Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-08

'THE FLOOD, that prevailed last week, over
most Of Virginia, was particularly severe and
destructive at Harpers Ferry, where our friend
L. NJ CRosBY IL located in the putting up aud
sale Of his mills. A letter from him under
date Of the End inst, says: "'rhe Shenandoah
rose suddenly, and by 0 r. NJ. began to run In.
10 the building where we work The stable
was surrounded, so that II could only be reach.
ed by wading, and the halter OF the black
mare was cut, while the Wells horse was car.
ried away with harness. To save what
could, It was necessary TO hire all the help
that could be obtained at the rate Of 41 dollar
an hour, and by great exertion, got out all the
mills from the building we worked In, and
placed them on the Railroad tressle bridge.
but those in the east building could not be
reached, the water rising four inches above
the sills of the windows, floating the floor
and saving the mills from floating off The
water was some feet over the walls of the
bridge. The missing horse was found, having
been taken for the purpose of removing the
people from their houses. The water over
the island was 10 feet deep. A cooper shop,
with 800 barrels, was flOatcd of, and smashed
against the trees, and the barrels scattered up
on the waters. But few buildings upon the
Island remain, and all are badly damaged
Some of those destroyed were of brick, and
some of the government buildings shared the
same fate. The water ran down some of the
streets with great velocity and force to the
depth Of ~ feet, crashing and sweeping away
every thing in its course. The floor Of the
Presbyterian church was submerged two feet
The reports are that 40 buildings are destroy
ed and 38 persons drowned. One of the brick
buildings carried away, contained 21 negroes.
A rope, was, by great effort, thrown across the
food to a house, part of which was washed
away, having in it Is persons and they were
saved by being drawn through the waters.
The iron bridge was twisted up like wire.
OF course, the mills on the bridge were thor
oughly wet, and those in the building soiled
by the muddy water, and considerable labor
will be necessary to fit them again for sale
We are much discouraged, and my plans and
calculations have suffered much change The
desolation and destruction is great, to say
nothing OF the loss ofslile Welcan do nothing
in the way of preparing the mills for market
until we again have clear weather. Some of
the hands will return home, but it will De.nec.
essary for me to remain and do the best can
under the circumstances" ..#' p
The New York Tribune in allusion to this
food, speaks as follows: E ~
Virginia has ever been subject to peri
od:cal storms, and foods AZ sudden and
destructble as those of more tropical re-
gions but seldom has she been visited
by storm So terrible in its character
aud effects as that which desoated her
fields during the last week. Beginning
in the extreme southern part of the
State, the storm travelled northward,
seeming TO increase in intensity until
the Maryland border was reached, when
its further progress was marked by no
more than the usual severity of equinoc-
tlal storms. From Richmond westward
to Staunton and Lynchburg, on the
route Of the James River, the greatest
amount OF mischief has been done.
Richmond itself is inundated, and the
business districts flooded aud impossible.
II e bridges crossing to Manchester have
b Ell destroyed, and human life placed
iii co Instant Jeopardy from the falling !
buildings aud floating debris. AT Lynch
burg railroad communication is broken
of, the bridges and the embankments be-
ing thoroughly swept away. Human
life has also suffered, a whole family hav-
ing perished, and the shocking report
comes that at Harper's Ferry forty seven
persons have been killed. The swelling
Of the Virginia streams rushing into the
PatomacThas increased the volume of its
water alarmingly, and Washington, al
ready suffering, is threatened with an in
undation as complete and destructive as
that at Richmond. The crops of the
Summer carefully garnered throughout
the Virginia valley, have been utterly
destroyed in this havoc of storm and
flood. 1t is dreadful to contemplate the
suffering that must ensue in this region,
not yet fully recovered from the desola-
tioDs of war.