Smyrna times., 1873-08-27
THE FLOOD.
The Calamity i'm New Castle County.


the rain was heavy, but the merest shower
compared with the flood that deluged the sec
ton named above. The rain commenced fall
ing between and clock, and came down In
sheets, rather than in drops. A gentleman OF
this town who took the express freight north,
leaving here at &. IS that evening, says that on
reaching Middletown, about 7.3O, (where the
train was compelled to halt) the streets and
depot grounds there was flooded to the depth
of three feet on level, and in many places SIX
and seven feet OF water was submerging the
low grades Of the town. Passengers were con-
veyed from the train to the National Hotel on
the backs of men, But we will refer to
Middletown more fully hereafter, and speak I
for the present of the flood and devastation
along the Chesapeake Il Delaware Canal, the
point where the greatest destruction was
created, and where the greatest interest has
conferred
AT ST. GEORGES.
On Sunday we visited St. Georges to witness
the results and learn the facts OF the canal
break at that point. Hundreds, perhaps
thousands of people visited the quiet town that
day; every road leading into it was strung with |
carriages, camp meeting style. The destruc-
ton of vessel property there makes a sad
spectacle The facts in reference to the flood are
these, us We learned them from Mr.. Oge, the |
overseer of the locks:
The rain commenced falling between and 5
o'clock, Wednesday afternoon, and Increased
in volume as it continued in duration, until it
became a torrent from the clouds 1t ceased,
however, before 8. In short time the rapid
rise in the canal showed that a treshet was
imminent, and Mr.. Ogle ordered the boatmen
to make fast their various craft There was an
unusually large number Of vessels and barges
at the locks at the time-between forty and
ffty-thicky crowded together, waiting their
turns to be locked through to Delaware City.
The order had been given and executed
but a short time when the water commenced
to overflow the bank or tow-path. Just beyond
the tow path, opposite the point where the
vessels and bargeS were most thlckly crowded,
is a deep ravine or meadow, running between
the town and the canal. Here the bank gave
way, and the immense volume of water
rushed from the canal into the meadow carry
ing the vessels and barges with it. This was
between s and Q o clock at night, and after the
rain had ceased. Nothing in the way of
mooring or anchorage had the slightest effect
J in holding the vessels to place. Hawsers,
cables anchor chains and all, were snapped aS
IT mere strings, aud one vessel had her windlaSs
pulled from the deck by the force of the
current. The first vessel that went through
the gorge into the meadow, ten feet below the
bed of the canal, was two mast "pungy, the
|
meadow and the rush of the water capszed her
and fOated her on, while her tOpmast plowed
into the grass on the hillside Twenty SIX
other vessels and barges followed in quick sue
ceSsiOn, like sheep into pen, as one of the
sailors said TO US, and as they were caught il
the whirlpool below, they would spin arounC
like the button on stile post, and crash ant
override and plunge into each other in
manner too terrific to deScribe. The whole
catastrophe was accomplished in from five t,
ten minutes, and before the bOatmen coult
comprehend their situation. They could no
tell whether it was tidal wave sweeping then
: to destruction or an earthquake engul6nJ
them. They clambered up the ropes and trie
! to peer through the darkness TO see their fate
j One man who was thus clung in the riggIn
: was run into the branches of willow tree o
; the road side, and he took refuge in them Will
i his vessel carried away bridge near by an
. . whirled into the meadow on the Del. City side
u where she now rests high and dry. Five othe
e crafts followed in her wake, and nearly all al
bilged, or stove in or damaged in some way
y upper side of the the bridge is bursted opeI
the latter being split from stem to stern
neat little vessel, the Alice f. of Millville, \
L j., ran across the meadow and into the hot
'e stable, along the side of the hill. 1t Ca
n ricd the stable and two horses with it, an
t. proceeded up the ravne, back of the Presb
IT terian Church, where it now rests, plum
T. upright. The stable, completely mash,
r, down, is along side, 1.-THE horses having bee
le drOwned) and slaughterhouse is close b
TO setting squarely on the mud, having be,
foated from its foundations, or knocked off
e. a whrllng vessel Mr. Andrew Bostck,
or Smyrna Landing, was on the Alice +. al
clung close to the rigging of his smart lit
craft through all her meanderngs. Further
the meadow is the Eiordd0, of Hooper
Island, Chesapeake Bay, with bowsprit sna
ped short off and hull stove in, and near by
es the Commodore DrWlen, of Crisfeld, an
e Mary Washington, of Baltimore, also bad
in shattered by their terrible collisions in q
yn eddieS. These vessels and others are a lo
he way from the canal, and it Is hardly prObat
a they can ever DE floated again, though engi
in eeriEg skill may accomplish the work. Floo
W ing the meadow again, by daming up t
er, abrasion at the road bridge, may float tho
7as back that are nearest the break.
to Notwithstanding the imminent danger of t
m boatmen, and others. no lives were lost, or
On bodies had been found up to Sunday, and
on persons we're reported missing All on
lie. DO ats and about the canal however, during
M rain Of terror, seemed to anticipate insri
lily death, and their cries, mingled with the RI
an of the flood and the crashing of the vess,
rty sent a thrill of horror through the town Il
1ne the most vivid description could only give
zen tamest idea of. The families of many of
10y boatmen live on the barges, and it was mai
nu. the cries of the women and children Il
ton pierced the ears Of the terrOrstricken citize
uc who were in no more danger from the hC
less than we of Smyrna. Not a house was in
ally dated and not a street flooded yet in
the dense darkness the inhabitants did not ku
was what was before them. So they shared
em trepidatiOn Of the bOatmen, aud several
the them informed US that it was "seasoI
lys prayer, truly.
the Mr. Ogle informed us that perhaps he an
Who young man named Price, son of the Gen,
for Superintendent. had the narrowest escape
the their lives. They had gone down the tow-p p
tian towards Delaware City to look for break,
bly,. when about quarter of mile from the loo
tied on their return, they heard the peculiar roa
Mr.. the flood and saw the water rising rapidly @
Ong the path. They started to run, but vera s
wing stopped by the rapid rise, and in a
last minutes the water was waist deep about tn
look They called for help, and finally when
ask able to stand with heads above water. br
e to captain put out in his yawl boat and resc