The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-10-06
Terrific Storm and FlOOd-Great Damage
to Property.

The storm, which began on Wednesday
night, eliminated on Thursday evening in
| a terrible flood more disastrous in its effects
than was ever known i'll this county. Dur
ing the early part of the day, on Thursday,
the rain fell steadily, and towards evening
came down in torrents. A strong south
east wind prevailed, which brought in a
heavy tide and backed up the water of the
two creeks, inundating all the adjacent low
grounds The swollen streams, emptying
into the Big and Little Elk creeks, turned
them into rushing torrents, overlooking
their banks and sweeping away almost
every thing that impeded their progress
Mr.. Geo Maxwell made a narrow escape
in the darkness, he failed to notice that
the foot bridge across the large drain Just
above the railroad track on North street,
was gone, and stepping as he supposed
upon it, fell into the rushing torrent. He
was fortunate enough to grasp the extended
hand of companion in time to avoid
being carried into the large sewer, which
passes beneath the railroad A portion Of
the foot log at the Far Greek was carried
away.
The damage done in Elkton was consid
| cradle The sewer which conducts the
water from north of the railroad across
| town to the creek, was INSTRUCTED, and the
water overlooked the adjacent property.
| DR.. Ellis, whose office is situated on Main
street, in the Hollow, was the principal
sufferer from this source. His office being
situated in the basement of his property,
| which stands Immediately i'll the course
taken by the overflow, was completely in
! undated; the water was at least three feet
| deep upon the floor of his rooms. Quite 4
| number OF valuable books were destroyed
and the furniture much injured. The dam
age will amount to over $500. Thomas
| Drennen, Esq, suffered by loss at his farm,
near town, to the amount of about $780,
! The gas house was flooded and the fires
extinguished and the probabilities are that
we will be in darkness for night or two.
| Two canal barges-one a steamer-were
torn from their moorings at SCOTS wharf,
and set down upon the marsh half mile
| below, where they will in all probability
remain until they are dug out. One of them
contains 1874 tons of coal. Bow street was
a complete water course. About LOCO
bushels of unslacked lime, belonging to
Mr.. A. G. Tuite, was swept away from his
wharf, not vestige of it being left 1t is
| impossible, in our space, to enumerate each
seperate loss. Cellars were flooded, pro-
perty swept away and damaged to an eX-
tent never before experienced.
| The most serious damage, however, oc
cured on Big and Little Elk creek, where
are located numerous mills. At Marley
Mills, on Little Elk, a scene of devastation
that can scarcely be described is presented.
Here about one hundred feet of the i'm
mense dam, built of solid stone fifteen feet
high and fully as thick, by means of which
water for running the machine was accu-
INFLATED, was swept away, and the huge
| Df Oh, -
ried down the stream. The dam en-
closing the settling pond was also swept
away. One of the abutments of the head
/ gate of the race was broken down, and
the torrent rushed down the race, demol-
ished the bank and poured its entire volume
into the straw room of the mill, sweeping
everything before it.
The first floor of the MILL which contains
the machinery, was flooded to the depth of
three feet and left behind it, over every
thing, a thick coat of mud. From ten to
fifteen hundred pounds of paper was de-
stroyed, the bulk of the stock being re-
moved. The immense straw barracks con-
tanning abont four hundred and fifty tons
of straw were swept away, together with
about three fourths of the straw. Singular
to say, while this building, about two hun
bred feet long by forty feet wide, was swept
! away, nothing being left save a portion of
the roof, several large stacks Of straw held
their ground.
Twenty-Five full carboys of vitriol, the
heavy platform scales; the stables of Mr..
Peter Gilbert, located near the straw bar
racks, were swept away together with two
of his wagons and all his horses, harness,
etc. The horses were saved. Much of the
material in the mill was damaged. The
new county bridge at this point was en-
tirely demolished and swept away. The
loss to the owners of Marley is variously
estimated at from $4,000 to $4,000.
The dam at Mackall's Mills, just below
Marley was carried away, and the resi-
dence of the miller inundated to such ali
extent that he was forced to remove
| The race of this mill is entirely filled up
by sand.
At Harlan's Mills, the dam breast built
of huge stones, one hundred and fifty feet
long between the abutments and about
thirty feet of the bank on one side, were
demolished. Here also the tremendous force
of the torrent was apparent, rocks of
toms weight being carried for miles. The
mill was inundated and about eight tons
of finished binders boards destroyed. The
tail races were filled up so that they could
scarcely be located. Much minor damage
was done. The loss to Mr.. Harlan will be
about 81, 900.
Mr. |. d. Carter, whose paper mills are
located next above Harlan's, suffered con-
siderably. The race bank gave way and
heavy volume of water rushed down the
bank and through the machinery rooms,
destroying quantity of paper. His loss
can not yet be estimated. AT Lords Cot
ton Mills (Baldwin's), on the Big Elk,
ninety feet of the dam breast of solid stone
was carried away. 1t is estimated that be-
tween 400 and 500 perches of stone were
swept down the stream from this dam.
The head gate of the race was partially
destroyed, and a heavy stone wall forming
one end of the saw mill building, was carried
away and the water wheel demolished.
| Here, as at the other points mentioned the
entire aspect of the place is changed. I'm
mense gullies have been washed out aud
huge sand banks built up, while large
boulders are scattered here and there, pre-
| senting a wild and desolate appearance.
! Mr.. Nanhorn, the foreman of this mill,
was driven from his dwelling by the water
and forced to remove to other quarters.
The loss here is from $1,000 to $4,000.
| At Lewis Mills, the dam was damaged
and the race bank swept away. One of
the abutments of the iron bridge at Carriers
! Mills, was undermined and partly swept
away. The head gates at Providence
Mills, on the Little Elk, were swept away
and the race bank broken. The torrent
made its course across the public road,
cutting chasm eight to ten feet deep.
| The bridge across the race was carried
away, as were all small bridges in this
neighborhood. The county bridge across
Pulling run, near Scott's Mills, was de-
stroyed. Tie bridge across the race at
Sites Mills, Gu the North East road, was
swept away, and travel in that direction
suspended.
The dam of Shannon Mills, belonging to
| the Mccullough Co., was demolished -
| (For full account see North East Items. J
The dam at Brewstel's Mills was much
injured, and other minor damage done.
Reports come from the upper part of the
county that the Spring Lawn Mills (Megar-
gees, suffered severely, the dam giving
way and the water carrying with it a ten
ant house, and probably some of it's occu-
pants. OF the reliability of this report,
however, we are not assured.
A representative of The Whig visited
| nearly all the above named points YESTERDAY