Year: 1865

nO"Sos hvops away, inc SenuyiRIu Vouds


Badly Damaged,


Our Middlebrook Correspondence.


MIDDLKBRooK, N j., July II, 1866


We have just had very sudden and destructive
eshet here This freshet extended from the vicinity Of
Pain6ed, point the line Of the New Jersey Cen
tral Railroad, about eight miles below this place. TO and
above Somervlle a distance Of four miles more.
The area Of country submerged could not be less than
twenty square miles, and the extent OF the damage is
moderately estimated two hundred thousand dollars
The food caused by the Raritan river overowng its
banks and causing the mountain streams from the Blue
Ridge, which lies few miles back OF the railroad to
overflow theirs These streams, being greatly swollen
with the heavy rains Of Sunday evening and Monday
morning. became foamng and irresistible torrents, sweep
ing down with them bridges by which they spanned
and everything movable along their banks From mid
night Of Sunday the water which already high be-
gan to rise at rghtful rate, and at O'Clock the
Rartan river had ovcrnowed its banks. The rain
still poured down in torrents The mountain
tributaries became and furious and the rise
in the Rartan continued at alarming pace Joined to
these influences II s supposed that the Delaware and
Raran Canal had breaks in Its banks at various points,
and that the vast volume Of water confined within It's
artificial banks poured into the channel Of the Rar
tan, and the capacity Of the latter thus overtaxod.


These the which brought about the freshet
which was the highest the Raran since 1870 and the
most destructive that occurred in this part Of the
country by all odds After O'Clock this morning the
food had the complete mastery Of everything It
flowed the banks Of the Rartan and its tributaries,
verting the country into lake. It overfowed the track
Of the New Jersey Central Railroad, flowed into the
Easements Of the houses, thence to the second
stories and compelled The inhabitants 70 leave their BEDS
make for the top Of their houses they were foru
nate enough TO have boats they brought into


Strange to sAy that netwiihstanding the tremendous
rapdty Of tne fse and its fearful height single
life was lost far have been able to hear There
Ia rumor that one woman drowned, but further
investigating this rumor, believe, u untrue.


Daylight broke upon this village and the adjoining vii
lsge Of Boundbrook, completely submerged IN water
The tops of the houses the chmneys and other prom
men, objects alone showed the locality Of the village II
Is surprising, considering the magnitude Of the food
how slight is the damage. Not single house that con
hear Of has been washed away. This fortunately
owing to the sluggish character Of the river at this point
which does not fall foot probably TO the mile Besides
this the day calm. that there little force Of
either stream brought against the objects which
the food had mastered.





fall the great joy Of the people living within the range
OF Its influence. The river has fallen nearly fast it
rose, and it is tive p NJ confined nearly
everywhere TO the limits Of Tvs own banks We
the old fellow to keep his place in future, and
pay any visits to his neghbors till he receives
invitation. We had idea that be either
civil or treacherous


have already estimated the damage caused by the
food at 100000 This, think the very lowest that
could with any propriey be made This damage consists
Of cattle that have been drowned crops that have been
washed away and the damage TO houses mills and
bridges. How many mills may have been washed away
I do not know; but between Somervle and Painneld
three sawmls victims 10 the food The houses
all less damaged and will require painting Of
course good deal Of furniture has been injured and
destroyed. Some Of the taller houses have been
dsred unsafe by having their perpendicular somewhat
riousy interfcred with In instance, not far from
whero write, the inhabitants have left their house de-
claring going fall How much hay, corn, and
other kindred crops have been injured only be judged
from the extent Of settled land covered by the food
How many cattle and Of what kind destroyed can
be estimated better when mention that complaints
general Of their drowning have heard Of some wagons
and being washed down from the ncghborhood Of
the mountains and have two three of these
vehicles thus destroyed but how many whose
can yet tell In fact there is much excitement and
exutaon the escape have had in this vicinity 10
learn much about other localities at least for the pres
snt The damage to the canal and its locks Ia entirely
unknown but II Is reported that many Of the locks
broken, boats washed away and the banks broken


There many curious incidents OF the food. One
Of those was brought about by attempt to the
river by four unskilfu boatmen this morning In Broad
brook The boai was a Nat one, and as long the
were in smooth water they did very WE'LL but whenever
they touched the current Of the flooded river their
troll over the craft was at end and she upset
They all narrowly escaped with their lives and were
only saved by the active exertions the part Of
their friends


The damage 70 the New Jersey Central Railroad
quite serious Fortunately however, no lives we're lost
by accident About hafpast one o'clock this morning


freight train Of seventeen cars, bound 70 New York,
met with awful accident at this village The track,
which II considerably elevated by an embankmcnt,
weakened much by the washing away Of the earthen
embankment supporting that when the heavy freight


train TO which reference has been made came along tho
engine and two alone passed over before the track
and its supports gave way The engineer, nrcmon and
officers Of tho train all on the locomotive
Immediately in the rear Of H. they passed safely
The great weight Of tho other cars caused the track
break down. At this time II was more than two feet
deep in water The train was running about fifteen
miles an hour when the smashup occurred OF


little could be sccn for tho night was dark and the ong
and his companions scarcely knew anything Of tho
accident Till IL was all over Tho was
awful, as after went crashing over the break
in the road and plungng into the water. No moro
could bc OF them ul tho food Abated when their
condition was longer mystery They literally
rent to splntors and piled upon and alongside each
other These had the appearance Of considerable
strength and sodity but this did not avail thcm
In the least Never perhaps did atrain present no com