Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-23
A Team Was Washed Into the Brandy
vine at ThOmpsOn'S Bridge, and
the Driver and Two Horses
We're Drowned.
WILMINGTON SUFFERED
FROM THE SWOLLEN WATERS
Many Houses Flooded on East
and South Sides.
RAINFALL OF 2.6 INCHES IN "a HOURS

day afternoon raEed tuesday night with
great fury, and the total rainfall IN the
"a hours ended at s O'Clock yesterday
was two and six-tenths Gag inches.
In the Brandywine River, the ice was
broken up and forced out during the
night, and the accumulation of the
many water courses together with the
great rainfall directing into the stream
caused it 10 rise high. The stream was
higher than ii had been before this
season and at many places orerflowed
its banks. 1t resulted in one fatality,
tine drowning of colored man near
Birmingham, and caused food 10 the
lower end of the Ninth ward. Through
out this neighborhood the heavy ra ms
flooded roads and made trs7el difficult.
A farm wagon owned by William II,
Forbes Of Brandywins hundred, and
drawn by two horses, was washed off
Thompson 8 bridge about 7.3O O'Clock
yesterday and both horses and the
driver, treder ok Douglas Brown, col
ored, who was in The employ OF Mr.,
Forbes, were drowned. The bod es were
washed down the stream. At The time
of the ACCIDENT the wagon was bsing
driven of the western approach OF the
| bridge. Ii il said that the horses were
whipped across by Brown, who was on
his way TO the Hartmann K Fehrenbach
brewery for load OF grain. Joshua
Foster saw the team swept overheard
and reported the matter. The wagon
lodged in the creek near the bridge and
is still! there. The water at Thompson g
hrige yesterday was about rs high
az it has ever heen. The ice was carried
away about II o. clock Tuesday night.
Telephone communication from
Rocklnnd reports that the ice went
down in the night and that the water
WAS about as high as in the flood of
about four weeks ago. No especial
damage was done there.
Above Henry Clay the water rose to
the road leading to Hagley powder
yard. No damage is reported either at
Hancroft's or Leafs mills. Below the
latter the water encroaohed upon
wharVes. 1t oserfiowed its banks at
Kirkwood Park and left but small
peoe of land showing on the island
opposite. lt raised the lighthouses
along the shore near Eleventh street
bridge and WAS higher than the bridge
piers.
Ii was at it's height about 8 o'clock
yesterday, and then began doing
damages TO the low residence section OF
the eastern end of the Ninth ward. De-
spite the fact that this section has been
flooded lime after time, because the
winter has found ingresH across thatcher
street, no real effort to fix that street
SO that it will successfully keep off
the flood appears to be made.
The water overflowed the low bank of
the Brandywine ard crossed small
meadow and found Thatcher street,
which ia the street nearest the stream
and parallel to it, no great check to its
progress 1t crossed Thatcher street
near Twelfth and at Fourteenth, the
latter street being the ono on which the
Brandy wine branch of the Philadelphia,
Wilmington 81 Baltimole railroad runs.
1t did not run today for the track
was In some Places undermined and this
morning a portion of them was still
: under water. A few houses near Twelfth
had their cellars flooded, the water
forming a large pond between Twelfth
and Eleventh, where it fiirted with the
back buildings.
Poss bly, dozen houses had cellars
, nearly full of water on Twelfth street
near Thatcher, colored woman, from
@ second story invited an inquirer te
look in the cellar, and he saw very
!, copious supply.
But the power of the food was thu
; most apparent mt Fourteenth street
where it covered Shd cut under the rail
, road tracks and rushed along in tor
rent towards Head street. Ii found it,
way all the distance to Claymont anc
! across Ulaymont, and all tine way t,
| the embRnkment at Vandsser avenue
! Throughout that section ii is q stor!
of flooded cellars; hundreds OF yards o
space, water covered, here and there {
, fence sticking UP, OF wagon will
water above its bed, or house com
pletely surrounded, On Sixteenth stree
was two story brick house, with waite
licking the bricks; in the windows
could be seen oolured woman waitn,
possibly for the fiood to subside SO tina
she could get out to secure provisions
, No. laos Thatcher street, which is nsa
q thesrailroad, Was Just below break il
, the street, and the water ran from tn
t street directly into the front room. TIL
E adjoining house had four fest Of waite
: in the cellar.
: On Thatcher, between Fourteenth an,
: Vandever avenue, the flood came up t.
the backs of the houses. 1t was on boil
sides of Head street. One inhabitan
d has footbridge running from the stree
y cad to his yard, which is under water
o A colored family near Vandever avenu
{ took up the carpet on the first floor t.
0 save it. but the flood stopped feS
9 inches from the Intel.
3 Numerous cellars are flooded on Heal
Q between Twelfth and Fourteenth, an
n Fourteenh street between Head am
z Claymont Two or three feet of waite
d entere row of frame houses at Six
teenth street, and ths cellars alon
Claymont between Fifteenth and Six
tenth and some between that poin
n and Nandever avenue we're flooded.
4 The water crossed Claymont stree
ia between Fourteenth and Fifteenth, an
l. entering the cellar of Public Schoc
}, No. II at Sixteenth and Claymont
10 putting out the fires and causing suf
10 pension OF school for the day. Formf
City Councilman John Kirby live
Opposite the school. He said that th
water always comes across Thatcht
N street between Twelfth and Fourteent
If because thatcher street is too low, an
IN the bank has been allowed to go dowr
Of lie held that the city should fix !
1t And a woman resident of TIE sectio
DR. declared that it was a fine oouncilma
i'll they had to let things be ms they wer'
10 add TO the other unpleasantness Tue
day night, she declared that the 81
lamps were not lighted.
ar At one time tine water crossing Ola.
m mont street was nearly up to the stel
10 of the trolley cars.
ia The flood began to subside after
% O'Clock. The experience OF the poop
indicated that an important part Of IL