Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-06-07

TO Mr.. GeOrge hnode MI. IL. w.
Poffenberger's store at the canal
lock-indeed the village was complete
ly cleaned out, everything within
reach of the waters being swept away.
The large frame house owned by Mr..
Poffinberger and occupied by Mr..
George Boswell was surrounded by
the water and the lower floors flooded.
A canalboat containing over Il hun
dred tons of coal was in the lock. 1t
rose with the water, and finally lodged
against the stone abutments of the
canal bridge, where itremained. But
when the waters receded the boat
broke in two.
WATCHING THE FLOOD.
The hills overlooking the river at
Shepherdstown were filled with peo-
pie all day Saturday and Sunday. 1t
was wonderfully fascinating sight to
watch the rush of the waters, their
gradual rising, the steady work of de-
struction, and above all the innumer-
able objects of interest that floated
down the stream. As span after span
of the bridge was swept away, and as
building after building moved out
from Bridgeport, a feeling of intense
excitement pervaded the crowd. 1t
was a striking and magnificent sight,
though a sad one. The flotsam and
jetsam that came down the river COM
prised almost every variety of house
hold goods, merchandise, parts of
wrecked buildings, railroad property,
etc. In the morning the watchers
were deeply touched to see little
cradle floating down the mad current,
surrounded by the debris of some
wrecked home. Shortly after this,
dancing on the water like thing of
life, merrily skipping from wave to
wave, was-a coffin. Bedsteads and
bureaus, tables and chairs, tubs and
buckets, now demijohn, next bar
rel of whiskey showing the revenue
stamp on the end, baled hay and
straw, telegraph poles, sections ofrail'
road bridges, small buildings, fences
everything that could float-passed
like the colors of the kaleidoscope.
Thousands upon thousands Of little
pulp logs floated down; hundreds up
on hundreds of barrels, some empty
and others filed, swept on from morn
ing till night. In the evening the
chairs from the wrecked factory at
Williamsport began to come-tirst in
single file, then by twos and threes,
and then for time they passed in
punches, blue and red and green and
yellow, their bright colors flashing in
the sunlight. Little chairs for chill
dren, easy chairs and rockers-all
went tantalizingly on, though many
a watcher would have liked to have
caught a couple.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
The last thing to float off from
Shepherdstown was the old saw mill
that formerly belonged to the Shep-
herd estate. 1t raised from its foun-
dation, and then swung around in the
eddy for some time, finally moving
off and down the river about s o'clock.
The watching crowd gave it a cheer
for good bye as it passed out of sight
The water was at its highest be-
tween and o'clock Saturday night.
Just about "a hours after the heaviest
rain the highest water can be looked
for here.
Fully a dozen chickens passed down
on big piece of roof in the after
noon. They seemed to realize their
hard fate, and looked very woe-be-
gone.
The piers of the iron railroad bridge
stood the test nobly. They never
quivered.
Mr.. Chapline, the bridge-keeper,
stuck to his post to the last. He had
TO be almost forced away. The wa
ter tore around and through the
house, reaching almost to the second
story, where his furniture was stored.
The river receding left a sad pic
ture of desolati0n. Six or eight inches
of sticky mud was deposited wher-
ever the water had been. Poor old
Bridgeport looked very desolate.
The beautiful grove at Mr.. Lemen's
Big Spring will not be as pretty this
wear as it was last. Fully foot OF
sand and mud covers the grass.
The new iron bridge across the
Potomac at Point of Rocks was finish
ed on Wednesday. On Saturday
four spans of it were carried away.
A short time before the bridge was
washed away buggy in which were
a man and woman was driven
RAPIDLY across from the Maryland
side. The horse swan from the end
of the bridge to dry land. The poor
woman was almost dead with terror,
and her shrieks were heart-rending.
They took a great risk, showing that
they wanted to cross very badly.
Farmers who had crops on the
river bottoms lost heavily. Over
forty acres of splendid wheat, almost
ready for the harvest, was literally
,;,o al for Mr.. VIM. II. Billmyer. Mr.
TAYLOR Unseld lost 20 acres of wheat
MIR. Miller, on the w. NJ. Shepherd