The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-07-30
THE HIGH WATERS.
Oakland Inundated and Consider
abIe Damage Done.

of Garrett county from July Sd up
to and Including last Friday meas
ured ~. Al inches, the precipitation
for Friday alone amounted to 536
inches according to measurements
made BY the signal service officer in
Oakland, Dir. J. Lee McComas.
Thursday night last the rain be-
gan descending in torrents and when
the citizens Of Oakland arose from
their slumbers Friday morning they
behel9 the main streets Of the town
overfipwing with water from the
smsll Atrfam which runs through it
/ and esn&ss'into the Little Yough
soufd Of f5sde railroad tracks. Green
street, an extension of Liberty,
seemed to the people the natural
course Of the stream, as it was run
ming full.
About eight o'clock the water
commenced to rise rapidly and
things took serious turn. 1t was
not long thereafter until the mer-
chants began to move the goods
from the floors of their buildings to
their counters and other higher
places, but Notwithstanding this a
great loss was sustained in heavy
goods such as salt, -four, grain, feed g,
ETC., which could not be so easily
handled.
At nine 0 clock the Second street
bridge was lifted from its founda-
ton and nearly overturned. The
platforms along this street were also
lifted from their places and in sew
eral cases either taken out with
the water or broken up. The water
at Its highest stage was two feet
deepin the Garrett County bank.
The bowling alley was moved a
distance of twenty feet and deposi-
ted on the ground. All the lower
stories of the business HOUSES were
flooded aud business was at q stand
still all day.
Inthe meantime the Little Yough
had not raised very much but the
great pressure of water back of the
dam at Mountain Lake Park even
tually broke a hole 10 the embank-
ment fifty feet wide and the flood
came tearing through, dlslodging
bridges and flooding the glados to a
deptf70 Of several feet. The water
also washed the platform away lead
ing from the Park to the depot at
Mt. Lake. The flood raised the
waters very considerable in the
Little Yough, overfowing the rail-
road tracks between Oakland and
the Park and in several places weak
ening the fills. Traffic was inter
ferred with to considerable extent
and trains were held at Oakland
several hours.
When the dam at the Park broke
it looked as if the lower part of
Oakland would be aGain submerged
but the water was not as high by
two feet as in the morning and no
loss was sustained by the people.
The stage of water in the Big
Yough was away up and consldera-
bic anxiety was felt by the Preston
Lumber company for the safety OF
their lumber plant at Crellin,
Happily, however, their booms
held and thousands of dollars were
saved this company. Lower down
the river is Mr.. Offutt's large lum-
Der mill. In this boom were thou
sands of logs. One of the boom
poles gave way and about six hun
dred logs got away, entailing loss
of about seven hundred dollars.
The losses as near as can be got
teu at were as follows:
Dixon & Kelso, grain, flour, etc.
$500.
John Shartzer, cement and lum-
ber, $50.
The corporation of Oakland,
bridges. ETC., $500
d. E. Offutt, logs, $500,
E. A. Orcutt, stave blocks, $500.
IL. Weber & Sons, flowers, grain
etc., $500.
The county's loss in bridges and
roads will be several thousand dol
lars, the greatest loss being that
of the bridge oyer Deep Greek at
Delawder's.
In other sections of the county
the loss is great. A. Knabb & Co. s
loss at Frlendsville will run up
into the thousands.
In the flooded section of Oakland
the town still looks like cyclone
had passed over it but things are
belngput in shape as fast as possible.
Some Fine BeeVes.