The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-10-12
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John Eaten Cooltc'a Dcsrrtption Of tbr 2reuc
II... ~.

John Estcu Coohc'a Description Of thn s-ceuc
Tho Bnnhs 1T the R.v'r Sirc,,cd with
Evidences of thc Terrible Orcurrrr. e
whole Families Drowned or Or shed 40
Death -Ton,h hing scenes inter- the Flood.
Correspondence Of ~" sul.
MILLwooD, Va, Oct. What Charles Reade
imagined in the novel Put Yourself in lis Place "
was tufnassed last week here in the Valley o. the
Shenandoah. The ri,er-wi'hout warning, vi,hou,
any ono's expecting it-rose ia q few hours no less
than sir,yfto2 eet above tne ordinary levels and tho
result has been a seriee Of along the banks
fIgh.ml beyond words, partakinE OF the terrible
and the tragic. From the headwaters Of tho two
forks to the Potomac the rush or waters carried
every ,hing before ". OF the damage inflicted higher
up, and ,he Incidents occurring in tic Lnray Valley
and above strasburg, I can say nothing; bat below
Front Royal every yard OF the way Is strewed with
d Chris, and hundred spots on the banks Of the
river have been marked by some melancholy or
terrible occurrence.
The simple list Of mills carried away woull indi.
cate the heavy loss-from Rverside, near Which new
mill ol brick Just Finished and costing $4,000 w"s
swept off, TO Harper's Ferry, ,:hero the rush went
over everything But the money loss has been moth
ing, hard az II is to our poor people to bear, com
pared with tie frightfu loss Of life, all along the
river. Houses by the hundred have been carried
oh-in many cases before their occupants
could n.y. The food rose so rapidly that TIE danger
could not be guarded against. Men, women, and
children drowned or killed by the fall Of tim
bers floating OF on the houses were driven miles
only to be buried under finally and drowned, when
the buildings struck rocks, the huge sycamores, or
were torn to pieces by the rush OF the current. op-
positc Lovers Leap" near Millwood the body u
a young lady. Miss T., as tae marks on her
clothing indlcsted was found cast ashore, her cold
hand covered with rings and RraspinZ bunch OF
flowers. Lower down the crowd on the bank saw
driving past deI1 woman whose stark arm hug
ged baby TO her brclst A. the same point o
Woman's leg, torn OF at the hip with the sloo ana
stocking s'ill upon H. rnssed. Dead bodies mingled
Vitr every species OF drift drove In tho Wild rush
Of waters. and every hour BROUGHT Intelligence Of
anot ler family swept %, another house carried
away. Toward the evening of Friday, the horror Of
spectacle with something like stupid wonder.
At toint near Mnlwuod the scene was terrible
and imposing The low ground below Ashby's Gap
was wholly submerged. the lines OF Luge sycamores
where they sul stood ind caling the former bank.
At every moment houses, barrels OF whiskey straw
stacks, barus. mills, aud furniture OF every sort
| rushed by More than Gay barrels OF wiiskey
| passed In one mass; a1er these came piano (;
shocks Of fodder followed stacks OF wheat wagons
broken bridges, and every species ol dwelling that
would 1oat. a new Vt, re near AshbJ's Gap was
| SWEET with Portuguese named Fritz on tue roof.
dashcl to pieces VI Castleman's ferry. AMER
| lin came wooden house with a negro woman
Luray, liEh IN the llov. and went through safe.
We have since heard. to the Potomac, nearly 100
ME-, where il landed near Berlin. and the Noman
was saved ~ 10 any al mt % rescue these IN.
fortunatc- rome could be made with tho least hope
| OF success. Ihe strength Of tue current, loaded
vita masses Of dri-Wuot, vas 80 great that 10 boat
could hive in " and where tlv attempt was made,
| rs 1t vas In sons instances, the boatncn were
drowned or crushed t. death by the hell ri va.
tcis driving them against tie Grin. SlNty two feet
Vi water. lu many places hall milo wide, und bear
ing on It's surface the spuis OF hundred miles OF
ruvage, NGs more tuau any human being could Up-
rose.
TIE hasty sketch here g,ven applies only TO the
rcgion between Port Royal and GI,lw lol. A.
Hup-r'- Ferry whole line OK buildings was washed
| uway-nany OF the houses filed with women and
children, ana forty i've persons we're either drowned
or crushed to death by The crashing uulers. From
other points along the river remote from prompt
postal communication We have not heard. but toe
brici account hero given will to show the ex.
tent ct tus terrible food. IL has passed as quickly
az 10 came II .inuiug 70 rise al daylight on Ftiay,
t.c u 90 ai-ined In tew hours that great altitude
~ sxtN.tN feet On Saturday evening II wa within
| o. banks again II 1Id PASSED Ike a wi.i.aGma ,
tearing everything 10 pieces aud disappearing. The
de- rgttiUn OF property las been enormous, and
nan, poor people OF The Tegi1n are without root
| 20 shelter tleu Or bread 90 cat; but what l. tir
worse aud NIli M Ike " the hood or lS,U' memora.
be. Is the terrible los Ol life vhch as puu-eI the
Valley % S'--tG!a IA m0urnns.