Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-12-18
FLOOD IN BRIDGEPORT!
Great Distress Much Damage.
(Ffom eur own Corresponceat.l

fFfom eur own Correspondent
The general news of the great food in the
Ohio and its tributaries, will reach your read
srs through appropriate channels. Permit me
to give you . brief account of its doings in
this vicinity. 1t commenced raining Thu rs
day 10 A. Y. and continued moderately, but
without an appreciable interval till Saturday
morning at o'clotk. Meanwhile the streams
all we're coursing wildly along their courses
and the river began to rise rapidly No seri-
Gus spprehensions of damaging food were
entertained till about noon Saturday, when,
Notwithstanding there was no snow in the
mountains, it became painfully evident, the
denizens of the lowlsnds would probably be
drowned out before next morning. Prepar-
stions "to put their houses in order" at once
begaa. Time few apace and the water to rise
till about midnight Saturday-and several
families in the vicinity of Turner'S Planning
Mill moved out. As the water continued to
rise still other families, west of the mill, got
away. And so all along from midnight till
daylight the painful awe and stiffness that
ebrooded DER the waters Of the great deep" ;"
were broken alone by the dip Of the boatmans
oar, and the low mutsering voice of those
fleeing to the mountains" as they embarked
In the frsil arks of safety taken to their relief
On every hand, through the misty darkness,
shone the lights of households on watch for
the destroying element, and reflected from the
greatsaqueous mirror looked like the fiery eyes
ofthe Dragons of the deep.
Morning at last came and so did an increas-
ed rise-which in word, continued till Mon
day morning at 4 o'clock. During part Of
Saturday the water rose foot an hour and
settedl down to about inches an hour till il
reached its highest. 1t began to recede in a
few minutes, and at this writing. Monday
evening, it has fallen several feet. I am told
by old citizens thst the height of all the past
foods in this vicinity has been on Sunday
A strange coincidence, if true. All day Sun
day families were moving out; in some in-
stances of sickness the cases were peculiarly
sad. Mothers with babes but few hours old
All the houses on the creek fat above Turner;
Mil are deserted with ono exception. Benz
Silly and others near Beajt's rope walk were
driven out. The adjacent corn fields sent
down q bountifal supply ofcorn fodder, por.
tion of which lodged against the little suspen.
sion bridge and with other rubbish has pro.
baby lifted the bridge from its moorings.-
And it is feared the structure is essentially
destroyed. All day long small craft of every
kind was busy gathering the people out and
the floating debris in. The churches received
heavy contribution of personal property OIL
Sabbath much more liberal efering thar
il the wont of many even on Sunday, We
saw Dad Gill, "he and his household" going
into the Presbyterian Church. It was pro
posed to make a "doven Of Dad if the water.
got very high. Some Of eur merchants put
in Saturday night hoistiRg their wares from
their cellars. Others did a like duty on Sab
bath night. A considerable amount of rub
bish Is floating in the river. Chairs, table
and furniture. passing. In one instance
clever looking bed stead, set up, went foatin,
BY. Except the loss of citizenship, to numer
Gus poskins, chickens and other poultry, ever,
thing will doubtless begin to settle back in
day or two. In many instances houses will b
totally unfit for occupancy for months t.
come. The only communication betweel
Kirkvood and Bridgeport is by boat or afte
considerable circuit across the rsilroa,
bridge. So far we have heard Of no lives be
ing lost. The last food was in '65-which wa
some feet higher than the present. Then il
'62; then go; then 80; then '33a-the larges
Of all.