The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-08-01
SWEPT BY THE STORM.


w CiitCStitI -iHttitCttH gives the iOl
lowing ;.ccount OF ;he storm ravages in
this ,uuty. That portion OF Maryland
embraced in Baltimore, Hartford and
Cecil counties, and the outlying territory
adjacent to Baltimore city. Was visited
by a rain storm yesterday morning, be-
tween the hours Of three and six O'Clock,
that was perfect deluge. The ram
came down i'll torrents, and washed the
county roads and fields of corn until
many OF the latter remain but sorry sights
compared with their beautiful and
healthy appearance of day or two ago.
The greatest damage was DONE perhaps,
in tie reighboIhood Of ChaTlestown.
This village is a station on the Pniladel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rail-
road midway between the LOwus of
Havre de Grace and Elkton, being nine
miles distant from either place. The
aountry hereabou is fiat and somew hat
marshy, and when the rain began it's
dowupour the rivulets were soon swollen
to streams and streams to rivers, aud the
development continued until the country
was a sweeping lake.
The rain fell for three or four hours,
aud the velocity of the current i'll the
streams and constant swash weakened
many of the turnpike bridges The
fields OF corn were badly washed, and
the country for several miles west of
Charlestown suffered heavily. The corn
is lying fiat and is completely covered
with mud and water, making the crop
there total loss. In many places fences
were swept away in sections of from
five to twenty rods. The public roads
are so badly damaged as to be well nigh
impossible The flood is responsible for
an accident that might have resulted
much more seriously. AS it is, the re-
suits are bad enough. Near Cbarlestown,
on the line of the Philadelphia. Will
mington and Baltimore Railroad, is a
deep culvert. Over this ali the trains
must pass The rain of yesterday morn
ing so undermined the masonry of the
culvert, that it was unable to stand the
weight of a heavy train. The culvert is
Just q hundred yards to the south of
Charlestowu Station. About four o'clock
in the morning. freight train Ne. 1T,
gong southwark, came along. The
speed of the train was not great, as dur
| ing a storm like this one engineers use
extra precautions, not only for the safely
of the train, but for their own personal
safety, and keep = sharp lookout for
landslides and weak spots in the roads
caused by continuous rains, and they
run slow accordingly. When No. 1T
came along she passed over the culvert
all right until the rear was lear. All but
two cars and the caboose had passed in
safety, when suddenly there was crack,
a snap, crash,
THE CULyERT BRIDGE GAVE WAY,
and the cars piled down into the roaring
torrent. In the caboose were the con-
ductor of the train and William Setter
| field, of Philadelphia, the front brake
man. The two freight cals-box cars
| they were-are badly smashed and the
caboose was likewise damaged. The
conductor escaped without a scratch
| but Setterfield was caught between a
bumper of freight car. which forced
through the wood work Of the caboose,
aud heavy box. His head and arms
| b,,r NJ IL. L. a,
broken. He belongs in Philadelphia.
DR.. Housekeoper is attending the injur.
ed man. He will recover
After the accident, the rain still con
tiTuipg to pour, the streams overflow ed
! their banks and washed away may feet
of track on either side of the culvert.
Tho wrecking trains and three hundred
men under the dirsc tion of Superlnten-
dent j b. Hutchinson were sent to the
scene and work begun as soon as pos
sible upon the rest )ration of the tracks.
Both north and south bound tracks were
| blocked, and for ten hours 10 trains
could pass. No New York mails were
received in Baltimore until after two
o'clock, and passengers coming this way
from the North were badly delayed
Finally, traius for Philadelphia from
Baltimore were sent up the Northern
Central to York and across to l. !ncaster
where they ran into Philadelphia on the
Pennsy lvauia Central Others went
around by way Of PerryvilIo, Port
Deposit and Columbia. Communication
is now established, aud everything is
going along smoothly.
In Cecil county the lightning was un
usually severe, several houses having
bean strnck throughout the county, but
IN most cases, not seriously injured. The
colored public schoolhouse at North East
was struck, and the chimney knocked
down and piece Of the gable torn off.