Daily Republican., 1885-02-10
THE WATERS LET LOOSE,
THE BRANDYwINE IN A RAGE
OF FORY-PART Of THE NEW
BRIDGE SWEPT AWAY.


Monday forenoon and increased in
vehemence as the day woreon. Towards
evening 10 came in 6tful torrents, over
flooding the cutters and cellars in the
lower parts of the city. Between the
dashing torrents calm would ensue
AZ If to gather force for another dash
Of rain more violent than any that
preceded it.
As the shades of feven ing came on it
was evident that q rainy night was
ahead, and those who lived iu low sec-
tions Of the city, liable at times to be
overfloOded, were filled with ominous
fears, aud in some instances those who
had friends living in the higher parts
Of the city found it a convenient time
70 pay them visit. The night set in
dark, dismal and dreary. The rain
continued to fall as If the fountains of
the deep were broken up and the clouds
we're rent asunder TO let it fall all at
once.
The Brapdywine began to roar early
| in the evening, and there were great
| fears in the III minds of the Baltimore ard
Philadelphia Railroad officials that the
| temporary bridge across the Brandy
| VINE would not be able 10 withstand the
| mb.ned force of ice and water that
Wouiu UT buiOW IL hShiuhb IL. "A repre-
sentative of the REPUBLICAN,, who
lives adjoining the woods Oh the Bran
DIVINE about two squares from the
new bridge, saw and heard the raging
storm in its reality.
| Amid the sighing and whistling Of
the winds amongst the trees, occasion
ly was heard a crash of thunder, and
| occasionally a tiarh of lightning cast
| slurid glare over the weired scene.
About half past two o'clock this
| morning louder crash arose upon the
air different from the thunder crash It
was minelipg of crashing timbers
and the rafting of iron. 1t might be
| the sweeping away of the new bridge,
or it might possibly be thunder, thought
the reporter of the REPUBLICAN, but
| not to be mistaken he lit his lantern
| and started out On tour of investi.
| cation. Through the dark woods to
the brow of the hill on the Brandy.
wine he picked his way. The rain had
ceased falling and the roar of the wate rs
arose above every other sound.
Down to the foot of the hill he picked
his way. Here he found the waters
up to the fOotbrfdge across Rattlesnake
| run, rather an unusual occurrence A
little farther on and the checquered
work of the wire foot bridge was seen
swiDRing in it's usual place But where
was the great Railroad bridge? Soon
the pier and the bridge on the east side
| was seen, but letween the piers on
either side of the Brapdy wine from the
roaring, seetbing waters up there WAS
nothing but vacant space. The Brandy
wine span of the bridge had been
swept away down the rapid, ungo overn.
able ii BOD to he Christiana below, and
| from thence many of the timbers found
their way to the Delaware.
The 'op part Of the west span con-
nected with the creek span was also
torn away down as far as the tors of
she piers, and the tinibers lay crushed
amongst the lower tiers A gondola
car used in placing the iron of the
bridge in position and which was upon
the bridge AZ the time il went down,
| lay in the bed of the stream and two or
three logs having become anchored to
!, it the maddened waters were leaping
wildly over the mass. When the re-
porter OF the REPUBLICAN visited the
place not human sJul was to he seen
any here about, and he stood solitary
and alone viewing the ruins, and drink
ing in the grandeur of midnight hour.
In a few days more the Temporary wood
on bridge would have been substituted
with an iron. bridge.
Fortunately all the other bridges on
The Brandywine escaped, tn ough the
Hood is the greatest known for many
years. The railroad bridge debris, |
after plrnging wildly over the various |
dams, shot down under the Market |
str ct bridge without doing the bridge
any injury. Up to eleven o'clock this
morning theEleventh street bridge was |
un,njured, with the water within four
feet of the floor. The water came
within about four feet also of the tim
bers of the p, w. & b. Railroad bridge.
Some of the heavy timbers from the
wrecked Baltimore and Philadelphia
Railroad brought up with such force
against some of the timbers of the p,
W. IL b. bridge as to cause considera-
BILE of jar, but they happily passed on,
and trains are passing regularly over
the bridge.
Early during the evening, the en-
haDkments at Thatcher street, over
Eleventh street bridge, broke aid let
the roaring, seethiug waters into all the
lowlands around that part OF the city.
Not less than fifty bouses are surroun.
led by water, the inmates having re-
tired to the second story, from which
hey were taken this morning in boats.
From Thatcher street the inundation
continued up around the settlement to
70. - school house, which was COM
rl'tely surrounded by water, and de.
serted by teachers, scholars and even
,he Janitor. Boats were in demand, and
we're fitting about from, house to house, {
liking unfortunate inmates out of the
'econd story window.
Early this morning cries Of help! helm! I
'ang out across the water from more I
han q score of honses, and oli decrepit '
ad les, delicate ladies' and small chill q
iren hat to face the open pelting storm q
n open boats to escape the threatened
langer. Old residents In that section
ay that such flood has not been
fnown in the city for many years. I
5elow the r., w. 81 B. Railroad, there /
q continuous sea OF water extend ing '
rom Moir's cannery to Edgemoor. I
Tho cannery is surrounded by water, a
nd the hands had to turn back this {
morning, as there was no way to reach c
he works except by boats, and even l
ad they reached the works it Is not q
robable they could have worked. a
Ther' seems to have been no material g
amage done in the city proper, if we G
xcept the flooding of some cellars on ! p
'opIar street, some along Shipley run G
nd In other low parts OF the city. The I
reAtest loss is the new r. 81 Z. Rail- O
Dad bridge. The lum ber of which it b
Tas built will be prsctic, lily worthless,
nd much OF it will naver be seen
gain. This morning early people were
ut with spears aud hooks catching the O.
Inbers az they fl )ated down, aud were b
arrsinS them off 10 their cellars Even "