The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-02-20
FLOOD AT PORT DEPOSIT, MD.
Great Destruction of Property.

The town of Port Deposit Cecil county,
Nd, one of the most prosperous towns on the
Eastern Shore, was inundated by the rise in
the Susquehanna river on Saturday. The
heavy rains of Thursday and Friday previous,
together with the mild weather, caused the
heavy banks of snow along the upper Susque-
hanna to rapidly melt. The river was cover
ed with thick ice, which partially broke and
packed on G,;rrett island and on the shoals
opposite Lapidum, in Hartford county, caus-
ing the water to rise to height of twenty
feet. So sudden was the break that even
those who were watching for it had to flee
for their lives. 1t occurred about o'clock
in the afternoon, and by II the whole town
was submerged. Many of the citizens had to
be taken from their houses in boats. The
loss is estimated at about $751; 900. Fortunate
ly the water fell as rapidly as it rose, or the
town would have been nearly destroyed.
All the river front was wrecked. On the
wharves and in the lumber yards, amidst
planning mills, sash and door factories, and
other Industrial establishments, were many
hundreds of thousands of feet of lumber and
many tons of coal. These were swept away
and strewn over the whole town or carried off
by the flood. Many outbuildings were crush
ed, several warehouses demolished, and the
people driven in alright to the hills.
In Lapidum every house was flooded and
some damage done to the canal.
The Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad
was badly wrecked, and it took $50 men,
working day and night to clear the track of
ice and debris. The road was opened on
Tuesday and traffic resumed.
FLOODS ELSEWHERE.
Disastrous floods occurred throughout New
England, in consequence of the heavy rains
Tho total raipEall Of nctOn Was naarlv civ
inches in two days, and the Old Stony Brook
was swelled beyond its bounds, inundating a
section of the city about half square mile in
extent to depth of from three to nine feet
Six hundred houses were damaged to an ex-
tent estimated at over 500, 900, and mill and
other property TO an extent of about $4,000
more. The damage in other portions of New
England, through the breaking of dams. food
ing of streets, ETC., will reach hundreds of
thousands of dollars at the lowest estimate,
and may mount into millions. In Franklin,
Mass, alone, there is loss of over 500, 200.
The total loss by the food in Boston is now
estimated at $1,000,000. Other losses in
Massachusetts are estimated as follows: At
Newton Upper Falls, $4,000; Maiden, $780,
600; Taunton, $3.50, 1000; Braintree, $4,000.
In Rhode Island, losses are reported of $780,,
600 at Geneva, $50, 900 at Bellefonte, and S70,-
900, at Woonsocket.
Albany, n Y. and other towns and cities
along the Hudson were much damaged by the
rise in the water.
Wednesday dispatches said through trains
now run between Boston and Providence on
schedule time, but it is uncertain when they
will run to New York. The foods, however,
are subsiding throughout the greater portion
of New England. 1t is estimated that 5000
persons have been temporarily thrown out of
employment by the freshet in Lowell. There
is great distress among the people of the food
ed districtiu Boston, and much sickness is
expected