Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-23
Big Section of Mount
Holly Dam Swept Away

Residents of the numerous. valleys
around here in which are built ice
dams spent an anxious night Satur-
day. The valleys are narrow, the ter
rltory they drain large, consequently
the streams jumped over their banks
soon after midnight.
Believing that the dam at I,aurel
above Mt. Holly would not withstand
the pressure, employees of the United
Ice and Coal Company, 1t is claimed
opened the flood gates, letting the tor
rents of water down the valley with
out word of warning. The upper
Holly dam broke under the strain
ana a large section was swept away.
Several bridges went down with the
mood, the largest being that at Hun
ter's Run near the State road about
three miles north of Mt. Holly. A
foot bridge near Laurel Lake was
demolished and swept away in the
current.
Mt. Holly Park Damaged
Mt Holy park was extensively
damaged. Many of the benches and
picnic tables were washed away and
all the buildings in the place flooded.
Foundations were weakened and the
walks ruined. Most of the household
goods were taken to the second floors
and at ] o'clock yesterday morning all
the cottagers were taken to, higher
ground in boats, following the rumor
that the main dam had gone out. The
$4,000.
A flood gate below the dam at
Snyder's. mill on the Mahantongo
creek above Millersburg gave wav.
but little damage resulted as the
water had been drawn off last week
for repairs.
Raging Waters Damage Crops
In Stony Creek Valley where the
United Ice and Coal Company con-
trolls two dams, Walkemeyers and
Glendale Forge, crops were damaged
by the raging waters Several bridges
were washed away and warning sent
out to the residents of the lowlands to
get to higher grounds as it was fear
ed the breast of Walkemeyers would
go out. The stream started falling
this morning almost as rapidly as it
had raised
Bridge at StoverdaIe Goes
The Swatara leaped over its banks
and swept away the, bridge used by
cottagers at Stoverdale
Tents blankets. cooking utensils
and clothes swirling around in the
Conodoguinet, attested to the rapidity
with which that stream rose. Scores
of camping parties lost everything.
The Stoner camp, composed of TWEEN
Pittsburgh. located about two miles
from Plainfield was inundated and
everything with the exception of the
tents lost.
Campers Driven From Tents
Five Harrisburg families, camping
near Orr's bridge were compelled to
abandon their tents. They lost some
camping paraphernalia. and several
boats although their tents remained
standing. Oysters dam stood the
strain well. Residents of NewviIIe
said the creek was the highest it had
been since the Johnstown flood.
Cottagers at Williams Grove were
forced to transfer their household
goods to the second floor. Many left
the grove yesterday as the waters of
the Yellow Breeches were still ris-
ing.
, Clarks Creek, which emptfes into
the Susquehanna above .Dauphin
flooded the road to a depth of four
feet.
Shippensburg Flooded
The lower end of Shippensburg was
completely flooded. Two of the
houses along the Cumberland Valley
Railroad were filed with water up to
the second floors. Hundreds of pic
nickers who had gone to Path Valley
to spend the day were held in the
rain because of the washing away of
the Mt. Rock bridge.
Tons Of coal dirt were washed down