wilsley as she went down in the house,
he swan in to her rescue, and succeeded in
getting her out of the house and some dis
lance towards the shore but finding that his
strength was failing him, he released his hold
on her and attempted to save himself After
struggling with the current for while, he
made for a "hammock" of drifted trash, on
which he spent the night and from which he
was rescued yesterday morning.
LOSSES IN RocKBRIDGE coUNTY-scENEs
IN AND AROUND LEXINGTON.
A special telegram to the Richmond Dis,
patch says:
The North River was ten feet higher on
| Thursday than it has been since 1871. The
damage is frightful All of the bridges from
| Goshen to the mouth Of the river were swept
away. The bridge at the mouth of North
river and the railroal bridge at Goshen are all
that are left.
| The damage at the point here is immense.
Patterson s warehouse, Alexander's warehouse,
Harnsburger's & Bren s fertilizer mandatory,
three or four dwelling houses, several small
tcnements. and large qnan titles of lumber, &C.,
| were carried away, No stock or furniture
saved. Gibson's mill was seriously damaged.
| The North River canal is hopelessly ruined
dams broken, locks washed out, and damage
done which will probably not be repaired for
| years if at all.
The fresh extended to all the streams in the
| county. On Buffalo creek all of the mill
dams were swept away, and most of the bridges
Rex & Cos large mercantile establishment,
Brady's forge, Wilson's mill and cardine ma
| chine. and number Of smaller houses were
| carried off.
The county has lost $40, 900 in bridges
alone.
AUGUSTA COUNTY.
The Staunton Spectator of Tuesday says:
We learn that Middle River and South
! River were from sic to ten feet higher than
! the highest hgh-water marks made within the
memory of the oldest inhabtant.
The loss on South River was immense
| houses. bridges. fences. corn crops. &c being
swept away by its swollen volume and impet-
| uOus torrent
At Wcyer's Cave. the dwelling of Mrs. Nc
| Cauy, with an aged woman-Mrs. Ham-in
it was swept away. Her cries could he heard
as the house passed points lower down the
river. The otheI occupants ofthe house, nine
| in number. Mrs. McCauley. two daughters
! with two babies, two SONS and two negro meD,
were saved by getting on trees, on which they
remained till tho next day During this time,
whilst they were clinging for life to the trees
which were sEayed and shaken By the mpet.
| uous torrent beneath. they-the innocent
babies included-were subjected through the
darkness of the night to tho ''reltinGs of the
| pitileas storm" of rain which chilled them to
the bone
! AT BEIDGEwATER,
| The bridge across the river, and tho mills of
| Geo. W. Berlin and VIM. Dinkle we're :le-
stroyed. and a considerable part of that beau
tiful village was destroyed, there being dozen
or more houses either totally destroyed or
greatly damaged
! SHENANDOAH IRON WORKS.
| At Shenandoah Iron Works the loss was
fearful The Forge, and all buildings con-
| nected Herewith; the Masonic Hall. the res
! licences of Rev. a. 2. Boude. Mr.. Deacon. and
| A. w. Mason, with their contents were swept
away. The store house, with large stock of
goods. shared the same fate. The safe, weigh.
ing about three tons, and containing all the
valuable books and papers of the Works, was
washed down the river and landed at New
port. some ten miles below. The houses of
Mr. Mines. and others on the high ground
above the Works were uninjured, the water
coming within twenty feet of them.
| nc mIll duu IeSluebCc VI MI Nue. III dso
county, were carried away. The family we're
in the house at the time, and failed to make
their escape. The house went to pieces but
all succeeded in getting on a raft or piece of
the building, where they remained, and lodged
against the branches of tree until the SUBJ
siding of the flood loosened the raft, and went
floating down the stream. Nothing has since
been heard of them. The floating houses,
mills, &c, rendered their rescue impossible,
and their final escape improbable.
THE WHITE HOUSE.