The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-01-25
THE SUSQUEHANNA FLOOD
LETTER FROM PORT DEPOSIT.
PoRT DEPOSIT, Md.

DEAR EwtNG:-You are aware onr town
is situated on the very edge of the Susque-
hanna river, at the base of high bluffs
Tie town is about one and ahalf miles
long, containing about 1000 inhabitants.
The lumber, stone and foundry business
the principal business; all of which are
carried on very extensively:
On account of the extreme cold, the
quantity of ice in the river was unusually
great: and until Saturday there were no
serious apprehensions felt. AT that time
there was q telegram received by Messrs
Bond Bro. & Co., that there was very
heavy raise in the river at Williamsport,
Pa, and great fears were apprehended that
the boom at that place would likely give
way to the pressure, the boom containing
some 60 million feet of logs. Our citizens
after that, commenced to make ready. and
up to Monday no serious damage had been
done. At noon of that day, the river be-
gan to rise rapidly, from the effects OF the
ice gorging, between Watson's Island and
the boom piers, this side of Havre de Grace.
The river rose ten feet in almost that many
minutes. All the houses on the lower side
of the street were inundated in about ten
minutes so that the inhabitants had to be
taken out in boats; and | assure you the
town had a very unhealthy look for about
one or two hours. People running to and
fro, and asking is the worst here yet?
The damage done is immense, variously
estimated from So, 600 to $500 Davis
& Pugh, holland & Co., Davis & Way,
Bond Bro. & Co., Vanneman & Son, Es-
tate Of J. j. Heckart, all very heavy losers.
At the lower end of the town the ice is
piled up on the railroad track ten to fifteen
feet. Two barges that were in one of Heck
arts docks were piled up on the ice. A
large warehouse built by Col. Heckart,
about one year before his death, but not
occupied, was moved entirely from its
foundation. Their saw mill, at the lower
end of town, damaged very much. a large
frame building owned by holland Il Co.,
5Ox24 feet, moved from its foundation and
floated down against Jesse Seedlings brick
house; West & Carrol's carpenter shop
stove to pieces; one or two dwelling houses
stove to pieces, the inmates having been
taken out few minutes before. No one
can form an idea of the destruction without
seeing it. The telegraph operator MIR.
Tandiver had to leave his Office and take
to the hills back of the town. Mr.. Wilson,
our enterprising and energetic railroad
agent, stuck to his post until he had every
thing moved by boats to the hills on the
opposite side of the street, and there was
an unusual quantity offreight in the Depot
He had it all safely landed and then en-
ployed a man to watch it day and night.
Our street is full of water and the people
in some parts Of our town have to still boat
from one point to another The ice in the
river is piled up from ten to fifteen feet
high, and no signs of going out; and what
we all feel is that the worst is not yet pass
ed. In our street opposite the Post Office,
cakes of ice as large as small house serve
for stepping stones from Armstrong & Co.'S
warehouse to the Post Office. There is no
communication to the warehouse yet but
by boats and even that is pretty dangerous,
as the current is very swift the water rises
and lowers every few hours, coming up
some ten or twelve. inches in very few
minutes and receding almost as quickly
The destruction is immense. The water
was higher in 1857, some two feet, but the
destruction of property was not near so
great. The railroad company had moved
their rolling stock, on Saturday night
The Baltimore Central is able to run down
as far as Rock Run. The passengers then
taking the hills to get to the town. The
P. W. & B. runs only to Perryville; then
have to take hacks to get to Port Deposit.
Our town is thronged with people from
all quarters; come to see the damage done.
There is still heavy jam of ice at McCalfs.
some IS miles above.
A letter from another correspondent,
says:
At the present time Wednesday, three.
fourths Of those living on the side of the
street, next to the river, cannot stay in
their houses on account Of the water and
ice having possession; to go from the Post
Office to Rock Run on the street, you have
to be ferried twice and take to the hillside
for the last third of the distance. The
water at the Depot at present is about four
feet deep. The track for the whole length
of the town is completely blocked, for every
foot of the distance, by scows, canal boats,
railroad ties, lumber piles, spar rafts.-
West & Carroll's large carpenter shop is
directly across the track, and from there
to the quarries, the ice is densely packed
so that it will probably be ten days before
all the track can be put in repair, as two
of the bridges have been torn up.
The town is daily visited by hundreds of
the curious, some of whom it would be
more to the credit of, if they did not come
at all, or else remain sober while here:
floods and destruction of property are bad
enough, but to have crowd of drunken
boys and men, bawling, cursing, swaring,
and fighting, makes us more gloomy than
the floods. For some time back, we are
happy to say, we have not had much of
this experience, until the present, and hope
this visitation will pass away, not to be
repeated.
Excuse the pencil. we cannot get to our
Office to do anything, and this write on
my knee.
In addition to the information contained
in the letters Of our special correspondents
of the ice gorge at Port Deposit we give
below the most interesting items from the
Baltimore papers, which have kept "speci-