Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-06-05
DEVASTATING FLOOD.
TIE LIKE HETER sEENBF WHITE
hEN ~ TIE JUSL1TA H.sLLEY.
ON THE TOP OF 4 HOUSE.
THE LORD IS SENDING Us BoAT.
WITHIN THE COUNTY.
Loss OF BRIDGES.
MIFFLINTOBN IND VICINITY.
IN PATTERSON.
TRE FIOOD zppozD

| THE FLOOD -4BRoAD.
The rain that began TO tall on the Goth Of
Aay-Decoration Day-cessed its outpour
about half past O'Clock on sturday morn :
ing June lst 1889, and produced a scene OF
destruction along the $40 miles Of the Juni-
ata valley that has had 10 parallel since ID c
| occupancy of the valley BY the white man.
| From the many valleys that run out from
the rver drain came floods, bearing upon
| their irresistible rapid currents, fences, out
house, and the soil OF Thousands OF fields
and poured them into the river which rose
TO = hight above all other Hoods.
reople looked on and shuddsred, before
their nervous sight passed on TO destruction
the fruit Of many years Of industrious Ia
Dor, and millions of capital, houses, barns, 1,
horses, cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys, beds
| bedding, household furniture, cars and
cradles, suggestive OF infancy and the luliby
Of mother and sisters, and every inmsgin-
able thing that man in his civilized state
| makes use of.
The exposures and narrow escape from
death would nu book.
| An aged couple come down the "Long
town on the
TOR OF a House
The streams rose rapidly, but no one eI-
Pectsd the Hood.
Joshua A. RiIen asd his wife, who bad g
house a quarter Of mile from the Pike up
Jack, Greek in Niairn county, on Friday
night about Q O'Clock discovered that their
house was surrounded by water The water
rapidly rose TO the door Of the house, they
took their valusbles TO the second floor
during the night, the water followed then,
and a. the night of horrsr dragged itself
slong the water deePened around them,
reao he'd their waist, and by and by the light
went out, the building trembled, the water
resehcd to their chin, about the time tho
kitchen attachment broke away. A door
way led from the second story 10 the loft OF
the kitchen, the doorway was open ana
Rid-a said to his wife,
SsHorHER, rALK TO ME-"
''while reach out and try and get 20 the
top OF the house"
The aged wife and mother encouraged
her husband with brave words.
He reached his hand TO the roof. and obi
what thrill OF JOY he experienced when his
fingers grasped a '.clsat'-he called it
that the carpenters had left on the roof
when they pat new roof on his house not
many months ago. II was the hold be
needed, he drew himself up easily, the water
lifting his body and then he reached down
and took the hand Of his vife-desr-r to
him then u thousand times than at any other
time in their long journey through life
and drew her mp on the roof.
The house wa. then moving, and day was
breaking. Gradually they tio.tsd down
into the swiftly running river.
What could they do All, nothing
They could do nothing.
Yes, they cOuld call for help and pray and
THEY PRAYED
and at intervals they called for help. They
believed!the run OF the Lewis;own dam
would be their last, but they passed over it
unharmed
Down they came between the mountains,
through the Long Narrows, and As they
emerged into Juni4ta county, the build ing
was sSirled into an eddy on Harry STAN
baugh's farm abolt two miles north OF this
place.
One Of Stambasgh's sons and a Young
man named Price went out In a boat to their
rescue. When Riden saw the boat az
preaching he exclaimed, .'mother,
THE LORD
is sending Us a boat" and both be and Mrs
Riden be iieye the Lord sent the young men
in the boat in answer 70 their prayer
They were taken TO stsmb.ugh's house,
and RIden immediately started tor this town,
and short tiTpe after her rescue Mrs. R'd-n
Was compelled to dee with Mr. Stambaugh's
family from the rising water TO a small house
on hill in StambAugh's peach orchard.
rHEIR CALL HEARD.
When they Passei the railroad tower in
the NArrows. their son George Rideu and
George Turbett heard their call George
recognized hIs parents on the house top,
and with his companion mounted a hand
car and came To- Patterson. crossed the
bridge to thi, side of the river and ran up
along the stream till they met TIE wrecked
house.
The sons heart sank within him when he
saw that the house was all a wreck and hi.
parents not in it, He believed they had
been drowned. but great was his joy when
he learned a short time afterward that they
wsrs safe.
A short time after the old people were
taken from the building it was c-ught by
the current and swung into the stream, aud
there went to pieces
SOLD DOo TRAY
was ever faithful - and accompanied them
in tho ride and swan with them to the shore
TO Stambaugh's place.
They were taken of the ho.se about
O'Clock on SATURDAY. morning.
WITHIN TIE COUNTY.
Within the limits OF JuniAta county the
loss is appalling.
Along aH of the large creeks-Lost creek,
Licking creek, Tuscsrors creek, Cocoiamu
creek and their numerous tributaries from
there .priug- to where they enter the river
the fences sre all gone.
Such a clean sweep never took place be-
FIRE
Hundreds OF acres have been stripped of
surface soil, leaving rocks and stones and
hard pan in many places as grinning
mockery to mans boasied power TO levy
tribute on the soil and a terrible reminder
that there is a higher power that can throw
OF an eye.