Middletown transcript., 1873-08-23
Local and State Affairs.
Another Storm.
GREAT LOSS OF PROPERTY.
MILL DAMS BROKEN
BRIDGES WASHED AWAY.
R. R. COMMUNICATION CUT OFF

huu Uiucu more obstructive IN It's eUect thau tn1t
which occurred on Tuesday night week but does
not seem to have extended over so great a limi,
as the latter.
Rain began falling about o clock, increasing
in violence until 1t poured In almost inccssant
torrent from the clouds. The ground bring AL
ready completely saturated with water its capsc-
ty for absorption was DESTROYED, and soon the
water poured In miniature rivers down the gut
iers and over the sidewalks and into the streets.
This soon caused every low place in the town TO
be ovsrhowed cellars were filled, yards, gar
dcns and lawns were covered " iih water debris
Of all kinds hoated in great masses through the
streets and the entire lower portions of ths town
assumed the appearance OF n vast stream.
Iux vtooD At rnx NATIONAL.
AT the Natl Hotel the scene was nlmost he vond
description. The wide space between the Hotel
and the railroad WAS completely covered the
railroad track was buried from sight. aud when
the train came up IL ploved its way through WA
ter over n foot In depth. The water flowed up
on the pavement beneath the Hotel porch TO the
depth OF sir or cigh, inches. pouring into the
cellar windows and filling the cellar TO the ceiling
in less than len minutes. " also found its way
into the cellar through hole between the foun-
da,ion wall and the pavement and poured into
il in such volume that the pavement caved in
At the rear OF the hotel the wall Of the areA which
leads to the kitchen gave way before the force Of
the rushing waters, and fell in with crash that
ladies who imagined that the foundation was he
ing undermined. The waters poured iato the
kitchen and flooded everything therein, extin-
gushing the FIRE aud running the provisions pre-
pared for the table, consequently no breakfast
could be gotten for the guests mex, morning, and
they were scattered around like los, sheep OF n
certain historical house itai read Of in the
good book. hrcakfasiing with fricWds wherever
they were fortunate enough 10 he invited. Mr..
Morton did his duty to the last he urgently in
viisd all his guests 10 accompany him 10 u. T..
SRiths rcs,nuran, and sa,iaie the crav ings of
the inner man with the good things there pro.
vided, but iher preferred the scattered plan, as,
doubtless, being more romantic, and being some
thing to which they could look back in times 10
come when, in later DAYS, they shall relate 10
their pos,erity the particulars Of ',he great food
of 1919. On Mr.. Morton the damage fell very
severely His cellar being 3ooded. his barrels Of
liauor and groceries for the table were foaied and
broken by being dashed violently against each
other, and the water ruined their contents Mr.
" estimates his loss at over six or seven hundred
dollars.
TuR STREETS FLOODED.
Tho street in front Of the Town Hall wa, also
ovsrfowcd, and the water oIrcd in through
every opening by means OF which IL could find
an exit drpositing. sticks, boards, gutter bridges
rails and much other rubbish upon the side
walks and against .he fences.
In the couuiry the damage WAS much greater
than in the town From every direction We
hear the same reports OF bridges washed away.
eulveris broken, entertainments destroyed. and
mill dams Llowa out. Eleven cuver,s wtre
broken on the railroad between kirkwood aud
Townsend. distance OF ten or twelve miles,
and, in consequence no trains could pass
the road either way.
A peach train which had come up the road was
obliged to remain n, tho Middlctown depot in.
volving the loss, by roitng Of It's pcrishabls
freight.
NARROW EscAPE OF TRAIN.
The eulverts near ST Anne's crossing were
washed out, and the road broken in three places.
The cngnccr of the peach train which came up
but n very few minutes before the culy-r,s hrukc,
thinks his train had very narrow escape. lie
saw the water dnshing with furious violence
against the hank, and the earth beginning 10
crumblc beneath iis attacks. lie at once
deavored TO reverse his engine. but finding !,
impossible to do so In time to prevent running
upon the crumbling bank he dashed forward
again, and succeeded In carrying his 'rain over
safely and in less than three minutes af,erwara,
the cuiveris were all blown out and the road in
ruins.
ST. AySgs cArsrwaY.
The accumulated water, then rushed forward
with fearful violence, and striking the culver,
and causcway on the road leading from Middle
town to ST. Annes church carried everything
before them. leaving an immense gap from sixty
TO one hundred feet In width ea,ailing n loss
upon the county Of upwards Of $4,000 or more.
MILL DAMS BROKEN.
Rushing onward, the immense body Of water
peured into Drunmond's mill pond striking the
dam with such force as 10 tear IL 10 atoms, crca-
ting an immense breach and carrying terrible
destruction in its pathway. A gentleman who
was present at the time Of tho breaking of the
dam and Witnessed the disaster describes the
scene MS fearful. A large willow tree which
stood on the further side from this, was torn out
by ths raging torrent and carried far down the
stream, the bank then gave way with fearful
crash aud ils maddcned waters rushed in q re-
sisiless torrent through the breach, sweeping
everything before them.
The damage done to Mr.. Drummonds dan, aud
pond cannot be repaired for much less than
$4,000 or S2500.
The damage done TO Mr.. r. C. Murphey,s
Bohemia mills was terrible. The dam and cause
way were utterly destroyed, the mill race torn
out and one side Of the foundation wall of the
mill was broken down, aud great fears were en-
,srtaincd lest the entire structure would fall.
The injury to the property exceeded that done
by the storm Of last week by many hundreds OF
dollars. Then. though the dam was broken In
several places. the pond was not entirely destroy
ed ard sufficient quantity OF water could be
retained to run the mill, and the dam could have
been easily repaired. Now, the entire dam Is
carried away, and Mr.. surphey estimates his
less At -, 900.
Barton's Brick Mill, two and half miles from
Middietown, WAS also made TO feel the violence
Of the storm. An immense breach was made in
the dam and the pond drained. An old stone
milk house which had stood near this dam for
some any or sixty years washed away. Mr. BIS
loss, like his neighbors must be reckoned BY
thousands.
Middle,own Is now entirely mill-lcss, not a
sin Gle mill is left TO grind corn for our haplcss
people, Besides tho three that have men,
iioned, destroyed by Wednesdays storm, Mr..
Frcemsn's mill on Back Creek, and those Of
Messrs. Kennedy and Drake, on Sassafras river.
are gone, tlnrmsn's L Smiths were destroyed on
Tuesday week, and Silcox's last winter, and has
not been repaired.
DAMAGE At aAmAyaAs.
At Sassaffas, Nd. the storm seems TO have
ragged with frightful violence. The splendid and
costly dam and causeway across the river At
that place were washed out asd completely
destroyed, the mill dams broken and much To-
Jury done 70 valuable property.
nipSLsrows lsolAsrp.