The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-06-29
CUMBERLAND, Nd. June IA. 1889.

OulO IOdlITOdus ucoitO W oOO e"N
famed valley of Virginia and to visit
some historic places. such as Win
chester, Cedar Creek, Fishers Hill
and many other rlaces now familiar
to readers of wartime history, was
the inducement that led me 10 for.
sake important interest at home, for
the time being. and take my place
with many hundreds of Others bound
for Harrisonburg. Virginia.
We left Cumberland Tuesday
morning in company with a large
number of Western people, some
church members. snme Grand Army
Men, and withal great many who
were taking advantage of the cheap
rates to visit Washington and other
places in the East. From Cumber-
land to Harpers Ferry it was one
succession of damaged property by
the high waters. Houses washed
away, crops destroy ed, and from APP
pearances not much prospect for the
many business interests involved
along the railroad and canal for this
season. At Harpers Ferry the Gull
mination of disasters was reached.
Fourteen feet of water had been in
the streets. cellars filled with mud
furniture and store goods ruined,
houses undermined and washed
away. 1t seems impossible. but when
we are told that the water was two
feet over the railroad track on the
bridge across the river we can begin
to understand the damage done. The
large bridge over the Potomac here
has almost disappeared. This bridge
was built for the accommodation of
the travel between the Maryland and
Virginia shore. 1t is now "Hd1perS
Ferry" again. as all travel is by ferry
in that direction.
Is the canal gone? Well. that is
question hard to answer. 1t looks as
though it was past repair, but the
State of Maryland is a good pay
master and nothing is impossible to
the men who control this State.
Many canal boats are ruined, some
are out in meadows "high and dry"
One large one filled with grain was
square across the county road on the
Maryland side of the Ferry. A trav.
cling man was debating what to do.
The river on one side, Maryland
heights on the other. The only
chance was to go around 8 or 10 miles
or lift horse and buggy over the boat.
I was bound for the top of Maryland
Heights. 1 got there. 1 left the
commercial man debating the ques-
ton. presume he went around. /
was told that the railroad company
had one hundred thousand dollars
worth of locomotives on the bridge
to save it, and then it was a very
serious question whether 1t was 60
ing to resist the terrible mass of
water, floating logs, houses. &c., COM
ing against it. AS it was. it was so
badly damaged that it is said there is
talk of rebuilding it. Destitution
was apparent here. Where the needy
people came from l cannot tell. 1t
looked as though some of the appli.
cants were from high ground. Many
cases were of people who lived along
the river and 10 dire need, no doubt,
We took good look at John
Browns old fort, which stands soil.
tary and alone unframed, amid the
general wreck. By hard climb we
reached the top of Maryland Heights
and had view of the Shenandoah
and Potomac rivers for miles. Here
a great number of our Maryland SOL
der boys were stationed during the
war. The Heights are accessible
only by roads which leads around
the mountainous from the east and
one from the westside. Harpers
Ferry as town seems to be ruined {:
the people are respondent. People
seem to be anxious to get away. 1t
was remarkable that everything
seemed to be against them, even the
elements, and that they believed that
John Brown left curse on the place.
The landlord of the Green House,
the principal hotel in the place. has
sold out since the flood, and will
'scrape the mud" of Harpers Ferry
from his feet forever.
From Harpers Ferry we went d.
rect to Harrisonburg, the location. of
the TINKER Meeting. After getting a
room and something to eat we started
for the Conference Grounds about
three fourths of a mile from town.
Here we met Mr.. Geo. Beeghly,
Jonas E. Gnagey, Mr.. Merrill, Mr..
Daniel Baker and other GAINESVILLE
folks. Mr.. Beeghly and Mr.. Merrill
kindly showed US over the grounds.
The auditorium, capable of seating
FIVE thousand, the tents, kitchen,