Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-08-22
Tho peIaware RalIroad.
TIE DAMAGE BEING REPAIRED-LXTENT OF TuE
DAMAGE TO THE CANAL.

TIE DAMAGE BEING REPAIRED-EXTENT OF TuK
DAMAGE TO THE CANAL.
The damage TO the Delaware Railroad and the
Chesapeake aud Delaware Canal mentioned, yes
terday, proves to be much greater than was al
first Supposed. The work of repairing was CON-
menced Immediately after the damage was sus-
tained but before the track could be repaired the
great disaster occurred, by the washing away OF
the dam at The feeder of the canal.
This feeder covered some three or four hundred
acres, and was situated west of the railroad and
on the north Sioc ofihe canal. The dam holding
the water back was nearly mile in length The
canl at the point where the railroad crosses it, is
through deep cut Of some forty feet. About
two O'Clock Thursday morning the dam gave
away, III consequence of the immense body OF
water rushing ever the dam the reservoir having
spread out over the adjacent lands as far as pos
sible. As the dam gave way, and the flood came
rushing down with fearful speed; the high en-
bankment on the north side was washed away to
4 distance OF 400 feet from the canal and 10 the
depth of about 40 feet
With the Garth went the large abutment OF the
railroad bridge, and 30 damaging the south abut-
ment as to render it dangerous to be used. The
draw OF the bridge is hanging by the pier, and can
again be used when the new abutment is erected.
The water as it poured down through the canal
caught between KirkWood and Delaware City,
about 100 canal boats, schooners and other vessels
lifted them up as If they had been toy boats, and
cast them over the pathway, and in some cases
three hundred yards inland.
There are fourteen boats washed into the mead
ows from the canal The folloWining are the
names of some: Late and Early, Mary Josephine,
Lacy LorettO, Mary Brady, McKeever, Hamlet,
Flying Fish. and Hattie Dibent Several of them
will be total wrecks.
At st. Georges, few miles below KrkWoodr
the scene is described as being of the most terrific
AMI alarming character. The roar of the waters
the shTisks and cries OF those on board OF the
hoats made up q scene that cannot be described
The boats were thrown upon the shore, some upon
| their beam ends and Others nearly upside down.
aud the wonder Is how auy on board of them O..
capped with their lives. During the day the body
OF one OF the boatmen was found, and 1t is salu
| about twelve others missing. The damsge to
| the village Is not very great, though number oi
| houses near the canal were flooded. ALI the in
''lh tints however, passed a most uncomfortable
night.
| a sable, some distance from the canal, wal
Euocked over by q runaway vessel and two Valua.
bic horses KILLED. The Presbyterian Chnrch alsC
a " aY from the canal, was somewhat damaged bJ
he bowsprit Of the schooner that had been forced
from the channel by the food.
Tie canal, at and IN the vicinity Of the railroad
bridge, Is fIted to great depth with the dirt from
/ the high banks on either side, and will REQUIRE
judging from the present aspect Of affairs, severa
| weeks TO remove.
Breaks are also reported at Chesapeake City
and also between st. Georges and that place.
Information has been received in Washing.
tou that the Mika6O will soon open to foreign
commerce the port of SimmonOsaki in Tie
inland sea of Japan. This portion of the
japanese empire abOunds in almost all kinds
/ of wealth.
The James surveying party to explore the
colorado river Is encamped In the desert neal
! the river with the COZOpah Indians The
project of filling the Colorado desert fOm the
waters of the river is reported upon as feasible
The storm at MiddletOwn was also the Sc
yerest experienced for many years, nearly al
the houses In town having their cellars filled
and the railroad was covered to the depth OF
from four to five feet. The mill dams in the
neighborhood that escaped the previous storms
were washed away and growing crops beat
down or washed out of the earth
MIR: /. ID. Kenney, the superintendent, now
at KiTkwoOd, has large force of men EN-.
ployed in repairing the road and constructing
temporary bridge over the canal. He stated
/ last evening that he thought trains would bf
able to pass on Saturday. He was unable tC
| give any estimate Of damage done.
The great sufferers by the disaster will b.
peach growers, the season being at its height
On the same day Of The damage about $50 cal
loads OF peaches passed over the road. and q,
many more were picked 10 ship the next day
These, Of course, will be entirely lost, a. there's
no way Of getting them 10 market. In the low
er section Of the State the peach trees are loaded
down with fruit, and most Of il IipeninR fast
The picking must be done daily and the frui
shipped at once TO reach market in q saleabi,
shape, therefore one or two days delay win fal
heavily upon the growers who have from one Il
three hundred acres of land in peach trees
lD some cases the grower has sold the fruit at /
certain price at the station nearest the orchard
but the purchaser will not be likely 10 receIv,
them unless there Is some way in getting then
10 market.
ELKToN. MD, August 2l.-AdVices iron
Chesapeake City say that the canal is broken aDf
the Water has undermined several houses. Fami
lies had TO be carried out. break ia also re
ported at Delaware City.