The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-01-29


mass meeting in the town hall on We'd
nesday night and decided to issue an
appeal to the public for aid. A COM
mittee was appointed to receive and dis
tribute contributions. The committee
is David r. Armstrong, President of
Town Commissioners: I. {. Bond, w.
II. Carson, John McClenahan and R.
II. SNYDER. Contributions in the form
OF cash, food or clothing will be well
coined as there are many destitute per-
sons in the town who sorely need as
sistancc. Port Deposit has always
shown high courage in her recovery
from food damages and heretofore her
generous people have cared for the sit
uation by their own help alone. The
town was disposed to do the same thing
this time, but found the situation too
serious to be handled without aid. This
strongest possible evidences that the
appeal for outside help is one OF the
flood Of Sunday last was
THE WORST THAT EVER VISIT
our sister city on the Susquehanna
When Mayor Armstrong sounded a
warning to every nhabitant, on Satur-
day, that by Sunday morning the water
would be over the square and an un-
precedentcd food on hand, many con-
servativc citizens thought the notice
unnecessarily alarming. 1t proved only
too accurate. Saturday night was one
OF anxious vigil and with the coming
of day on Sunday morning the people
found themselves in the midst OF the
greatest flood IN the history OF Port
Deposit. The ice, which had been
pouring down the Susquehanna through
the dark hours OF the night, formed a
gorge at the B. & O, bridge, and lett
little or no outlet for the increasing
waters OF the river. 1t was as if a
great irc-entrapped audience were
seeking escape through two-foot exit
from public building-this effort of
the swollen waters OF the Susquehanna
to work through the gorge. Hence the
waters backed up and the flood began
pouring into Port Deposit, until it was
four feet, higher than ever before in its
history The food came with incred-
ible rapiditv No lives. however, were
lost owing to heroic work on the part
~-af brave rescuers and to the prompt
shrcking of the signal whistle which
sent the people fleeing to the hills and
housetops But nothing could save the
GREAT WRECKAGE OF PROP
ERTY.
Practically every building in the town
was either destroyed or greatly dam
aged, and the estimates OF the loss en-
tailed run from $I5oooo to $25o,ooo.
The Pennsylvania Railroad tracks re
IL, ~
for four miles. lIly, cakes, some
three ieet thick, are plt4 one upon an
other, even hiding i'll many places the
telegraph poles. The lines OF the Pos
tai Telegraph and the Diamond State
Telephone and the Western Union
Telegraph are completely destroyed for
several miles north OF the town. The
poles are broken off, and the wires
snapped and twisted The streets OF
the town are piled high with huge cakes
.of ice. which reach to the second floors
.of the houses.
The PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Station
was crushed like an egg shell and now
lies upon its side a hundred feet from
its foundation. The loss to the Nc
Clenahan Granite Company will reach
$4,000 The company store at Rock
Run. was flooded and a vast amount oi
merchandise ruined; many OF thcu
houses were carried from their iounda-
tionS; their rock elevator is swept
away, and a large stone warehouse oC
cupicd by them was completely wreck
ed. The planning mill and lumber yard
OF the Rowland Manufacturing Com
pany was swept away, and the lumber
amounting to millions OF feet, strewn
among tons OF ice. The loss to this
concern will amount to $4,000.
One of the freaks OF the food was in
connection with the onc-story brick
building Of the Tome Institute This
buildin" was picked up bodily, so to
speak, by the rushing water and Aoated
100 feet away, without so much as a
single brick being displaced Those
who occupied the building had ample
warning and sought places OF safety
before the water reached the structure
AN EYE WITNESS DESCRIBES
the advent OF the flood:
The flood began in earnest at mid
night, when the first crest OF the hvbd
swept down the Susquehanna into the
town. The anxiety which had kept the
entire population on the street turned
to dismay when the depth of the flood
vas seen. No one dreamed of sleep all
during the night and each hour brought
new fears to the waiting people. Then
homes and their all wore ii danger
and each moment could see the saw.
ings OF years swept away. From that
time until the final great flood struck
the town. at o'clock, wave after wave
OF ice-veerlng water swept over the
town.
At intervals of about an hour the
whistle at the quarries would announce
another crest and almost before the
tortured populace could escape tc
higher ground the flood would be upor
them. All night long, as the pale moor
sank lower and lower, men. womer
and children walked the streets. which
constantly became more encompasset
with ice-ladened water AT last, just
before daylight, when the moon was