The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-06-10
AT DAYTON.
THE HEAVIEST FOR QUARTER OF CEN
TURY.
[From the Dayton Journal


IFrom the Dayton Journal
The storm which had been threatening
in the Western horizon during the even
ing and early hours of the night of Tuesday,
burst upon this city at about 2 o'clock yes
terday morning, and soon the rain began TO
fall in torrents, accompanied by fierce
winds, vivid and almost continuous flashes
of lightning and crashing peals of thunder,
and from that hour until about IL O'Clock
A. NJ. the rain poured down upon the city
and vicinity in sheets of water, almost
without cessation or intermission. So heavy
was the rainfall, especially upon the hills in
Van Buren, township, Immediately south OF
the city, that many people thought that
waier-spout had fallen, or a storm cloud had
suddenly burst over them. The water came
down In such in0rdinate quantities, and
fell with such amazing rapidity, that 1t was
utterly impossible for the ground to absorb
q 1.-THE of it, and consequently the hollOws,
ravines and small sire ans were suddenly
filed, and became rushing, foaming tor
rents, sweeping away in their headlong
course bridges, fencing, cord-wOod, and ev
erything else that came in their way.
THE "oLDEsT INHABITANT" CAN NOT RECOL-
LECr
a storm of such extraordinary ferceness
and duration, and pouring down such vast
quantities of water, during the last twenty
Eve or thirty years. Much damage was
done in the city and surrounding country,
but the force OF the storm seems to have
eliminated in the country just south of US.
At an early hour in the morning OF yester-
day, Mr.. s. j. Patterson and his brother
Jonn, canal collector at this port, fearing
that the heavy rains would endanger
the safety of the canal, FASTENED
to the most exposed places, just below the
city, and endeavored, by opening all the
gates OF the waste-weir and the race at the
lower Cooper hydraulic, to make a passage
for the rapidly accommodating waters; but
their efforts were unavailing the rain fell
too fast, and the water poured into the canal
from the hills on the east bank more rap
idly, and in greater quantities than all the
outlets combined could pass. The little
RubicOn," a small stream which flows
from the east through the Patterson place
formerly turning their saw mill-and passes
under the canal
THROUGH A STONE CULvERr
Just south of the fair grounds, filed so fast
hat the culvert could not pass the water,
canal, and began pouring over the BERN
bank to the depth of two or three feet. A
bridge some % feet long by 10 or II wide,
which spanned the little stream near the
saw mill, was lifted bodily and carried into
the canal, and so strong was the force
of the current that it was actually
able to overcome the force OF
the current of the canal-which
usually runs very rapid a. this point-snd
the bridge was carried north as far as the
race near Stout, Mills & Temples machine
shops, a mile distant from where it was car
ried into the canal. A: about this time a
breach, or rather two breaches, were made
in the tow-path bank of the canal opposite
the point where the "Rubicon" was dis
charging its accumulated flood, giving vent
through the opening thus made 10 the waste
of waters; and the current again setting to
the south, the bridge was carried down with
great rapidity and
THROUGH THE GAP INTO THE FIELDS
between the canal and the river. Four
breaks were made In the canal, two opposite
the Patterson place, aud two at the "Bluffs,"
near Miller's Ford. The largest. at Patter-
sons, is about sixty feet in lsngth, carrying
away the tow-path for that distance, and
washing out the gravel 10 depth of five
feet below the bottom of the canal The
other break st this point ia about thirty feet
in Width, but not so deep as the first one.
At Miller's Ford the largest break Is from
sixty to seventy feet in Width, also cutting
away the entire tow-path to the
depth of three feet below the canal bottom.
The smaller break here is something more
than so feet wide. These breaks are very Sc
rious in their character, and cause total
suspension of navigation and a shutting
depend tor their driving power upon the
water of the Dayton and Cooper hydraul-
y les, except some few which are provided