The Miner’s Journal And Pottsville General Advertiser

Published Every Saturday by Benjamin Bannan, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

Saturday Morning, September 7, 1850.

THAT GREAT FLOOD.

For the benefit of those of our readers who were not supplied with our earliest intelligence, we give a condensed view of the information announced by our extras of Monday night and Tuesday, together with such an additional news as we have since collected.

It commenced raining on Sunday and continued at intervals throughout the day. At night the storm set in with additional fury and with scarcely any secession, the rain came down in torrents till Monday morning. It is said that the depth of the water falling in this one night was gauged at six inches. It continued to rain moderately until about noon. Earlier I the morning the news spread through the Borough of great apprehensions has to the security of the two Tumbling Run Dams, the feeders of the Canal. Hundreds of persons assembled at Mount Carbon to watch the event. The water in the Schuylkill was already higher than at the previous freshet; about 9 o’clock the water overflowed the embankment of the lower dam, and in a few minutes a large breach was washed out, and the immense body of water poured down to the valley below. About eight houses were entirely swept off together with the embankments of the Canal and the Schuylkill Valley Railroad for about 50 yards. All houses in the immediate vicinity of Mount Carbon below the Hotel were flooded to the depth of the second story, the water being over the Railroad below the Depot. The County Bridge connecting Mount Carbon and Turnpike, and the heavy Iron Railroad Bridge were both carried off, the latter lodging about two miles below. The old Navigation Warehouse was considerably damaged, and also a small frame store-house connected with the Railroad Depot. The dam and measures near fifty feet high, and the average depth of the water at the breast when full is about 30 feet. It covered from 32 to 40 acres of ground about half the embankment to the foundation is gone. The upper Dam remains perfectly whole. The two bridges over the Schuylkill opposite the Island Furnace were swept off together with several small buildings on the island hand some boats in the Canal. Captain James Downey’s store-house shared the same fate and was dashed in pieces a short distance below. We are happy to add that no lives were lost either in the borough or at Mount Carbon.

Between this and Schuylkill Haven the damage to the Canal embankments is very great; in many places is difficult to discover any traces of them. The valley is strewn with wrecks of boats, lumber, furniture, and the fragments of buildings. The Reading Railroad for that distance has sustained no damage worth considering except in one place where the embankment has been washed some ten yards by the river. The cars have been running over this part of the line every day. The Toll-gate house one mile below Mount Carbon was almost completely destroyed, and the large dwelling immediately below it, known as the “Fraileysville Hotel,” kept by Benjamin Kline, was literally raised from its foundation. The House of George Campbell above the Toll-gate is also gone; all three were substantial stone buildings. About a mile still further down the valley, the house, large new barn and saw mill all of Mrs. Mary Minnich were all swept away. Mrs. M., an aged lady, with three other families members had barely time to escape before the dwelling was taken away. The County Bridge across the Schuylkill above the Schuylkill Haven is also gone. The Telegraph was not in operation till Wednesday afternoon, except a short time on Tuesday, and no mails were received from below until Thursday night.

That damage on the Canal is not as great has this first imagined – only two locks are gone between this and Port Clinton – from the “Seven Star Tavern“ to below Orwigsburg there is no damage that would prevent the navigation.

MIDDLEPORT. The water did considerable damage here in the destruction of Dams and injury to buildings. Dr. Steinberger’s store this filled nearly to the second story before any of his goods to be removed.

PORT CARBON. The lower part of town was entirely submerged. The Steam Grist-mill of Messrs. Hammer & Leib, though greatly in danger, escaped without any material damage. James Beury’s house was much injured and his lost considerable. The loss to the Foundry and Machine Shop of Tobias Wintersteen is estimated at $3000 to $5000. The office connected with the Foundry and Machine shop os Samuel Silyman, now under the direction and George Fissler, was carried away with a small safe containing some books and papers.

The storehouse of Messrs. Bird & Mattson was swept away with three to four hundred bales of hay. The store of Mattson & Co. was flooded over the counters, but the goods, having been removed, not much damage was sustained. The Lock House of the Schuylkill Navigation opposite Young’s landing was carriedoff by a boat passing through it. That Valley Railroad from this place to Pottsville was not so much injured as at first represented. It will probably be in operation in a week or ten days.

ON THE WEST BRANCH, no injury was the sustained. Everything remains perfectly sound. This is attributed to the promptness of Mr. Wilder, President, Engineer and general Superintendent of the road. Every precaution was taken on Sunday afternoon, the bridges were secured with ropes and chains, and men stationed at every point where there was likely to be any danger. A number of cars were forwarded early in the week from Schuylkill Haven to relieve the shutes at the collieries above, and allow the operations of mining to proceed. The company’s thanks cannot be too great for the services rendered and the amount of inevitable loss thereby prevented.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN. The Reading Railroad bridge still stands, but it is somewhat crippled. No cars have yet crossed it, but the injury is not great. The Navigation Company’s Railroad Bridge to Dundee Landings was partly carried away; over 3000 tons of coal were washed from the landings into the dock. Mr. Payne lost 1000 to1500 tons, and Mr. Heckscher probably twice that amount; Richard Reir, also about 500 tons.

Schall’s Forge, two miles above Port Clinton, was much injured; the dwelling, tenant-houses and other buildings, in number about 16, were all swept off and fouteen lives lost; Michael Hartman (miller,) wife and eight children, and William Breisch, wife and two children. This happened between 12 and 1 o’clockP.M..

PORT CLINTON. The water here was several feet higher than at the July freshet on account of the great rise in the Little Schuylkill . Every Bridge on the Little Schuylkill from this place to Tamaqua is said to be gone. Lyon’s store was much injured and all his goods, to the amount of $4000 . The Foundry and a number of out-buildings, a Tailor shop, Blacksmith shop, and twelve dwelling houses were lost. The Railroad Bridge connecting the Little Schuylkill with the main road is gone. The new landings of the Navigation Company, built by Little Schuylkill Company are much injured.

At LEESPORT Mr. Rees’s his family, 14 in number, were all drowned.

Sixty feet of Lords Dam is gone. Hummel’s Dam, several miles above Port Clinton remains whole.

The Blue Mountain Dam is gone, and about 900 feet of Railroad along the Blue Mountain washed away.

TAMAQUA. The flood reached this place about 4 o’clock A.M. Part of the town is situated on a flats in the valley of the Little Schuylkill; this was swept clean of every building, and from the suddenness of the waters rise and the hour of the occurrence, the loss of life is very great. The damage to individual property is also greater than at any other place we had heard from; about 50 lives it is supposed were lost. Up to Wednesday evening 36 bodies had been recovered. The following is a list of names of those drowned so far as we have ascertained: Wife of Thomas Foster, two girls and boy; Mrs. Edmunds, one boy, one girl, and two grand-daughters; Mrs. David Jones and child; Mrs. Gresing and child; Mr. Geo. Welsh, one boy and two girls; Mrs. Ytringham, two girls and two boys; Mrs. Heron, and four children; Catherine Williams; Mary. McCartney a young girl from Beaver Meadows; a young girl fourteen years of age, daughter of Daniel Oxrider; Rev. P. Z. Oberfelt, pastor of the German Lutheran congregation; Mary Williams. The damage on the remainder of the Little Schuylkill was principally as follows:

The Forges of Messrs. Young and Jones was much injured, and four houses carried away. Twelve persons belonging to the Forge were drowned. On Wednesday five of the bodies had been found. Amongst the drowned were Mrs. Joseph Coverly and child; Samuel Hartung and wife; Mrs. William Rumble, Jacob Clemon’s son; Mrs. Henry Freed, two children and his mother; Elizabeth Kleckner, William Wingard and child. Three children of Joseph Covely floated off on the wreck of a house, but were afterwards rescued with much difficulty at the risk of their own lives by George Fochtt, Samuel Klepner, and William York, (colored man.)

Jones Forge Dam, head race and four dwelling houses were swept away; Brunswig Forge a good deal damaged. All railroad bridges as far as known are gone and the embankment in many places washed away. Franklin Rolling Mill on Little Schuylkill Dam and Forge swept away; one dwelling house gone, occupied by David Rehr, he and his family had to swim half a mile before they got out; non drowned.

The damage sustained by the Little Schuylkill Company is immense. The road can hardly be repaired during this season.

The following County Bridges were swept away on Little Schuylkill:

County bridges at Ringold,

County bridges at Weaver’s Mill,

County bridges at Schall’s Forge,

Jones & Young’s Forge, much damaged,

Ruausch’s Rolling Mill, much damaged,

Selzer’s Tavern, much damaged.

The water was at least twenty feet above low water mark, and 8 feet higher than at the freshet into in July last. All the bottom lands along the Little Schuylkill from Jones & Young’s Iron works to Port Clinton were in an excellent state of cultivation, etc., embracing the very best land in the county, to the number of several hundred acres have been much damaged, and part of them entirely entered.

By a letter from Benjamin Evan, Esq. to a friend in this borough we learn that the Nescopeck Creek, Luzerne County, was much higher than at the July freshet. At Evan’s mill near Berwick, on the North Branch, a number of houses were carried off: the mill and two dwelling houses still remain. Loss about $2000. A few miles above, Mr. Werth’s Forge and other buildings are almost totally ruined; 20 persons were drowned among whom was John Burkes, formerly of Pottsville. His whole family, eight in number, were all lost except one boy. Two miles above, Dreisbach’s Grist and Saw Mills, and dwelling houses were swept away. No lives lost.

THE LEHIGH. We have information we can rely upon as to the state of damage at Mauch Chunk, and for eight miles below it. The damage there is much greater than at the last freshet, and the probability the further shipments this season will depend on the policy in making the repairs, whether they will be hurried and temporary, or occupy a longer time for the sake of more permanent security in future at the expense of the present shipping season. The Dam and Bridge at Mauch Chunk are gone; about 20 boats, some with and others without cargoes passed over the dam and were broken to pieces. For six miles below the town there are but two breaches in the Canal, but on the low level below, the embankment is a washed out for half a mile in one place. The water ran from three to four feet deep through Broadway. Many wrecks of boats and broken timber are left 10 to 12 feet above ordinary water level.

The Beaver Meadow Railroad is injured beyond the possibility of repair this season.

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Rev. August 2010