The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-05-26
A FIERCE STORM.
Cecil County Experiences A veritabie Fioo

The storm of this week proved veri-
tabls flood. the rain fall in this vicinity
from Sunday-Thursday reaching 3.29
inches. While considerable damage was
done to the growing crops OF corn and
wheat and in washing away fences, the
cartons loss falls upon that section border
inc upop the Susquehanna river. Re
n,r,s to the WING from Conowingo,
Port Deposit and other towns accurately
dasor;ba the damage sustained in those
sections of the county.
In Elkton the loss was more ID the
form of an Inconvenience from leaking
roofs flooded cellars and streets. The
Elk river while very high caused no
narticular damage. The county roads
are naturally in a bad condition and
while the large bridges stood the test
MANY smaller ones are washed away. At
the County Commissioner office it was
stated that the loss to bridges and roads
was expected to reach slO,ooo. The
mill racs at Harlan's mill was damaged
and slight washouts occurred on the +.
w. & B. and B. & o railroads.
PORT DEPOSIT.
The Susouehanna river began rising
on Monday and at midnight the water
surrounded the Pennsylvania Railroad
depot, compelling the agent to move
papers and instruments from the ticket
office to the second story of the building.
1t rose steadily during the night cover
| ipo the tracks of the Columbia and Port
Deposit Railroad, from Happy Valley
TO inst below Canal Station-about two
miles.
All the houses on the west side of
main street, from Brickleys store to
Rock Run, are either flooded IN their
Easements or on their first floor. The
water covered the street tor about
| onarter of a mile at the south end of the
town and nearly half mile at the upper
end.
Pennock's fishery, on Whites Island
opposite Rock Run. was badly flooded
and the Island nearly covered with
| water. Roberts Island celebrated in the
ice gorge of 1898, was nearly covered.
The railroad company moved sixty
eight cars from its sidings here to
Perryville.
The Rowland Manufacturing Company
deemed it wise before the rise to con
Inn, har shaI RI
their planning mill. This proved good
precaution, for as the river rose piles OF
lumber and shingles were swept from
their places against the boom and
stopped. The water was from to feet
deep in their plaulng mill.
The water covered all over the roads
on both sides of the Octoraro Creek, at
Rowlandsvile and in the Mccullough
Iron Company's mills. The farms below
Octoraro Creek and west of the Column
bia and Port Deposit Railroad were
covered with water and the spring crops
badly damaged. Stock of all kinds were
taken to higher ground.
Mr.. William J. Purner had narrow
escape on Monday night. He drove
under the arch of the Philadel
phia and Baltimore Cantral Railroad
at Rowlaudsville, found some water, but
had no idea the creek was SO high, and,
on driving a short distance, found the
horse was 10 pretty deep water, but sup
posed the worst was past and drove on.
When the water covered the horse he
got out in water up to his neck. TIE
road here is very narrow. To attempt to
turn to the right was to 60 into the creek
while to the left was heavy barbed
wire fence. Mr.. Purner' cut the horse
loose from the buggy and led him
along the fence, the horse swimming
and walking till they reached higher
ground. Mr.. Purner's clothes and hands
were badly cat by the barbed wire.
The fishermen and packers along the
river lose considerable and much loss
was sustained by the property owners
at Lapidum, across the river.
RIVER FILLED WITH LOGS.
At Williamsport, Pa, the storm
changed the Susqushanna river into
raging torrent. The boom containing
175, 0O0 900 feet of logs was broken early
Monday morning and the logs were sent
rushing down the river. The advances
guard reached Port Deposit about day
break on Tuesday. The arrival of the
logs was expected aud many people re-
manned up all Monday night on the look
| out. The swift current carried the logs
| by with great rapidity and several
| thousand passed before the men, prin-
cipally from Havre de Grace, got to
work gathering them in. All day long
from rs to 100 men and boys were hard
at work. The average was three men
plan was to get the boat in line with a
log. The swift current carried the boat
along as fast as the log. The third man
with boat hook would spike log, get
it along side and drive a wedge home
then make the log fast to the stern of
his boat with hawser. When from
four to six logs were made fast the head
of the boat was turned across stream
Then came the tug of war, and tug it
| Was against powerful ten mile an hour
| current.
1t was estimated that by O'Clock
Tuesday evening more than 5000 logs
had been captured. The coves and inets
for several miles along the shore were
flied. The salvage OF 20 cents for each
log melted between So 600 aud ss4. 900
for the people engaged in the harvest.
Owing to the quarter from which tn g
wiud blew during the three days storm
the logs were carried down the wes5 side
of the river, giving the people of Havre-
de Grace all the opportunity to make
salvage. Ordinarily when there is a
rush of logs the wind is from the north
west and the logs are swept along the
east shore.
1t was thought that the heavy logs
banging against the piers of the Pennsyl
vsnia bridge might cause damage The y
stood the shock, however, throughout
the day, although the swift current and
thousands of logs that doomed along
made the water boil around the base OF
the piers.
Debris of almost every descript ior
passed down into the bay-drowned sheer
hogs, etc. Early that morning fox
was seen perched on log taking &
voyage on the turbulent waters witt