Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-12-04
THE GREAT STORM.

to the Ohio aud Missouri valleys, south
westward to Arkansas, and was felt with great
severity all along the Atlantic coast. The
Middle and Southern States bore the heaviest
stress of the storm. Along the Atlantic
coas, the storm was very severe. The wrecks
thus far reported are those of the United
States steam sloop.of.war Huron, off Kitty
hawk, on the North Carolina coast, with the
loss of over one hundred Ulcers and men q
foreign bark in ballast, the Joseph Lang,
twelve miles north of Cape May, aud the brig
Ossipce, with fruits from Spain.
In Baltimore the tide was high, overflow
ing docks aud streets about the wharvcs
Jones falls within the city was swollen to
point higher than at any time since the food
of 1868.
In Georgetown, Water street, from, one
end of the town to the other, was covered
with water several feet deep. Two large
frame houses. which could not be distin
gui5hed in the dark, passed down the river.
In Washington city the entire length of
8 street was covered with water. Aualoston
Island, opposite Georgetown, was completely
submerged. In Washington city many cell
lars on Pennsylvania avenue were flooded.
The basement of the National Republican
building, in which the press is located, was
partly filled with water, but it was pumped
out before the press was damaged.
The Monocacy river overlooked its banks
to an extent almost unprecedented, the water
rising far above the abutments and piers of
the iron railroad bridge at Mouocacy juno
ton. The flood spread out in a broad ex
panse over fields and meadows.
Five spans of the Cumberland Valley rail-
road bridge over the Potomac river, near
Williamsport, Md, was swept on the bridge
at the time and went down with it. The
loss will be about $50, OCO.
The Dan river, in Virginia, rose to nearly
tho highest point ever known at Danvi'le.
The damage in and about the city is more
than 500, 900. Everything bordering on
the Dan river and the Big and Little Sandy
rivers was swept away.
All the streams in the neighborhood Of
Charlottesville were greatly swollen. The
Rivanna river was as high as in 1870.
the balance is seriously damaged. The teIe-
graph lines are down. The Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad is badly washed and all trains
stopped.
At Richmond the VI alter was eighteen inches
above the high-water mark OF 1870. An
idea of the height reached by the :reshet
may be had from the statement that the steam
boat sheds were almost entirely covered.
People who remained in their dwellings were
driven from floor to floor, aud in many in
stances were 6ually compelled to be taken
away in bouts.
At Lynchburs, on the James, the bridges
were washed away.
The valley along North River in Augusta
county, through which the North River runs
after passing near Mt. Scion, is a perfect
wreck The food came upon the district
suddenly. On the afternoon of Friday Mr..
Abraham Andrews, who lives on the river,
went at shutdown to look at it and found it
had only risen four inches and there were no
u
usual hour, but about l l o'clock one Of his
daughters was awak ened by unusual sound
against the house and on looking out found
that it was surrounded by water, the waves
washing into the building. Mr. Andrews got
his family out on horses and carrisd his vile
TO a ueighbnrs. His four daughters missed
their way in the darkness, three sat in the
woods in the rain and the other WHO had got
ten lost from her sisters was in the woods
alone till about 3 o'clock in the morning.
They were all found by their father and the
neighbors who turned out to hunt them.
The water at buchanan was FIVE and a-half
feet higher than the treshct of 1912, which
was the highest in the recollection of any per
son now living the total rise being thirty feet
perpendicular In the towns of Pattonsburg
or buchanan there were no lives lost. but
thirty buildings were swept away, including
the dwellings Of many poor people, who lost
everything. even food and clothing. In the
neigh borhood thirty lives known to have
been lost, all cOlOrcd. Six were drowned on
Mill Greek, above Buchanan, after having
escaped from their house, which was washed
away they were overtaken in the field by the
rushing waters People were within a few
feet of them and talked with them, but the
surging pillows came with such rapidly that
they were unable to afford assistance. and saw
them swept away with the current. Henry
Nav, fcrryman at Skidmnrc's ferry below
Buchanan escaped from his house with mir
teen women and children, but was overtakeL
and swept over Warmers Falls dam, and all
persisted.
The Alexandria Gazette says: Brief men.
tinn was made in the Leesburg c0rrespon-
dence of the Gazette, on Monday, Of the
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