Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-06
nee of THE EVENING STAR.


Correspondenceof THE EVENING STAR
FREDERICK, Nd, June 5.
That portion of Frederick county lying in
the valleys OF the Monocacy and Potomac rivers
has passed through the ordeal of flood since
Friday last that will never be forgotten by the
people who have suffered loss, nor by those
who have viewed from a distance the scene of
| disaster and desolation wrought by the rushing
waters. The incessant rain of the early part
of the week construed by all who are
familiar with the nature of the mountain
streams and rivers in this section to mean
merely the prelude to a flood. Ample time
was given the people, therefore. and taking adj
vantage of this every life was saved. Several
reports were sent out of persons drowned and
washed away, but upon investigation they prove
to have been incorrect. Hundreds of cattle,
fowls, pigs and farm stock were swept away
and drowned, but the people were able TO seek
places OF safety among the highlands, sharing
| the homes OF their Deighbors, occupying the
churches and schoOl-houses, and taking advant-
age of every place of refuge. Now that the
waters of the swollen streams have subsidized,
and the MOnocacy and Potomac are flowing
once more in their natural beds. those who
have lost all they owned are gazing with still
less hope and heart upon the marks of devas-
| tation left i'll the wake OF the receding food.
AT FREDERICK.
Frederick fortunately escaped any great dam
age by the high water. Carroll creek, which
flows directly through the heart OF the city,
| and has, in previous years. been the channel
through which has been carried the back water
Of the mountain streams, spreading them
through the streets of the city to the second
stories of the houses, the case on Au-
gust 2. 1885, was able this time to meet the
pressure brought to bear upon it, and to carry
of the water to the meadow lands east of the
city. At IL 80 o'clock Friday night the rain,
which had been falling steadily since early in
the evening. increased to a torrent, and an
| alarm given by the ringing OF the bells of
the city tre-engine houses and the blowing of
steam whistles. People were aroused by the
alarm, and eagerly thrOnSed the streets. Those
residing near the creek moved out their goods
and sought positions of safety. But the only
damage that had been wrought in the city was
the flooding of cellars, the weakening of toun-
dation walls and the washing out of gardens
The worst had been reserved Tor other sections
of the county.
IN THE MoNocACY VALLEY.
The beautiful valley OF the Monocacy. from
its source among the mountains to its junction
with the Potomac, was almost devastated The
river higher than ever known before, the
back water extended across the Baltimore pike,
east of the city, and wheat and corn fields that
few days before had given promise OF rich
and abundant crops were swept and washed by
the muddy tide. The only county bridge left
along the course of the river was the massive
stone structure on the Baltimore pike; SIX
others. all wooden. had been swept away. Many
OF them had been built as far back as 1894, and
mad withstood the ravages OF war and food i'll
other years. only to succumb ut last to the mad
rush OF the waters. The bridges swept away
were located and known, respectively, as fol-
lows: Liberty bridge, crossing the Monocacy
at Ceresville; Lurgaine bridge, at Lurgaine
Mills; Buckeystown bridge, at Buckeystown;
Catzenderfers bridge, at Creagorstown; Della
PLANES bridge. near CreagerstoWn, and the
bridge at Frederick Junction. The heavy
iron bridge OF the Pennsylvania and Bal
timore and Ohio railroad companies, crossing
the MOnocacy at points about four miles apart
were severely tried by the food but withstood
| the assaults made upon them. The former was
the more severely damaged of the two. On the
east side of the bridge Il strip of heavy en-
| bankment, 800 feet long, was swept away, to-
getLer with 800 feet of steel track
THE LATEST DETAILS OF THE FLOOD
along the course of the Monocacy river in this
county show that the first reports of the dam
age were not exaggerated. The work of de-
vastation along the Monocacy has been great, but
not of so large an extent along the Potomac
The first regular trains arriving after the flood
over the two roads brought home many who
had not been able to reach here by any route
since Friday. Except in the bottom lands of
| the river and creeks the wheat Is coming up,
and the destruction of that crop will not be so
| great az was expected. In the Middetown
valley, west of Frederick, the greatest damage
was done by the mountain torrents. Crops
we're badly In ured, bridges crossing the
streams were swept away, mills were flooded
andmany farmers suffered heavy loss. The loss of
the county bridges is sadly mourned by the tax
| payers, who see in this incident an increase of
| the tax rate and heavy levy. The bridges will
have to be rebuilt at the expense of the county,
unless the turnpike companies are compelled
| TO share the cost. Several enterprising coun-
| trymen have opened ferry-boat lines across the
| river at points where the bridges once stood,
and are carrying people from side to side at
| small cost. These ferries and the stone bridge
on the Georgetown pike are the only means
| people living on the other side of the Monoc-
| acy have of reaching Frederick. At Buckeyes
| town the Baker Brothers and Mr. John Delash-
| mutt are heavy losers by the flood. In that vii
| lage the water rose to q height OF fifteen feet
| i'll the streets and submerged stores and houses.
| Outhouses and drift-wood. after the water sub
| sided, We're piled up III the village streets as
! high as the dwellings,. At Point OF Rocks Sat
| urday, an unknown man died of exposure. His
| body was taken to the Methodist church. where
| services were to have been held. The flood
! drove the people out and the body was hastily
inferred without ceremony. At Tuscarora sta
| ton the flood washed away a large platform be-
| longing to G. NJ. De Ramendia and upset three
! loaded cars on the tracks of the Baltimore and
| Ohio. At Roberts Brothers mill. Greenfield
!
| feet, and the surrounding wheat-fieds were
| flooded to depth of 40 feet. In the northwestern
| part OF the county, i'll the region of Lewiston,
| Mechanicstown and Wolfsvile, a great deal of
| damage was done by the mountain torrents. In
fact, the entire county shows signs everywhere
| OF the devastation. Roads and fields are
| washed fences torn away, and almost every
| farm bears some mark of the terrible vista
! ton. Where the waters of the river swept by
buildings, trees and fields are covered with
muck to the depth of foot The valley has
| been robbed of its verdant green, and where
| but few days ago everything seemed
to be bursting into summer beauty, all is now
! wreck and ruin Those who have suffered loss
seem to have no heart to repair the damage
that has been done, and, indeed, much of it is
beyond repair.
ALONG THE POTOMAC.
The view of the desolation wrought by that
mighty river along its shore from Point of
Rocks to Harper's Ferry is appalling and dis
tressing. Point of Rocks was submerged. The
water was IS feet above high-water mark and 8
feet higher than during the memorable freshet
| of 1877. People were rescued from their houses
in time to save their lives, but houses and house.
| hold goods were given up TO the tide. The
| streets Of the village thick with mud and
| filth and the wrecks of ruined houses and deb
| Similar scenes are to be found at Knoxville
| Weverton, Berlin, and Sandy Hook At Har-
per's Ferry the scene is still more dasolate
| Ihn hara