Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-08-22


down That such an area of solid earth should
be swept away seems almost impossible, but un-
der proper understanding of the nature and
extent Of the feeder. and the peculiar manner in
which it overrun its dam breast, the matter is
easily enough compreheDded.
THE FEEDER TO THE CANAL.
The storage capacity OF the feeder was i'm
mense. 1t covered area of about 800 acres.
But it s not, as some suppose, built after the
fashion OF city reservoir. walled and hricked
up; it is more in the nature of mill pond
quarter OF mile in width at its
widest part, while in depth ii was from
fifteen to twenty feet. Its storage Ca
pacity was, therefore, immense. Supplied as
it was by stream whose natural flow was at all
times abundant, the customary amount OF water
contained in it, should it escape its confne-
ment could not but work serious Consequences
but swollen as it was aud surging and swaying as
it did on tho night of the disaster, it is won
der that greater damage was not occasloned
When the waters broke through the dam breast,
instead of following the natural course OF the
stream they swayed to the Eastward and soon
cut channel through the solid earth which
gradually widened and widened and grew deeper
and deeper until great yawning chasm was
opened In its rapacious nav portion OF two
cornfelds, tho railroad embankment, ties and
rail, trees, fences, and everything upon the sur
Face were swallowed up. The earth was opened
to within few feet of dwelling which stands
we'll up in the field, and occupied by Mr.. Cam,
we believe
THE DAMAGE AT ST. GEORGES.
At st. Georges the scene is truly awe-inspiring
for here the most serious consequences OF the
flood are to be seen. The town itself has suf-
fered but little, but in the meadows around and
between it, for the town is built upon both sides
of the canal. wreck and ruin are widespread. Sail
vessels and canal boats are lying high and dry
where the recedng waters left them, and here
and there are piles OF debris, from the wrecks,
aud cargoes, scattered upon the main land. In
the bottoms the escaped waters were still stand
ing several feet deep at O'Clock, last evening, and
about on their surface fitted little batteaus,
conveying the curious that they might the bet
ter survey the scene. st. Georges is Mecca
now, where all the people from the surrounding
country, and even from the cities are tlocking
to witness this unparalleled spectacle 1t rises
both in aspect and Importance above the ordina-
ry, and the many pilgrimage5 arc not to be won
dered at when once theplace has been visited.
AS the town is approached from the West, one
might think that
SPANISH ARMADA
Ia moored there. Above the corn-felds rises the
masts and spars OF many vessels, while the
white winged canvass flaps uneasily in the
breeze. There were in all from hundred to a
hundred and twenty-five boats clustered into a
very small space there, before the Hood came,
hnt they are more scattered now. During
the storm last week, the canal broke it's
banks in the neghborhood of Delaware City,
and as st Georges was the only place of general
rendezvous and the farthest the boats could
approach towards the eastern outlet, they col
leoted there in unusual numbers. On Tuesday
the breach was finally repaired, and the boats
resumed their journey eastward but before
many of them got out, the captains say, the
steamers began TO come along and the prefer
ence was shown them. The water in the canal
they further allege, was low at the time, aud as
some of the steamers were OF heavy dranght.
their passage was attended with much risk. FL
nay one came along which drew as much as
nine feet, and this grounded, obstructing the
canal. One captain informed Us that it was
while in this condition that the flood came, and
hence the disaster to the shipping.
TERRIBLE HOUR.
1t was about o'clock when the food from the
broken feeder was precipitated upon the town of
st. Georges. Its approach is said to have been
heard above the storm for some time before its
fury was felt, sounding like the rushing Of many
waters-a metaphor which in this instance was a
dread reality. On and on it came, drawing nearer
and nearer and gathering increased velocity as it
rolled. until it finally broke over the canal banks
flooding the meadows and the lower parts of the
town. BY this time many of the vessels moored
along the sides of the canal had broken loose
from their moorngs, and were swept through
the breaches in the canal banks, or over them,
out upon the sea which was snrging within the
banks Of the creek as il moved onward towards
the Delaware these vessels ioated merciless-
lessy at the disposal OF the torrent, and in their
rapid twistings and turnings were driven into one
another staving in thsir sides aud ends, and pro-
ducng CONSERVATION and fear on all hands. One
vessel was lcapsZed, and in her rigging to-day
she bears large quantities of tangled grass and
other floating things. She has since uprighted
somewhat and is nov lying OH the meadow at an
inclination of about 40 dgrees. But that which
Arnal fta1 ull fba uua
CRIES OF DISTRESS AND FOR HELP
Which were waited in the darkness from the
swelling food to the main land They rose
above the rushing waters and the crashing Of
the boats swept by the causeway, grow fainter and
fainter, and finally were heard no more Some ten
or twelve lives are supposed to have baen lost,
up to 6 o'clock, last evening" but one dead body
had been found. 1t Is related that after the
bridge which spans the creek and forms, with
the causeway, connection between the two parts
of the town. was dislodged by a boat which was
hurled againsti it, SIN III pInsy seon to pass
through tho same aperture, break in twain, an d
no part of it has since been seen, A man was
s3en sitting upon tho bow-sprit holding on to
the rigging, and he Is supposed to have beel
drowned.
TWO HOUSES AFLoAr AND TWO HORSES KILLED.
Around the West sid9 of St. Georges winds
ravine in the direction OF the Presbyterian
Jueb D6lON lHo CuuECH MbTb lnb Hu-
tel stables aud butcher shop. Up this rayine
the flood rushed with impetuons fury, bearing
with it number of boats One of them struck
the stables and instantly killed one Of two horses
belonging to Dr. Valandigham which were in the
stable at the time One leg of the other was
broken. The stable and butcher shop toated
out upon the surface of the water, where the for
mer tumbled to pieces. The wounded horse was
gotten out and conveyed to the opposite shore,
and as it seemed to be suffering greatly its
throat was cut. The horses were worth about
5000
AFTER THE FLOOD.
When the waters had receeded 0he flood lasted
about an hour the boats were scattered in all d-
rections. One schooner lies high and dry in Mr..
Newtons cornfeld, West of St Georges. Along
the ravine some six or eight schooners are lying
at a distance of from 150 to 800 yards from the
canal. They are scattered all about and in cus-
ters in the meadows while in one of the breaches
in the canal bank about dozen canal boats are
is crushed to atoms between them There are
also several boats in the canal which are not
damaged. We suppose therel are some thirty
which are outside the banks. The boats are all
heavily laden with coal, ties lumber and cord
wood.
THE SPECTACLE OF THE WRECKS
Many, but not all, the vessels which have been
forced from the bed of the canal in the bottoms
an upon the main land will be a complete
wreck Some are broken amidships. while others
have been opened vide from stem to stern