Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-10-03
THE GREAT FLOOD.
Loss Of Life and Immense Destruc
lion Of Property.

The accounts that reach US BY telegraph
mail aud through private sources, of tho loss
Of life and destruction OF property, by the il'od,
in the Shenandoah, Potomac, James, ana
Rivanna rivers are truly appalling
Il S scarcely possible, yet, to estimate the
full extent of the disaster, or OF the suffering 1t
has entailed on individuals In addition D
the loss Ct life, property to the value OF mil
lions OF dollars is involved in the general wreck.
TIE FLOOD IN TIE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
A gentleman who left Front Royal, Warren
county, on Saturday noon, informs US that the
freshet in the Shenandoah River was gradual
ly subSding. lie confirms all the previous re-
ports OF the destruction in the Shenandoah
Valley by this sudden and almost unprece'
denied calamity. lie was in the neghborhood
Of Front Royal on Thursday, at residence on
the liver. There had teen no rain whatever,
in that ncighborhood, to cause any apprchcI-
sion CT a frcshet. But suddenly that night
the river began to rise, aud by S o'clock
the next morning tue flood was at its heigbth.
Houses, barns, mills, stables, were swept off,
like chaf Mr.. Blakemorc'S flmiy were at
ktast, when tho water surrounded their
dwelling and carried it off. Mr.. Biakemorc
and lis wife, five children and three guests
were 10 the house. MIR. and Mrs. Blakcmorc
and three of the children, and Mrs. Ridge
way were drowned. Mr.. +. a. Wilson, Eosi'
necr on the Shenandoah Valley road, and DR..
Roy, manned boat and, alter great cXerions,
rescued MIR. Kaufman, who had saved himself
BY Selling tree as he was being hurried away,
and climbing its limbs Again boat was
manned and DR.. Roy and M. Richard 3.
BaeIy rescued Sir. Ridgcway, bu: were unable
to reach the shore, and all three had to seek
refuge in tree which ovcrhung the ioaming
waters, where they remained all night. They
were finally taken off by Mr.. Bcckwth, agent
of the contractors Of the Pennsylvania Central
Co., MIR. +. A. Wilson, and Mr. Charles Bax.
ter. The heroic conduct of McsSrs. Wilson,
Beckwth, Roy, Bagley, and Baxter is highly
spoken OF.
The Railroad bridge at RiVerton for River
station) on the Manassas Gap Railroad, was
carried away, the Lime Kiln, valuable prop
erty, destroyed and the house filled with water
up to the second story.
The river at this point rose 20 to - feet in
four hours. The immense volume Of water
was seen coming down the stream with a roar
like thunder, and the banks were stripped Of
their trees in few minutes All tho mills
from Berry's Ferry to thirty miles above have
been destroyed, except Weaver's and Wcston'S 5,
as also all the bridges on the river, as far as
heard from. The ferry house at Bcrry's Ferry
is gone, and the ferryman drowned.
All day on Friday tho river was filled with
the wrecks of mills and buildings, large trees,
bodies Of horses, COWS, hogs and sheep, hay
stacks, &c. nc. Five houses around Weaver's
mill were washed away. All the bottom lands
in the Valley. where corn was standing. were
covered with water twenty five feet deep, and
there will be immense loss on that account
Quantities OF furniture, such as tables, chairs,
piano, &c., &C., passed DOWN, and it is fear.
cd the destruction has hccn great in aud about
Port Republic.
The roar and rush of the water, the i'm
mensc height to which it attained, the de-
struction going on on all sides Sail combined
to render the sccpe appalling, and one which
never can be forgotten By those who witnessed
it, Mr.. SpaDglcr, one OF the oldest citizens,
marked the height Of lrcshet 10 1918, the
highest rccollccted up to that time. This one,
1870, is fifteen or twenty feet higher. The
water was entirely over the piers of the former
turnpike bridge on the Winchester and Front
Royal road.
We obtain these particulars from Co.. John
son, one Of the engineers on tho Shenandoah
Valley road, apd are, as far as he has seen or
heard, correct.
IIARPER's Try.
DISPATCHES from I1arper's Ferry state that
the lower ortion Of the town was completely
submerged. 1t is supposed that about forty
seven persons have been drowned, aud proba-
bly, thirty dwell ngs have been washed away.
Benjamin and James Bateman ID their iami.
lies, Mrs. S. pes and family, Mrs. rroll, aud
Jerrcy Harris, coIorcd, wife and two Oar htc ),
are known to he drowned. AT the buildings
on tho south side Of Sbcnadoan str were in.
jurcd, and about nine cntirely washed away.
Only few buildings remain on the Island,
where was the great est dest action CT Efe. The
water was first noticed to be dangerously high
about O'Clock pm. on the 30th. The river
then rose SO rapidly, that 10 few minutes it
was a wild, dasting, fearful torrcat, and being
night, no human ing could render the slight
est assistance. 1t was fearful sight aa house
after house was swept away, and went dashing
in the strcam, with the wild shricks Of the &C
cupHnts, while the sudden cztinguishmcnt of
the lights told too painfully the story OF death.
All that men could accomplish was done to
save the unfortunate families.
The machine shop, owned by Wcrnway, was
the last building that fell. About II o'clock
a. m. on the lst, Mr.. WerDway, an old and
respected citizen, was in the building, three
story house, at the time. lie was seen clingng
to the wreck as it was boruc on the flood of
waters into the falls below Harpcr's Ferry
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