The Washington times., 1918-09-01
FAMILY AFLOAT IN
HOUSE SIX HOURS
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large one-room house on the Ma
nassas road about 400 yards south of
the old sudley Mill. Today their few
belongings are scattered along for
miles down the Bull Run creek banks
while they are camping out with
neighbors until they can secure an
other home.
Flood Began At Night.
n The flood began to roll down in
the neighborhood OF the Sudley Mill
section about IL o'clock at night.
Mrs. Wesley Rawlings, neighbor
of the Hutchinson's, said that she
heard three quick successive explo-
sions like thunder, and in a few min
utes her telephone rang and her
neighbors around her began to tele-
phone her about the, rushing waters
in the creek.
Mr.. Hutchinson said that his wife
Rad Just finished heating some milk
for the baby and they had retired
but a few minutes when the water
began to roar around their home.
Before he could reach the floor the
water was a foot deep and rapidly ris-
ing. He at once began to place bar
rel Of -four on the hot stove and a
chair on a box The house they occu-
pied was an unfinished one. and on the
1afters above was a single mattress
spread out He threw his little girl
10 the top. but not before she had
grabbed up from the bed a story picture
book which she always sleeps with.
~ Seized the Baby.
Mrs Hutchinson seized the baby and
5umped on the stove and on to the bar
rel. Just as she was climbing up, the
stove and barrel washed out from un-
der her, and II was with much effort
that she pulled herself and her baby
TO the rafters above At that moment !
the house gave a jerk to one side and
they could feel themselves floating along \
on the water.
A fortunate coincidence is that the
lamp was left burning on the table by
the bed, and beside il was the bahy's /
sugar and heated bottle OF milk. The
table was buoyed by the water to the
ceiling above, and as II hOated near
them, they reached out and got from it
the lamp, sugar, and milk The baby |
was crying, but was soon satisfied with |
the milk served at the regular hour.
We remained huddled togethe.i," said
Airs. Hutchinson. mot knowing where
our house was located but realizing all
the time the danger Of our position.
I'VE floated along, for how long do !
BOT know, when the back door fell open
and the house dipped and struck
ground. II the door had not dipped l
guess We might have 5oated to the /
creek bed and all been drowned"
Washed From Roadside.
The house had washed from the (
south side of the Manassas road .
about three hundred yards into Law
Speneers pasture lands.
Wilson Honly, Fred Rawlings. Sam
Burns, and a negro man were the
iArst to find the f1ood-wrecked family.
They were searching for cattle in the
early morning. and while calling }
were answered by Hutchinson. The T
Tsmily then was rescued, the mem
bers riding horses from their raftered
lpdging through the front door and
u the hillsides. The water was at
that time five feet deep in their bed
room.
The children were sent to Clifton
4" live for a few days with their
Grandmother. and Mr.. and Mrs.
Hutchinson are living at a neighbor's /
house, trying to save some of their
stot GlOlhiuB anu lEOul
Elopg the creek banks.
Water rose high over 1.-The bridge /
spanning, Youngs creek along the 4
Warrenton pike near the Old Henry 1
residence. once the headquarters. OF
General Lees army The stencil aris- |
ing from drowned cattle. horses, and /
other animals is so bad one can /
hardly drive along the road ay.
Water Up 80 Feet.
At the historical old Bull Run stone
E.idge, on the Prince William county !
side, the water rose about twenty !
Ieet above the pike. The trees are |
banging with debris and mud to that |
height along the road. The water /
arose to about fifteen feet in the Sud- |
Jey Mill and covered the machinery. |
At the bridge near the mill il rose /
Eve feet above the bridge, or about a
8lirty-foot rise above the mean level |
CT the Catharpin creek
n rise OF a few feet more would !
! Ave made the Bull Run and Cathar-
PIN creeks join, and untold damage /
would have been done, according to I
the citizens OF the county acquainted I
with the lay of the land. Nothing OF
The kind has ever happened before. in |
ghe recollection of the oldest citizens
ar the community.
Parts of the Manassas and Warrer-
ton roadN7ays, covered by the floods !
are almost impossible because Of the
mud and siush All the small wooden
BRIDGES S,,anuinr the braurhas haze