, 1874-01-26
A MARINE RUSH.
Grcnt Frcsllct In Buffalo Creek.
A Quick and Extraordinary Destruction
Of prOrcrty."-L0ss Over
100000.


100000.
From tho nuga|o Erp,ess. ian. 80.
Yesterday morning Buffalo Crock was tho
scono OF tho most destructive disaster Of its
kind that Inns occurred in this vicinity for tho
last thirty or forty years. Owing to tho recent
heavy rains and tl,aw for tue past few days tho
wnter in tho orcok rosc very high, and tho cur
rent assumed a corresponding degrco OF
strength, As tho leo was scarcely two lnchcB
it would Boon b,oak up, but nc Berl-
ous approhensions wore entertained. Shortly
nftor u o'clock yesterday forenoon the leo
began to go to .plocoH rapldiy, and moved down
the crock with terrific foroo. Tho pontoon~
bridge ovor tho crook. near tho Eric Freight
House, was unablo to stand tho strain, and two
Of the old canal"boass composing it gnye way,
DRIVEN DOWN THE onEnN
With velocity and momentum almost Irresistible
just above tho OHIO basin alp, the barlt ]. &.
slastcn w9H moored, outside tho bark John
H.. Hutchinson, her mooring-ropes at
Of tho canal bDa!s, in its downward
course, struck against the Maston, enapping hor
fastoniugs like lst-llnos. mud In an instant sle
| was ut tho morcy Of tho curront moving broad
side down.atroa,n, sweopinE evorythi1g with
nor in which tile disaster commenced.
Eight vessels altogether broke from their moor
lngB, first Of which waB tho schooner B. T. Bruce,
layins between tll9 Niagara Elovator and Ohio
sho burst, from her faHtonings, and swing
ing out into tho crock, bore swiftly down
toward thu mouth OF tho ,harbor..., Her
bowsprt, striking againat tile Nlagara Elevator,
shivored two of tho heavy cast-iron pillars sup
porting tho tower-liko plpe-stoms. Betwoen tho
Niagara and plfmpton Elevators tho Vessels Sam
Flint a,,l james b. Sawyer woro moorcd sido by
side, and when struck by
rtTC 1f1M = Y 1fIHH
thoy also burst the limos holding them to tho
dock and Joined III the rush.
-Four bhips were now adrift, and tho bowapzit
OF the Bruce, which was lcasliug, came against
tue tower Of tho plimpton Elevator. First ono
Of tho solid brick piers, hyo feot square,
was knocked away. Tho upper masonry,
however,, did not give way. MORT scc-
| ond brick pier aud large iron pillar werc
end Of tho building, brick, lloavy iron. beams,
macltnory: etc., etc., fell With fearful crash.
The Sam Flint, passing close under tho dock,
| received large amount Of the falling masonry.
the cabin, and careening tho, vessel almost. on
| her beAm-ends by tho tremendous wotght, while
from tho top Of The elevator heavy iron shaft
| ing came down upon tho deck Of tho ]. D. Saw
I yor, and, but that It happened to strike one OF
tho heavy apars. would llavo certainly gono clear
| through hor into tho wator.
This splendid building, commonly known aB
tho :. Firo-proof Elevator" is one Of tho largest
| aud bost grain Btore houses TINT wo have. For
tunatoly, tho damage sustained by, it Yesterday
does not affect that portion in which arc located
tho bins. Merely O portion Of tho machinery
| department was knocked awny aid It ia pro-
posed to begin tho work OF topairlng tlio struc-
turo Immediately At tho present timo 1t iB
very difficult to form anything like close es-
tinate to the pecuuary loss which this disaster
will entail upon tho ownets. It is thought safe
to Say. however, TINT at least $40 900 will be
required to rebuild thnt portion which was
knocked down.
| DOWN THE GREER
tho aotilla continued their disastrous course,
their velocity increasing every moment. Tho
r. l.. Shel,lon, Erastus Corning, and j. C. Harr-
-next jolnca in the procession. aud the propeller
| Fountain City, which lay on the south Bdo of tue
creek near Jones E Campboll's derrick, alao broko
loosc., The squadron, thus augmented, kept on
toward the ako, mud there was scarcely any limit
to tho tlamnge thoy might havo done but for tho
interpretation OF the Michigan street swing
bridge. Though the Vessels crashed through tho
cribs aud outworku, tho central abutment of tho
| bridge stood the pressure admirably, and tho
yossols moving outward wero caught and could
20 no further. On tho way down from tile
plimpton Elevator the docks were damaged In
several places, and over 900 foet Of wooden
sheds along the Central freight-house denlolisl-
od, by having, tho posta supporting thon, knoel-
cd from under by the masts and spars OF tho
runaway ships.
| THE vEssrLB
all remain tightly wcdgcd in as tho Michigan
strcot bridge. aud it will DO q Horculoan task
follows: Lying clear ACROSS tho crock hor
broatlsidcs iamlnod close against the abutmcnt
Of the bridge, is tho schoouor ]. @. Harrison,
and Immediately along sidc is tho ErastuB Cor
ths the Fountain E M City e on lis south sido Of
the creek. Parallel to tho Corning, and
forming square bounded on tho north and
south by tho, Fountain City and tho J; d. saw.
yer is tho bar ]: G ~ Masten laying gf, On or @ bean @
againHt tho front Of tile Fountain City. Stretoll-
ing diagonnlly acrosH this square, with hnr bow
latamed in against the City Elevator, and her
stern touching tho bow Of tho Sam Flint, il tile
| B. T. Bruce.
On tho north side Of the creek, with her nopa
wolged in between tho bow ct tho Bruce
and the dock, close under ler stern, il tue
stern OF the Sam Flint, whose bow touches the
storm OF tho Sam Bruce. near tho side OF the
ter are tho two canal boats which started tue
disaster, having austained By far the least dam.
ago Of any craft IN the number. The T. B.
Sheldon lays uudor tho bridge on the north nide
with hor bowaprtt Tor all that s loft Of it), jan:
med botwoon tho dock ard tho bow Of tho Harri.
son. Tho Sheldon is owned by Fish i Armstrong,
Of this city, aud ia damaged to the amount ol
$4,000, principally about tho bow.
THE BARK EHAsrus CORNING
ia damaged to tho oxtont OF $4,000, aud ia owned
by 11r. i. @. Taylor, OF this city. Ita bowsprit
~ gone. tho storm Bnlashod III, the Wheel gone,
st jasioa wore orIs Sustained % slont ont tho au Tho 49,
BCnooNER BAM FLINT
has been badly broken up. Capt Frank Perow,
tho owner, eetimatos the damage at not less than
$4,000: In addition =, TO- to tue al'nost eomp,ete
sustained considerable othor damage III the
rigging aud elsewhere.
THE soMooHEn .. r. BRUCE
is tho property Of Mr. John Kcderhouac. 1t
anil kn1rf uf+1. Tnn tr.A AIxr
bow aud stern, n,AHtH mud rigging brohon.
| THE SCHOONER ]. u. SAWYER.
Mr.. John Aroon ownB thfa craft, About e., 900,
Te IN a bowsnirl IS emas]Ioa MAJ 1 into ~ smtGoreeas %
and the deck IL considerably broken by the fall
Of the Skating.
TIE DARK JOSEPH MAsTEN
is In a crippled condition. Part Of her bow is
knocked away, mud tho stern aso ls considerably
cut up. It waa thought yostorday that tho boat
was Ii, sinking condition. Capt: Franh perew