Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-03-25
PORT DEPOSIT FLOOD.
Tho BnundatIOn the Greatest Ever
kuOyvMs

Tho lnundntIon the Greatest Ever
FULLY oNE-HALF THE TOWN FLooDED-oNE HuN-
DRED FAMILIES DRIVEN FRoN THEIR HOMES
THREE HOUSES OVER TURNED-A TLRRIBLE
SCENE OF WRECK AND RUIN ALONG THE RIVER
NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE ICE GORGE.
Special Correspondence er tbs Commercial
Ponr DEPOSIT, March 10.
The ice floods in the upper Susquehanna,
freed from their mountain Businesses, descended
upon this town, last night. with great destruc-
tiveness. During the afternoon dispatch of
warning WAS tslegrapeh from Columbia, 40
miles above, and about 7.30 P. NJ. the heavy
flood began to rise, passing by the town at .
velocity which s variously estimated at from
fifteen to thirty miles per hour, Then many Of
the people, spprehending that the freshet would
pass safely by, gathered upon the wharves and
hillsides to
WATCH THE NOVEL SPECTACLE.
and listen to the deep bass rumblings of tie
rassive held~e ef ios, twelve Or fourteen inches
thick, ~ they collided with and ground upon one
another. Their chafing was terrible, but yet
attractive to look upon ss the moon shea soft
light over the scene. Soon the whole river was
full, but the ice continued to pass on by with
apparently increasing velocity until towards ten
o'clock, when the current grew sluggish and
then for the first time was realized the fact that
alodgment was made at some point below. By
eleven o'clock all movement had ceased, and
only the dull thud Of tue colliding fields Of ice
was heard above the town. But previously,
while the ice was choking in tho river in front Of
the town the
MOST AWFUL AND CRASHING SOUNDS
rose above the craunchings of the ice, as the
hna nt.,,fu knI
lenoe against the lumber piles and frame build
ings which stood nearest the wharves. This
spread CONSERVATION among the people, for they
then began to appreciate somewhat OF the dam
ger impending, and to prepare for the worst by
removing store-goods and household effects to
the second stories, and out OF the buildings upon
the hillsides. In the very midst OF this work
they were suddenly interrupted. No sooner had
the ice gorged in the channel than the water be.
gan to rise, and in very few minutes the whole
lower part of the town was inundated. One
gentleman described the rapidity with which the
water rose in the town by saying that during the
time it took him to cross the street, the Hood
then Just entering 1t, and to rush into q building
to remove some article, he found Le WAS COM
PEELED to wade almost knee deep In returning.
All descriptions agree that the
RISE WAS ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS,
though the greatest depth was not attained un-
til about O'Clock, this morning. The water
came in in successive swells, first rising to con-
siderable height and then recedng repeating
this operation and increasing with each in-com-
ing wave. Many people were caught within their
dwellings,, unable to get out and were removed
in boats from the second story windows. At 4
O'Clock, this morning. both ends OF the town
were completely inundated to the second stories,
and throughout the whole length OF the town
the entire portion lying west of Main street was
hn,din,s in f,ant nS the hntai whara tha o,o,"S
saamad r. r;sa 4 short ,,s,,amoa trn,,, ea,.hn.
s;5o ~ th;s tha vpster snra.d ;tsar n,ar ave.,
th;neS on;to hsct 70 tho Kin. NJ, ios. th.o ivy
'''Ae f'''' 'A'A W. ''''''' -'o' .o'' '''AA
ONE HUNDRED FAMILIES WERE DRIVEN OUT
from their homes Int with that real snrit NJ
Christian sympathy and brotherlv Affection
which peryades the town. especially in snch cr
ses as tbis. every homeless wanderer was TAXI
in by those who were Fortunate enouph tn live
in tia byb placa. No actnal sufTay;na ,.a.
tLerafore. enta,led' and no lives we're iost ""''
The GREATEST violence by the flood seems IN
have been in tha nnner mart Of the town in tho
vicn;tv of RocL Run Have thrsa trs mo hr;ia
inss sass ,aastsd, tl..;~. Se.-S-.i6S-,;o
forced Themselves into the streets in all direc-
tons, were
OVERTURNED AND DRIVEN ACROSS THE STREET
l.. 49,, .uo ..;,, ,oat;,n rhas. ho,,sos
Nheie .noy az ..;.,ei. n.. L. MI ~. W.,
a we1G @ orou p,har WIi;sn' H,eS With family ~
anu nor @ 5u. Will t1;i ani.sad
Wi'e W M anu .n,so S a,,.;i Tha o,,,.nts hoS tor
Mno ~ a'no nau as. ,t'n h;,;,a;as basnIa tb.,, oro
tuhatey T reit .ne pununss oeloo Iy Teie !:
noVeu hno, on s.on, o ;.s Tn,,'' IS
slso .housnv " ~ a.;i, unh. M Iaaa,'o.i,,o
aauoh, put IL ~ s'lia up,,Sn'; y aho iooyno.se
houre ~ .ne @ Gnu ~ ~ -. 49,, .ia a'ni
,er ain1s; " 'no p. y, .o ,rei,, anu snar,nd
s,r ier puahss M ,ro,.s a,o ,ha 'nn''
Annouen 'no '''eo'' VIZ
WATER PoURs IN STRONG CURRENTS,
and barrels, boxes, outhouses and debris of oil
kinds float on the bosom of the water or lie de-
tanned by some obstruction. Small boats fiji
about in all directions conveying the homeless
to the dwellings, from which they have been
driven out, and the curious to all points OF In
terest. IN lhe snahoM piaIes i men aio mau,ns
apou. III gum .oous ~ W ,;,.na ~. .o,,,
whatever Is n3s anesay yrat W Ilo seUae ,,ar
Piases, -, .a,,, ESS;raSu s antrair susnsnSai p
Vaues tue .omn .an BUSINESS 10 ~, Mip %a,
except IN 10" ssotes % nJa' rsai,, ame
yer tet ciasses ~ r, ,,,s pno,Ser cs.s Hsva Iva,
themselves over to strong DRINK ana reyelfy eve,
atlia lle Mfo'A "h1on s'Aio' 'no'A Al 'n0 iN0o ~
every turh'
| THE SUFFERERS by THE FLOOD.
The lumbermen are the greatest sufferers
and this being the principal interest Of the tow,
ali M else % viii $ be yisibly afected thereby. It il
estimated that there were stored in the thre,
Yards of Bond, Bros. X Co., J. II, Rowland 4
10. and Davis Il Pugh ut least $3.50, 900 worti
OF prepared lumber, which will be badly dam
aged, not pile being lett standing IN Its origin
| al condition. but much of the stock broken an,
damaged. or course all will not be total loss
Jpo. j. Bucks steam saw mill and the sash fac
tory and planning mill of j. H. pugh l. Co. ar
aooded. and their machinery and much of tbei
stock will be seriously damaged, The waite
stands several feet deep in the Cecil Nations
bank but the money and books wer, preyiousl
removed. Mr.. Tones private Office is ais
flooded and his fine private desk, worth betwee
5000 aud 81, 900, is overturned and broken. MI
Tones park and hot house have also some waite
in them. but his flowers are not much damaged
Hia private stables. costing 500 600.
,vvnu ,v, os v,nr
sho s'a0hs ~, .1 ~ L'. a. y, a ne "rien %' s
covered in time to avoid a contiagration, Til
basement oY the Preebyterjan and Fpiscon
churches are flooded, and the water ia sever
inches deep IN the sabbath school and lectul
rooms of tie Centenary Methodist Church. III
following BUSINESS men will also su
, tain more or less damage from the ri
I ing of the waters in their stores. &c.
/. JJ, Heckert & Co, Henry Johnson, and Thor
as Ringgold, both colored grocers Charles 1
-. Sisler. baker Casper MoLrleip, the ice ma
who thinks his fine store is badly injured
\ II. Frazer, dry goods II, G, Nesbitt, 4 Ct
procers il, 9, Sesbltt the largest dry goo
: dealer in the town Tome Il Co., dealers in hs
y and grain. whose warehouse which ia used
: hi. 1urpose and also for the Baltimore K 81,
i quehanna Steam Packet Co., is clogged with c
r and whose books were not removed Gotl
a chalk 4 Orr, liquor dealers ID. Cornish, resta
!, rant il. ". Abrams, general merchandise Je
= 30 StebbiDs, grocer and provision dealer, who
!, horses were removed with difficulty Angus
a Jones and Mrs. Eliza Nichols, milliners /; lie
a nolds Bros, hardware merchants, who al
n keep the express Office ?. J. Lauter, butche