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George streer
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under them or float down the torrent with
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Published wee
kly by ALEXANDER HAMILTON, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
So ———e na
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You. IIL
Awful Inundatien!
$ What is the foun<ation of our hopes.”
It is with pain we sit down to detail the
© events of just Saturday. This town has
“been visited with an awful calamity ; not
« equalicd perhaps by any similar event on
fecord. As minute a detail as can be giv-
€a from memory, follows s=—
About 10 o'clock on F riday evening the
atmosphere it was remarked, appeared un-
commonly heavy : and it suddenly became
unusually dark and began to rain moderate-
ly. About 12 o'clock, the rain had increa-
8cd very considerably; about 1 became vio-
olent. It continued to pour down till about
d o'clock on Saturday afternoon ; when the
~ Bun agai, shone forth in allits glory. The
gloom and heaviness of mind felt by many
41 consequence of the unusual and inces-
Sant storm which indeed had excited some
mclancholy farebodings, seemed to be dis-
sipated by the returning brightness of the
~ 3un; health, cheerfulness and safety seems
ed to reign once more. But the Codorus
~ had swellen boyond its banks, and the at
tention of tae tinhabitants was drawn to the
north side of the town, by the destraction
ofthe large wooden bridge, connecting
with the York Haven turn.
This was looked upon with
Indifference. It was a novelty to see a
Whole bridge move off majestically up-
on the bosom of the flood.” No alarm
wasfelt. The waterin the mean time
Was rising so as to cover High street
irom beyond Water strect to Newbury
Street.—The people removed from their
lower stories but felt very liitle or no
alarm.—~News at length came that the
dams of the mills and Spring Forge above
had been broken away. This was com-
municated to the people on the West
side of the stone bridge,
pike road.
safety, while the water
could yet wade it, But dan
apprehended by them. Their houses
WOuld save them many supposed, and
therefore remained. At length the water
gio the broken dams in the country a-|
bove came tumbling down, in tremendous
wtorrents. At this time many people were
token away from their houses by Col. M.
‘H. Spangler, first witha horse and after-
wards with a boat, to which at one time
persons had get hold, so that it was al-
most impossible for him to get along with
the boat. A few munutes more and it
. would have been too late. The creck
had now risen so much that all commu-
nication was cut off between the peo-
ple in their houses and the shores. The
danger of removel was preater than that
<i remaining. They had no choice but to
stay. Ezeh onesecemed to be ‘nailed to
the spot he was on, awaiting the moment
of being percipitated into the Sood. The
torrents tumbled accross the streets like
water falling from a precipice. At this
moment you could contemplate the Cedo-
rus swollen into a mighty river from a
quarter to halfa mile wide, and deep, e-
nough for a seventy four A streem that has
ts source in our ewn county, and known
tous as a pleasent little water to amuse
us In fishing, and which affords a scanty
supply of water for mills and machinery,
was in the space of two or three hours lost
we know not where, anda mighty River
in its stead came rushing through our
houses, and bearing upon its
baom the wrecks of the bordering coun-
An ocean seems to have been crea-
* ted and precipitated upon us in a moment,
At this stage of the flood, bridges, barns,
stables, dams hay-stacks, houses and bro.
ken mills canic one atter the other in suc:
cession tumbling from the country above
us: hous€ after house rose in our strect:
upon the water and was hurled into the
bosom ofthe deep. We saw our help-
Yess fathers and mothers, sisters and broth
ers, children and relations of every degree;
nd our friends and neighbors streching
forth their arms from roofs and winaows
ps expecting the house that sus
thiim-—would instantly tumble from
them. You could hear the cries of the
dying and the living all around you. All
stood fixed in breathless agony, taking a
Jast look «t some dear object of affection
iLevety “face was the image of misery and
iwpate. Human help was vain 3 It all
8ted in the hands of Almighty God.
during the awful space: of
two hours that '« He can create
with a request tof Samucl Eichelberger, son of Mr. Martin
save themselves by going to a place of! Eichelberger, aged about 15, a Miss Cel-
was so that they [vin of, York county, and a child of Mr.
ger was not [John IF Williams, of about two years old. |
bo .!
and he can destroy,” and that it was to
Him alone we must look for safety.
The expanse of several miles of wate:
below the town, was covered with un
distinguishable ruins—Roofs floating dow,
with people on. them, reaching and crying
{for assistance ; stables with dogs, fowl:
1 & other domesticanimals ; wrecks covered
with tables, beds, beaasteads, chairs.
desks bureaus, clock and. clockcases,
trunks, cradles, side-boards, and many
other articles of furniture and cloathing,
dry goods and groceries ; barrels, hog
sheads, timber aud mill wheels, trees.
wheat and rye sheaves, corn, oats, fences,
&c. all tumbling with lifeless bodies down
the stream in torrents! The small and
weak houses one after the other disappear
¢d. The people left gathered mostly io
and upon the strongest houses by leaping
from roof to roof and by beating
holes from one garret to another. In
some ipstances the house they jumped
from was swept from under their feet,
just saving themselves by a single second.
It would be endless to detail ali the hair
breadth escapes, and to enumerate the ac-
tively and exposure of individuals, for
the purpose of aiding each other, and
saving themselves. all was done that hu
man power could effect. Mr. Penrose
Robenson and Mr. John Wolf, saved two
coloured people, who were floating down
on a roof at the risk of their own lives
Mr. Seachrist Mr. Eichelberger, Mr.
‘Leitner, Mr. Cookes, Mr. Heart Mr.
‘Doughan, Mr. Detterman, and Mr. John
‘Miller exerted themselves with boats. |
y It now remoins to detail the loss of
‘human lives It is believed ten per-
isons were lost to wit: four coloured
ipcople;, names, not recollected.
t Hugh Cunningham and lady, Mr. Daniel
Updegraff, late editor of the « Expositor,
' Me. and Mrs. Cunningham and Samuel
‘Eichelberger, were all found in one room
| dead side by side, in a part of Mrs
Mc Cleland’s house (out of which she ber.
;self had only been taker a fcw moments
Mur.)
MONDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER1, 1817.
lexander Underwood’s kitchen, sta-
cle and out houses: destroyed~=~dwelling
fouse very much injured.
Messrs. Jessup and Davis’s Jewellers
shop carried off.
Jonathan Jessop’s cotton warehouse
with a large quantity of cotten, his stable:
and out houses all carried off.
John Elgar’s nail factory, stable and out
fiouses destroyed—dwelling house greatly
njured.
George Rothrock’s stable and out hous-
Ss destroyed.
Mrs. Lanius’s do. do. do.
Martin Spangler’s tan house, two other
houses and stable destroyed~--dwelling
house injured
Jacob Snyder’s tan house &c. destroy-
cd. :
ligenfritz’s stable carried off.
Jacob Garduer’s tan house, bark house,
barn, &c. carried offe-dwelling house
injured.
Israel Gardner's new two siory brick
house {occupied by George Lauman)
with afl its contents carried off~-bacic
buildings injured.
Thomas Owing’s back buildings and
stable carried off—~dwelling house Huin-
ed
John Love’s tan house, bark house and
stable carried off.
Rev. Michacl Dunn’s stable & out hous.
eg carried off—dwelling house injured
~ Weirich Bentz’s two delling houses,
stables and out houses carried off
~ Mrs. Margaret Dowdie’s tan house and
out houses carried off her large and strong
two story brick dweciling house very
much injured by the falling m of the
whole of the west gabel end. YY
Mrs. Rumnel’s stable and Mr. Carmes
stable carried off.
~ Bebler's log house and still house in
Water street carvied off. pa
Mr Seagtist’s shed full of bricks carried
off 7 ;
The whole of the curtain and wing
walls of the stone biidge broken down.
and improvements were either entirely
carried off or so much injured as te be
incapable of repair.
betore it was carried away) which lodged
a few perches from the channe! against
atree. Joseph Wren an old soldier, was
found alive in the garret of the same house.
Mis. Williams's child was thrown from
its cradle in sightof its mother, who was
therself with difficulty saved. The houses
in which the pecele mast collected for
safety, were r. Jesse Spargler’s Mis.
Margaret Doudle’s, and Mrs John Love’s
There were six saved In Mr. Spangler’s:
eight in Mr, Doudle’s, and twenty five
in Mr Love’s. Here they remained near-
ly foun. hours in almost momentary expec-
tation of stant death, Their houses
were watched from the shove with breath-
less anxiety; for tbat dfeadful space of
time were expected cvery minute to tums
blcinto the flood. But blessed be God they
were spared in part; one corner after
ano'her had given way yet enough remain.
ed for the people to cling to for safety.
Nearly fifty families are almost ruined.
A Bist ofthe buildings which were ruin-
ed and carried off by the flood between
Water and Newbury-streets are as near
as could be ascertained.
Mr. Michael Doudle’s large new brick
currier shop, tan bouse, &c. and his stock
of hides and leather-—all swept away.
Mr. Jobn Barnitz’s stone brewery—de-
stroyed.
Mr. Samuel Welch’s brick brewery,
with all its contents, nail factory, and out
Licuses carried off, and the brick dwelling
house, much injured.
Mr. Jesse Spangler’s hatter shop, stable,
and out houses destroyed, and his dwelling
Livuse {occupied by him as a tavern) ruir’
cd.
| My. Schlosser’s brick dwelling stable,
and out houses destroyed.
Joseph Morris Esqg’s. brick kitchen,
stable, & out houses destroyed—his dwel-
ling house injured greatly.
Mrs. Morris’s stable and out houses
destroyede--dwelling houses injured.
Mr. A Hantz’s tavern (occupied by Mr.
Thomas Smith )stable sheds, and out
houses carried off —the tavern and back
burldings, all of brick—nearly ruined
Petre Reel’s dwelling house, kitchen
and stable carried off.
John F- Williams brick grocery store
brick kitchen, stable and our houses de-
stroyed——dwelling house ruined.
Seven tan yards, two taverns, three
stores, two breweries, one candle and
soap factory, one whip factory, two nail
factories one Jeweller shop and one cop-
persmith shop and several other shops
besides other buildings, in all 54 Buildings
were destroyed. Lo
The renters who suffered and who
have mostly lost their all, are Martin
Eichelberger, Mrs. MiClellan, G. K.
Kane, Samuel Hartman, George Laum a.
Abner Thomas, and several poor people
not recollected. © ©
Itis estimated that two hundred thous.
and dollars would not restore the peo
ple of York and its immediate vicinity
to their ows again. Forty-five or fifty
families Jost their fortune and clothing,
and ina word many people worth from
one to seven thousand dollars on Saturday
morning are now reducedto poverty.
ym Pe
At a meeting of the Corporation of the
borough of York, specially convened
for the purpose of adopting measures
to afford relief to those of the inhab-
itants, who have suffered in the late
inundation—the following resolutions
were offered and adopted :
Resolved, That under the
dispensation which has visited our place,
it is the duty of every citizen with a lib-
eral hand to extend relief to the sufferers;
many of whom have been reduced from
comfortable circumstances to a state of
want & dependence, & that their situation.
not only requires pecuniary assistance;
but demands the bencvolent attention and
good offices of their fellow citizens.
Resolved, That a Committee be appéin:-
ed for the purpose of soliciting & receiving
tien thereof as they may deem most con
ducive to the comfort and advantage of
the sufferers. :
Resolved, That the following named
persons be appointed a Committee for the
purposes expressed mn the foregoing Roe«-
olution, namely :=John Lay, Philip Ku t
Jacob Hay, William Ness, Philip Smyse:.
George Spangler, sen John Hay, Joh;
Weyer, John Kauffelt, George Small, An-
drew Cremery and Daniel Weaver.
C. A BARNITY,
Chict Burges,
ArtesteM Hav, Town Clerk
tte
In most of these cases the buildings
subscriptions, and to make sueh applica {paired.
GENERAL JACKSON.
The life of this distinguished officer is
published We have not yet seen the
work ;—but a Virginia paper notice-
ing it says=« There is one circum:
stance mentioned of which we do not re-
tollect previously to have seen any no-
tice, on the propriety of which the reas
der will make his own comments,~Sa¢ck-
son had heard that the legislature of Lou-
isiana then 1m session at New-Orleans
meditated the offer of a capitulation with
the British. | He ordered Governor Clai-
borne, should such a determination be
manifested immediately to arrest the
mcmbers and hold them subject to his
turther orders ; and the governor, in con-
scquence placed an armed force at the
door of the capital, and prevented the
members {rom meeting.”
Bait. Reg.
nae
CROGHANVILLE.
In the last number of our paper we
stated, that the lots inthe town of Cioghan-
ville were all sold with the exception of
eight or ten. We now have it in our
power to state, that these eight or ien,
and sevaral out-lots and tracts, are all
Lkewise sold, leaving unsold, in the whole
reserve of two miles square, obly nine
ti-lots, and two out lots, which were re-
served by the United States for the sup-
port of schools. The out lots sold from
seven to two huudred & seventy two dolls.
Per acre; & the tracts from eight dollars &
26 cents to one hundred and fifty-one
dollars per acre. The whole amount of
the purchase money, of the two miles
square, agreeably to the calculation which
we have made, is one hundred and twenty
one thousand dollars; makirg an avarage
of forty six dollars and filty cents per
are, for every acre contained therein...
But had the nine in-lots, and the two out
lots, which were reserved, been sold, the
avarage price per acre, would not have
been under fifty dollars; a price which;
for a tract of land in the wocels of that ex-
tent, we will venture to asscit, has nevep
been equalled. But notwithstanding this
appearantly high price, we are inclined
to believe that, the purchases will do
well—The situation is important ; it will
posscss in an eminentjdegree the adyantas
ges of agriculture, commcree, and pubs
lic roads; and these ar'vantages have not
failed to attract the attenrioh of gentlemen
of wealth from various parts of the United
States, who have made respectable pur-
chases but have not monopolised ; & some
of them we underatand; intend to make
improvements immediately. Thus we
see the prosperity of the western country
increasing in a ratio; that never perhapsy
has been witnessed in any other part of the
world ; and we may fairely influlge our-
selves in the picasing reflection, tnat the
state of Obio is one of the most impor-
tant sections of it and will, eve long be
ranked as such. { Qaio Spicctasor,
HONOR AMONG THIEVES.
Carun Khan, the late Emperor of Persia,
who died 1779, was raised to the Persic
afflicting throne from a mean femily, and from the
rank of a common soldier. Though illiter-
ate, he was famous for the jusuce and pracs
tical good sense of vis administration It
is related in Macolm’s history of Persia,
that his majesty used to rehearse to his
company the following curious piece of
self-biography—=« When I was a poor sol-
dier,” he often said, « in Nadir Shah’s cainp
my necessity led me to steal, from a sad-
dler, a gold embossed saddle, which had
seen sent by an Asghen Chief, to be re.
I soon afterwards lear: t the man,
‘rom whom it was taken, was in prison, and
sentenced to be hung. My conscience
smote me, and I replaced the saddle ¢xact-
‘von the place from which I tock 1. I
viited till it was discovered to the sad
cler’s wife, who, on seeing it, gave a scream
of joy, fell down upon her knces and pray-
cd aloud, that the person who brought it
back might live to have an hundred gold
embossed saddles. 1 am quite ceriair. he
added, smiling, that the honest prayer of
he old woman has aided my fortune iu the
attainment of that splendor which sue de-
sired I should enjoy.”