The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-08-06
THE MIDDLE ISLAND DELUGE.
4 Terrible Tempest-Miils. Houses,
Harms stables, Grain, Fences. all
Share COmmOn fate-HeaNy
Losses.

NHlLO, L LEX Nbl y l l. w H.
Monday, August >, 1879.
Editors Register:
1t Is in the midst of sad surroundings
and gloomy prospects, ! assure you, that
| venture 10 advise you OF our calamltlcs.
Yesterday evening about ) o'clock, We
had, what was, up To that time, the heavi-
est rain of this month of rains. After
this there WAS a quiet of q few minutes IN
the camp OF the elements, but twas soon
evident this calm was to be brief and
Was full of terrible importer present
Is the storm changed; clouds were roll
iug from every point of the compass.
They came, hurrying and leaping from
the north, south, east and west-and i'll
/ silent dread we waited and trcmbled,
wAiIr the God of nature TsWGrshUiisd
his embattled thunde-s, and charging
,torm-ColumnS, To- be hurled in one
mighty avalanche to complete the des-
truction of whatever escaped the storms
Of the month past. \ moments
deeper silence u terrible roaring
IT sudden whrl and sweep
ing rush of wind, and the unprecc.
deutrd storm WAS upon us. 1t was con-
ccntration of all storms, coming from all
/ directions, charging right flank, lett
flank. front and rear; now simultaneous
/ lv. now alternately, the torrents Of rain
| dartiug this way and that, as the winds
changed. The waters poured down IN
undimnishng volumes for fifteen or
twenty minutes more than three inches
OF water falling in this time. There was
another cessation of an hour, when
the heavy rain again set in and continued
TIL after midnight. Alter the great
storm of about six o'clock the people of
Middle Island Greek we'll knew they
were doomed to sutfrr an unprecedented
food, and in silent, fearful dread, they be-
gan hurryng about to save their effects.
During the dark and stormy night, Ian
terms we're moving here and there, guild
ing sorrowful men and women VINO were
bearing valusbes to places OF safety.
But | cannot write in detail of all
the anxiety, toll and fear of last nights
terrible experience to all the
dwellers on the waters of our creek, but
will briefly run up the disastrous results,
SO lar as | have read and learned up to
TIN, evening.
More than ten inche, OF rain fell here
since Friday eyening-mere than six m
cheS yesterday evening, rs shown by
guage kept by John Car, of our village
and this all coming on top OF high
tr,-het from former rains, made vol
umc of mad waters far too great for our
valleys to carry Oft without disaster.
Within few hours the creek was higher
than ever known, and by MONDAY was
iully six feet higher than the great flood
of lsj2
Oar village being on high ground, but
little was exposed, except the mills ol the
Peoples Manufacturing Company. Men
were early at work removing from them
everything loose, bearing out meal,
goods, wheat, and whatever could be car
rjcd out through the pitch darkness and
drcnching rain, to high ground. At
o'clock this morning, the grlst and saw
mills were lifted from their foundations
and swung oil the rushing cIrrcnt.
The waolen mill resisted, and still stands
firm. though the water came up twenty
five feet above itS foundations The COM
pauv's loss will not fu'l short of $4,000,
including the gri>t and saw mills gone,
damage to wooden machinery, To ped
ding wagon caught away from nome IN
the storm and entirely submerged with
a load o.. goods, together with other MINOR
losses.
From the village above Us the loss Is
grrut. Bowls saw mill and tclloe mill
Holmes store house with part of his stock
of goods hi, cooper shop and n large
stack OF slaves all passed Shilo this morn
iug. Other saw-mlis and large build
ing, passed down. bat we could not re-
cognjzr them. From below us We learn
that all the ,nniIs, including Falls Mills,
Sylvan mills and Cores mill on Mckim,
have zone out. Aside & ON these heavier
losses. the floods carried down from
every little hollow or valley staves, ium
ber fences bridges, wheat, wagons out
HOUSES aud everything LOOSE - that all
the valleys drained by Middle Island, are
stripped, and have suffered AS never
before. Throughout this section the
wheat has grown green and Is rotting III
the stack andS hook. Oats which "crc
promising well, are total loss, most
iur rnels having abandoned all hopes OF
saving them. Corn has suffered greatly,
but the growth being so vigorous we
hope enough will rise and brave It out to
give us iair crop. What grass has been
cut Is rotten, what is uncut is overrlpe,
lodged, intergrown with young grass and
weeds, rotting underneath, and will be
hard to save and not good If saved at all.
The ways of Providence are inscruta-
bic, and many sufferers complain oftheir
inability TO see the use of all of the rains
and floods of the present month, that will
be the July memorable for It's floods, for
years to come, but doubtless there is wis
dom in it all, and blessings for the people
il we could understand. Hurriedly,
IKE JOHNSON.