Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-01-06
IHE STORM.

HIAvY RAIN-FALL AND GREAT FREsHET-DAMAdI
AI0No THE BRANDYgIFE AND KLsEwHERE-fm
ooEFEk DAM BLowzoUT
The clear, unclouded ely Of Saturday evening
gave No promise OF the heavy rain OF yesterday
and almost every one was surprised by its visit
At an early hour the glitterinR drops began tc
patter against window panes, but as the day
wore on the rain fell faster, until near noon
when IL almost poured in torrents, over-fowinl
the CUTTERS and flooding the streets. The vol
ume which rolled down Tatnall and Orange
streets ran over the pavements. in some places,
and into the cellars, but no damage of any con
sequence was done, that we could learn.
The Brandywine wss much swollen. The melt
ing of the snow upon the declivities which slope
towards It's valley had caused it torise somewhat
on Saturday. but the rain Of yesterday greatly in
CREASED its volume and impaired to 1t velocity
which sent it roaring, seething towards the
mouth Above Market street bridge, the ice had
collected in vast fields, and the channel being
opened below the bridge by the rising water,
broke up the accumulated gorge and sent it
whirling, crashing down the stream. Nothing
would have been able to withstandits force and
II is, therefore not amatter of surprise that the
Golfer dam built out into the stream from the
city mill should break loose from its foundations
and be swept down with the current.
This dam was built in the Fall for the purpose
OF affording an opportunity to blast the rocks
in the bed Of the river that constant supply of
water might be afforded the pumps in the city
mill, was very firmly built and secured, and is
still standing. The outer end was built sufi-
ciently strong for any ordinary flood, and with
stood the extraordinary one Of yesterday until
$50 o'clock, when the swelling stream poured
over the top and admitted the massive cakes of
ice, which crushed it to atoms and bore IL away.
Forty feet of the dam were thus broken of, and
"a left standing.
Only few days more work remained to be done
before the dam would have been torn away by
-. -.Ns. LaI IaA. IL
ted, and two sections Of the pipe had been laid
up to Saturday night, and had IL not been for
this unfortunate occurrence Wednesday night
or Thursday morning wonld have Witnessed the
completion Of the work. A new dam will now
have to be built, but Capt. Gallagher thinks its
cost will not exceed $500.
The Brandywine continues greatly swollen,
this morning, and the water pumps In the mill
are flooded and standing still Under, and for
short distance on both sides Of Market street
bridge, the river is open from shore to shore,
hut the ice is piled up in huge fields just below.
The massive rocks bolted down at one OF the
wharves below the mills, on the other side the
river, were lifted as if they had been pebbles,
and are completely at the mercy Of the current.
We understand that the gorge beyond the
Rocklsnd dam, and the worst along the river, is
not yet broken.
ALONG THE RAILROADS.
With tho exception of the Delaware, no dam
age was done to any Of the railroads which GEN.
tre here. Trains arrived this morning, from the
p. w. & b., the w. u Il, and the w. IL W. Rail-
roads on time, and report all safe and sound
along the lines Of these roads. Two culverts
were blown out along the Del. Il. II. between
Middletown and Townsend but the full extent
OF the damage cannot be told as yet owing TO
lack of communication, 1t must however, be
considerable, for q construction train went down
the road yesterday, with timberito build trestle
bridge in its place. The morning train north
had not arrived at noon. The morning train
South started on time.
Aispecial telegram from Middletown to the
COMMERCIAL, this morning, says the train South
arrived there in due time but could proceed no
further until the damages are repaired, which
may require the greater part of the day.
MILL DAM BROKEN.
The mill dam OF Mr.. Joel Woodward, on White
Clay Creek, about mile south Of Newark, was
blown out by the force OF the stream. The dam
was q stone tumble and although only about
thirty feet are blown out considerable time
must eiapse before the mills are in running
order again.