The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-12-06

=
! elements to conquer success but with hi
characteristic energy and goa headitiycness
he has moved to more pleasant quarters, ant
will continue the publication Of his papel
despite the reverses he has met with in his
enterprise.
PORT REPUBLIC.
Senator John +. Lewis writes as follows
81 left my home ON my way to Winchester
Friday, the 23d inst, and crossed the Shen-
aEdoah river about half after O'Clock. The
river had not risen more than few inches,
and was fordable at dark. The rain in
creased in violence as the day wore away,
and at night came down in torrents, accom-
panied by terrific wind. l started back next
morning, without hope OF being able to reach
1 my home. When [ reached the farm OF the
Misses Strayer the river was three quarters
of mile wide, and the cleared land on my
farm seemed to be entirely submerged, and
all the stock could see were four sheep.
| The river had commenced to fall before
| lVtlCHCu iUo D@unS VII hoaUtl0@Js AhN cSAoA y
[ left ION my return to Harrisonburg) it had
fallen about three feet.
The Shenandoah at this point did not
reach the high'water mark of September
Goth, 1870, by three feet, but was more de-
structive in washing the land. My losses
will amount to about twentv-four or five
hundred dollars, besides the inconvenience
of having the farm turned into common.
The only building carried off by the water
was two-story frame dwelling house which
stood near the river, but fortunately it was
unoccupied at the time.
| lost no stock except some fine cotswold
sheep.
The mill was not much injured, but the
head gates were carried off and much dam
age done to flour, &C., in the mill.
| Considering the circumstance, of the rise
being so rapid and in the night, have been
fortunate in not loosing more.
| am devoutly thankful shat no human
| life was lost on this or any OF the adjoining
| farms.
| have over hundred acros eff wheat de-
stroyed and about fifty acres of corn washed
| away-very nearly all / had. have been
| so busy attending to my own affairs that l
| have not had time to leave home, and there
fore cannot comply with your request to
state the losses of my neighbors, many of
whom have suffered more than myself il re-
ports are true.
My brother (Col. C. III. Lewis occupied
| one of the rooms in the house that as car
ried off by the flood, as lodging apart
ment, but as l was absent he staid the night
of the high-water at my dwelling house. He
lost all his clothing. books and furniture
also small amount Of money
BRIDaEwATER.
Our Bridgewater correspondent, ''L.."
gives the following details:
1.-THE people of Bridgewater and vicinity
| were aroused from their slumbers on Satur-
day morning, November oath, the alarm
having been given that a flood, more terri
BILE and devastating than that of 1870, had
again visited the neighborhood. The wealth.
er had beed very inclement for several days
previous, but on Friday night the iain de-
IL
| day, about a. M, the impending danger of
the entire neighborhood bordering on the
river being undulated, had created such
Consideration among some as to render
| many unable to effect their own escape.
| Between and a. m. Saturday, Bridgewa-
| ter was in general cOmmotion, her citizens
hurrying to and fro assisting iii saving those
| whose lives and property were endangered.
Many families were removed from their res
licences ON horses and in wagons, after the
water had risen in their houses several feet.
At dawn the river was up in town over two
| hundred yards. North river was higher
than ever before known, varying from fif-
teen inches to four and five feet. The very
substantial and expensive bridge which spans
the river at this place, was swept away en-
tirely, without leaving fragment save part
of the abutments, whereas at the flood of
10 only one-half of the bridge was washed
away. Water street, leading east OF the
river, and Factory street to the Natural
Dam, were rendered entirely impossible,
holes were washed which will require hun
dreds of loads Of rock, ETC., to prepare them
fit for travelling. The banks along toe river
have, at places on Factory street, been
| washed out for fifty feet; lots on Water
street completely and irretrievably ruined
houses uIdulated and undermined furni-
ture injured; material for mechanical pur-
poses, and in some instances the mechanics
tools were swept away.
While the citizens were not so much Sur
prised at the overlooking of the banks of
North river, ard the destruction resulting
therefrom, they were however completely
surprised on Saturday morning, when
aroused by the sound of mighty and rushing
waters, and on inquiry it was ascertained
that Dry river had broken through about
one mile north of town, between the farms
of John A. Miller and Benjamin Keslin.
continuing in meandering course through
the fields, by the house of John Hatfield, in
the suburbs of town, This wife being taken
to place of safety by A. l.. Lindsay, Esq,
on his horse), on by the NJ. E. Church, Odd
Fellows Hall, sweeping fences and walks,
crossing Main street about 100 yards north
east of the middle of town, spreading about
100 yards, and thence for one mile, where it
was emptied into the regular channel.
There were two other breaks made by this
river-onc coming down east and the other
west of John w. Carpenters house, run
ming through the farm of Joel Miller on
to the river between the residences of DR..
H. Kyle and Daniel Miller. Persons through
whose lands these ''breaks" came sustain
great loss in fencing.
The greatest loss sustained is the dcstruc-
ton Of the bridge, which is estimated to have
been worth $4,000; the Bridgwater Manu-.
featuring Company lose over $1,000, the
WOODEN factory building and quantity of
material being damaged, but the machine
shop and foundry, recently erected by Mes
srs. A. L. & J. Ii. Lindsay, were uninjured.
Berlin & Bryan, proprietors of the lower
WOODEN factory, sustain some loss-a chan
mel was washed around their dam Mr.. Mar
shalIs dam, at his merchant mill. was swept
away and his property otherwise injured
P. S. N[iller's dwelling house was injured
considerably Click & Miller's carriage fac
tory and A. l.. Sheets livery stable were
flooded; Chas. letter (col.}, shop and lum-
Der sufficient to make seventy-fve barrels
were swept away; the dwelling OF E. B.
Simpson undermined, furniture injured, and
lot rendered almost worthless, he thereby
sustaining a loss Of $4,000; VIM. S. Van
Pelt, at Berlintown, loses his dwelling
house, with everything personal lie had in
the world-thus leaving him without any
thing to resume house-keeping-his losses
are estimated at $500; the large brick
house of VIM. F. Dinkle was so much in
jured that he intends tearing it down and
rebuilding it the house and lot Of M. F.
Floyd injured beyond repair-his losses will
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