The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-10
THE FLOOD OF '32.
AN INTERESTING sEMrNrscENce


rON E.elp, Of ii. ZIns fAnIII-snLu.
Lsa.I il Ii, PAsapL sIts,t,.
There Is probably not better posted per-
sen in the CITY on local happening that oe-
CURED yeAs ago, or one Who keeps up with
thoss Of TO day, any better than Dr. =, 4.
Hlldrsth. He has careful and correct &C
cunt Of innuhsrAble important events that
are Of historical value. For yeafIpast lie has
taken observations OF the weather every day
aud kept an Rctount Of each rainfall. lie
has also been a close observer Of the river
aud AS the lnimruts river Of this week Las
excited the curiOsities OF all 10 know some
thing Of the big TiSrFs OF the palt, AZ lArEL'
LIGEScER reporter called on Dr. Hildr1tn yes.
lrrdAy aud asksd him 10 relate any incidents
that night occur 10 his mind In connection
With previous ilJOts for the benefit OF the
| ISTELIIuESCEH rAdeTs. Tho representative
WAS received In tlH Doctors usual kind aud
courtly manner. He tAid
"Weil, the Hood Of 1882 was the largest one
that Wheeling ever experienced. That &C.
rurred-ltt me sse-lii y-one years ago 10.
morrow (SAturdiyl Il SEEMS almost III.
credible. The Island Wa covered TO depth
Of about seven feet, and the destruction Of
/ life hnd property was very grtaL. IL tclipsed
the hJ0ds OF 1872, which b. the way, has OF
late notice, been credited 10 1870 and that
OF 1881 could perhaps give you 10 better Il
reminiscence than this, which wrote few
years ago." and the Doctor handed over the
following account:
It was known that heavy snoWs had fallen
| in the Allegheny mountains during the lat
ter part Of sAAuAry. IMPORTED " be- from l0ur
/ TO six feet deep, followed by warm weather
and heavy rains during tue iirst week Of Feb
ruary; our people then predicted 4 high river,
aud tnsir uxI eciatlOns were more than real
ICED We had no friendly Telegraph TO notify
Us Of the rspidi.y VI its approach or is t1'
tent On the afternoon Oi tue ION Of Febru'
ary, went down TO see tho old wooden
bridge across the creek on Main street; the
water vas within foot Of is nJoring. And
whilst We stood at the north end the back
water cAmeinto the gutter and STREETS with
such violence aud rHpidity u vas thought
prudent 10 retreat Il followed Us fllly rs last
Is We could walk.
The only hou, es south OF the creek that
can remember were Mr. William Chaplinr's
residsnce, where the Second Presbyterian
church now stands, aud ClinU's row adj lin'
Ing, which al that limc stood upon nigh
yrAyel hank; i've or six lrsme hlildlnss
/ along AnF line ul lAAAu HAAENAt ahN bAs SNsAA
| Eohs residanre THE present site Ot the
Riverside mill aad think the old psPeT
| mill on Water street The balance Of Center
Wheeling Soping east Of Main street. 10 the
base OF CnEpiine and CAldwelrH llill, was +
large pond, known As IL IG's pond BtlOrt
uightiAll the river began To flow over the
bank of Monroe, now twelfth street, with
yrrat Violence. sud every one ErS satisfied
about the certainty OF the lubmerSion, and
those most exposed made vigorous Efforts to
save their goods and chAuelA Knox d
Mckee occupied the warehouse nov usrd By
HorkEeimrf Bros aud lost heavy stuck oil
groceries they lad In the otliSr and hF''
Story. SERIOUS approximations began 10 be En-
,eftaIned shout Daniel Zlnes aud stverEi
, other families living OIL the Island, which
1ggan 10 be rapidly covered by the water ;
the cattle and hogs were seen wAding aud
swimming from one pointto another.
| ID. Zane lived Ia tine sectiHd story bfick
house, now standing O short disiaace below
the suspension bFidgt; To make things saie ~
possible he moved his goods TO the secohd
story as the water bsgau entering the Ersii
luring the night they were terrified by the
roAr aud rapid rise Of the suTging Hood ard
drift wood large logs and whole trees were
striking against tue northern rhu OF the house
Tiih such violence ~ 10 make tie whnlt
I tl0FtE tftulOlB us lhuhNAltuAlt AAlN lAAhAAg
not knowing hut the next moment The house
SoulI fall aud they would be swallowed ~
10 the waters By 1 O'Clock 4. ", the WattI
gas within Two feet VI the lint story, with .
powerful current set Ing SgAinsI the house..
Just then tremendous tree stove in the north
wall Of the front building with lsarlui
crash and tue inmates gave uD all for lost
But fortunately there was no cellar under tht
nOrth wing, And this may have saved tht
building; this. or kind inIeryeluUn Of
Providence.
Il Was fearful dark nigh: aud Mr. Zlne
Is sOUa as it was daylight, determined TO lis
ten 10 the enirsAIieS Of his vile aud move
nut lie had mOoTel the old horse ferry TO q
rec above the house, Ia which he bad pre-
yiOusly put such provisions and STOCK IS he
had been Ablet 70 rescue. In this he deter.
mined TO cross tho river to town: he dropped
The ferry boat down and made II fast To wal
Iut tree which stood hity feet cast Ofths old
rouse, And taxing bis Terry sEiiTiU the second
story window look alb ard his wife and chill
Iren, Whilst rowing The boat out aIaiust tbt
strong current, she suddenly struck the tor
" tie gate post, siugk, cAreeled, dipped
water Whirled about aud was gu the point Of
capSiEipg several times, but Providence
interviewed Aiid be reached the ferry boat In
safety.
Nos, In order to make landing at the
| mouth Of Monroe street II was necessary 10
20 up the Island side, which being done be
made bold strike iOF this side and made
,Dod headEay until within hundred yAnis
| Of the present St. James Hotel, wien Two Of
he old logged out hurstN dFOppsd dead Oh
The tread wheel. think Captain Walker
Hunter and John Watkins sprAug TO the
Jars and Daniel ZIns TO tho helm and by
extraordinary cGerllon they got her bow
into Monroe street, but the current driited
her Amidship SISinst a large locust tree
Khich stood On tue loser corner OF M0nrde
and Water streets, where she ha fearful
struggle With the current on the outside and
eddy In the klrest. ! saw the fearful tIpT.
| I0ns OF tie the bOAtmtn, until she was
quietly landed On the shore opposite rOgies'
liable (n0H Slcf.aiIs' block, corner Twelfth
md Market sIFeets) Mr. TIne's iamiiy wSs
Lhkan To the house OF relative who lived
above high water mark The water AttAinci
| ia full helghth en- the llth OF February, 1882,
measuring 10 feet inches In the chanle,:
The Hood Of 1912 Is said 10 have bten IS feet;
Of 1857 nearly ~ feet In 1872 sleamboAb
plied along Main street " the Monroe street
landing and 10 the foot Of Main street hilii
also along Market street 10 lhn EgmmlnS
property (nOW Office SAlOOrE While there
& no official report thl"k that tue loss Of
| lie OCCAlOleu III anu huuub W hSo'h'b W
this flood vas iOry-tWO liyes.
Continuing the Doctor sad: "Ife volume
Of water ihsn WHprobGbly O.As large Rs wc
have bad since. oEiuF 10 Ihr cutting away Of
The bank. 20 that IL takes much ui9ru water
20 oyeiiljw them. fhe river Is one fourth
wider now than il Eas forty yeais $50. Take
the I,land for instance. Il formerly con.
aimed about 400 acIes-l suppose 90 one
claims that II has over IS nov. H. 1852 the
eaSt bank OF the Island from the bridge to
tho head OF the island, extended out into
the stream fully slightly yards beyond lis
present location, BGh was convex
In fOrmi now Il is onngaTe. It
vas very hrAElly imbered with
elm and sycamore trees Oi enormous
growth and was great hunting Pllos. The
hood Of - Oiled IT With d,btI and q four
story mill that CAME sweeping down the
river was driven among the trees aud laid
there for year,. The river at that flood Ap-
reared At times to be lRting village. 50
many houS,H passed down, together With Lay
stacks and chicken o4OpI.h
RIVER NEWS.
rhs Flood Rsceding-GeherAi News from
| Ihe Hanks.