Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-24
created by the gale, which lasted fol


foundry shortly after daylight and all
the workmen had to suspend operations.
The loss by the flood is estimated by
one of the worhmen To be 5000.
The property belonging to the
Thatcher estate is lying in several feet
of water, while the current is still
rising. Just back Of the colored school
on IIeald street lives huclster. lie has
several wagons which he left in the
yard during the night. On arising this
morning he found them atloat in the
marsh.
The marsh about Eleventh street
bridge is all covered with water which
is extending clear beyond its boundaries
and reaching far into the outlying terri
tory. Fully fifteen families lrlvc been
forced to leave their homes, the water
in some places being four feet deep in
front of their doors. Mrs. Groves,
widow who lived alone in small dwell
ing ut Fourteenth and Heald streets,
left her home when she saw the condi-
tion of things Monday. Her action
was none too soon. By afternoon
there was four feet of water on Heald
street, and it is impossible to reach the
house except by boat.
So great was the volume of water that
swept down the Brandywine that an old
canal boat which was wrecked several
years ago and had been stranded near
the r., w. S B. railroad bridge ever
since, was picked clear up from its rest
ing place and sent floating down to the
mouth of the stream.
AT $50 o'clock in the afternoon the
| New Castle cut-oI was u considerable
distance under water and could not be
used.
Monday morning the flood caused a
wash-out at Dayetts trestle, about half
way between Newark and Porters sta
tion. 1t has stopped all trains on the
| Delaware City branch. Passengers to
this city from Cooch's Bridge had to
drive to Newark on Monday and take
the train.
From the roof of Every Evening
| Building on Tuesday fine panoramic
view of the whole stretch of the inun-
dated district of the city, its cast, south
and southwestern regions, was obtain
able.
Looking towards the southwest there
wasan almost unbroken expanse of water
from the Jethro Mccullough property
at the extreme right, where the higher
land rises, to the Christiana, where the
railroad bridge crosses, and then along
to the south opposite the high land of
two miles Of inundation.
Athwart this line at right angles the
most definite marking is string of
telegraph poles from close to the Cold
Spring Ice Company's buildings, passing
on beyond the Wilmington & Northern
tracks, mile or so in that direction to
the high ground at tho base OF the
wooded Rogers property.
A distinctive feature in the expanse Of
water to the southwest is tho black
island spot'of the aggregation of build
ings along the Christiana, including the
pulp works and the Walton & Whann
buildings.
With good field glass borrowed from
Samuel II. Baynard could be seen a
company of workmen and employees OF
the Walton & Whann Go. emharking on
a tugboat for the works.
Looking to the south along the stretch
of inundated territory toward Lobde!PS
in the direction of the rivers mouth, the
sole high land is where the cluster OF
buildings of the Diamond State Iror
Co S works is situated. The flood
reaches to beyond the fair grounds, the
grand stand of which is surrounded
with water
Looking east towards the Delaware
river and allowing the eye to skip ovel
everything between, ,the first high grounc
met is the city's property, the famous
extension of Fourth street through
Cherry Island marsh. The farm hous'
on this piece of high ground looms W
boldly us place of refuge in the wild,
desolatiUn of waters.
on beyond that again is perceivet
distinctly the long line of new banl
recently put up by the Cherry lslanC
Marsh Company to protect its property
from incursions from the Delawar
river. There is not break in ii all tn
way from the lighthouse to Edge Moor
/ The whole line is perfectly intact AM
/, us sound as the big kirkwood sea-wall
! This reveals IL most important point
! which definitely, although perhaps in
, more secondary way, affects the city. |
is the fact that the foundations OF til
, large stretch of territory in the city anI
/ on the marshes, including Cherry Islam,
: and all the low-lying contiguous land
are due To another cause than break o
a the Delaware river bank. 1t is all cause
= by the natural volume of water in TIL
, Shellpot and the Brandywinc.
a The foundations in The Ninth war
must for tue future, when remedia
:, measures aIe considered, be based o
plans and methods of restricting til
:, freshets within tho banks Of thos
. streams. From the direction of th
. Delaware river there is every guarante
of safety-so at least the recent disa.
trous storm has plainly proved.
1t has shown that the Shellpot is to
II big stream and its volume of waite
under freshet possibilities too cnormou
= rangements as the recently constructe
y Shellpot sluice. Bigger banks aud wide
:, lecway for that stream are necessary
% Any one who witnessed the mad torrel
= rushing through Sellers woods and til
:, new Shellpot Park Monday, could sc
u that at glance. II is useless to attemI
u any temporary patching up. A. complet
~ system of engineering with props
y walls and sluices and drainways al
y, " necessary in order to secure to the res
:. dents of the Ninth ward OF the cit.
's even relative immunity, from the Iresl
ie cts OF these two rivers.
ie Traffic on the Newark & Delawal
~ City railroad has been resumed.
ie No damage has been done to Il
). Delaware railroad. ....
II In consequence of the crippling
"a the main line Of the Pennsylvania raj
=. road passengers from New York al
~ the East who are iourneying westwal
y have to go to Washington to NAL
,r western connections.
. The Raltin,ore 81 Ohio railroad is II