USA > Pennsylvania > Clinton County > Historical and biographical work, or past and present of Clinton County, comprising a sketch of every town and township of the county from date of settlement up to the present time > Part 35
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394
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY.
A sanitary committee to act in conjunction with the board of health was appointed, composed of the following gentlemen: P. W. Keller, W. A. Simpson, J. W. Harris.
CLINTON COUNTY LOSSES.
Every bridge from Sugar Valley to Bald Eagle swept away. On the level lands near the creek all the fences are gone; houses, barns and other buildings washed away. The house at Washington Furnace, occu- pied by Robert Armstrong and sister, swept away and inmates drowned. House occupied by L. W. Seyler and family, about a mile above Cedar Springs, was swept away, and his wife and three children drowned, and he caught on a tree half a mile below-was rescued about noon. In Sa- lona, the houses occupied by William Emerheiser and wife, and Mrs. Snyder were swept away, and the inmates drowned. Also the house oc- cupied by William Whitney gone, and the inmates drowned. The house occupied by Daniel Dunkle (painter) in Salona, swept away, and he and his wife floated on it to Mill Hall, where they were rescued. D. B. Krape was rescued near Lewis McNaul's, he had floated down from his home above Salona. The store room of T. J. Smull, at Mackeyville, is washed away. Vast amounts of property all along the creek washed away or damaged. Furst Brothers lost a corn crib full of corn. Pens of hogs, fences, crops, and mill property badly damaged. R. Mann & Sons are heavy losers-the large engine washed away, and a part of their shops and dam. The current swept through the buildings from one end to the other. A large lot of finished work was damaged. One end of their Mill Hall mill was washed away-also a polishing room, and other buildings undermined.
Communication from one side to the other of Fishing creek was for a time entirely cut off. The stone arch bridge at Mill Hall is all shattered and unsafe to cross. The one side of Mill Hall is entirely under water. Six lives lost near Rote. Seventeen dead bodies have been found thus far.
Mill Hall has been completely gutted by the flood. entailing heavy loss upon the inhabitants. The merchants lose almost everything in the way of stock, but the people are thankful that no loss of life occurred there. The town presents a pitiful sight this morning. A. B. Garth & Co. suffer a heavy loss, and the drug store of Dr. Caruthers is a complete wreck.
At Salona six persons are reported missing, and the dead bodies of Mrs. Alexander Whiting and Mrs. William Emerheiser, of this place, were recovered at Mill Hall, and that of a six-year-old child of Lew Seyler at Sanderson's. The loss there is terrible, and the whole community is in mourning over the loss of life.
G. W. Dunkle and wife had a miraculous escape from drowning early Saturday morning. They were both carried away on the top of their house from Salona to Mill Hall, where they were both rescued in a re- markable manner. A window in the house of John Stearn was kicked out, and Mr. and Mrs. Dunkle taken in the aperture, both thus being rescued from a watery grave.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY.
At Flat Rock, a small hamlet a few miles south of Salona, six persons were drowned. Their names are Mrs. Charles Cole and child, and Mrs. Clell Barner and three children. Five of the bodies have been found near the place where drowned. Both Mr. Barner and Mr. Cole were away from home. They are working at some point up river.
At Hamburg, in Nittany Valley, the names of persons drowned as far as learned are John Harder, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ryon and Mr. Ryon's mother, Mrs. Waliser and three children.
The list of drowned at Salona includes two persons named Emmert and a Mrs. Snyder. Twenty persons are drowned in Lamar township, and two in Porter township.
The total number of persons reported drowned in Nittany valley is given at thirty-six, and many of the bodies have been recovered, but it is impossible at this writing to give names of all of them.
Peter Karen, Harry Stannert and Charles Hinton, of Renovo, came to this city yesterday afternoon in a row boat, leaving Renovo at 12:25 p. m., and arriving here just three hours later. They narrowly escaped drown- ing several times while on the way, but were so anxious to reach their families, (Mr. Karen's wife being in this city,) that they risked all danger. The two Sunbury men went on down the river, after remaining here a short time.
These tourists report Renovo as being completely wrecked; two spans of the river bridge and the Opera House were swept away. Houses and business places filled with water, and the Philadelphia & Erie railroad track between Renovo and Lock Haven is baldly washed out, the worst damage to the road being at Whetham.
Samuel Spangler, of Renovo, had two narrow escapes from death. While attempting to secure a raft along the river shore, the ropes broke, and the raft started down the stream with Mr. Spangler upon it. At Ritchie he was fortunately taken off the raft by a raftsman. Mr. Spangler walked back to Renovo, and while on the bridge came near los- ing his life for the second time. He had just stepped from the first span of the bridge as it left its moorings, and had barely got off the second or middle span, when it, too, was carried away. Mr. Spangler will never forget the events of this trip.
The Renovo Record of the 7th inst. gives a full and complete account of the damages resulting from the flood in Renovo, and at all points along the river from that city to Keating. The Record says there is one cheering feature of the flood for which all may be thankful-it has given employment to our working people. The railroad company has pressed into service every shop man it could spare to repair the roadbed on the Eastern division. All the coal miners at Cook's Run mines, lumbermen and laborers for miles around, have been employed by the company.
The flood at North Bend was five feet above the highest point reached in 1865. The water drove out all the residents along the river bank on the north side, including Judge Crawford, John Quigley, S. Mench,
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Waltons and Sweely. The railroad track below the railroad bridge was completely under water. The old Caldwell farm house, on the south side, occupied by William Barner, was swept away. The family lost every- thing they had. The house was built over 100 feet back of the bank.
William Pluff's house, located about half a mile west of Hyner, was washed out and went down in the flood. He lost all his household goods and about $60.
The old Caldwell farm house was also washed away. It was occupied by William Barner, and his two sons, Henry and Frank, and their fami- lies. They made no effort to leave their home until the house was sur- rounded by water. They then left in a row boat. They had gone but a few yards when the boat struck the fence and upset, nearly drowning the whole party. The wives of the two men caught hold of peach trees and held on until rescued.
The water also came up to Cline Farwell's barn and tore out five or six feet of the stone wall.
Westport has been severely stricken. The water flooded the entire vil- lage. The old store house, barn, out-buildings, and valuable live stock of C. R. Noyes were swept away, and his fields and orchards destroyed. The county bridge across Kettle creek was swept away. Every family suffered heavy losses.
The flood at Keating was the greatest ever known to the residents of that place. The hotel and depot are the only buildings standing. The railroad bridge was raised above the piers and swept away, together with twenty-three cars loaded with soft coal. The school house across the Sin- nemahoning creek and the three dwelling houses below the Keating hotel were also swept down with the flood. James Cannon's shingle mill, Wal- lace Gakle's two barns and Mr. Hollingsworth's house, one mile east of Keating, are repor ed gone.
Among the drift which floated down were coffins and rough-boxes, sup- posed to have been washed out of burying grounds along the river.
Acres of good bottom land owned by William Stout, Eb. Hall and others on the south side of the river, were completely washed down to the river's bed.
The loss to Fredericks, Munro & Co.'s fire brick works, at Farrands- ville, will be about $1,500, and the store $2,000. They consider them- selves very fortunate under the circumstances. The lower end of the town suffered the most.
The corrected list of those reported drowned in Clinton county by the great flood places the number at thirty. Twenty of these were lost in Nit- tany Valley, seven in Wayne township, and one in Lock Haven. The names of the persons drowned, with their former post-office address, are as follows :
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Lock Haven-James Guilford.
Wayne township-William Confer, wife and three children; two chil- dren of Jacob Klashner.
Clintondale-Robert Armstrong and sister.
Mackeyville-John Harter; Andrew Rhine, wife and two girls. The two boys in this family were saved.
Salona-Alexander Whiting and wife, William Emerheiser and wife, and widow of Henry Snyder.
Cedar Springs-Wife of Luther Seyler and three children. Mr. Seyler was rescued from a tree, and his wife's dead body lodged on a drift pile within two rods of the tree where Şeyler was clinging.
Rote-Wife of Charles Cole and two children, wife of Clell. Barner and twochildren.
The house and barn of J. Q. Adams, at Island, were both taken away by the flood. Mr. Adams and family were in their house, and when it began to sway back and forward, as if about to go over, the people at Dunnstown could plainly see the danger the family were in. George Emery started at once in a row boat to rescue them. When he reached the house it had gone over on its side, and the family were hanging in a win- dow. Mr. Adams and two daughters entered the boat, which unfortu- nately upset, and all were thrown into the water. Young Einery clung to the boat, but Mr. Adams grasped a daughter in each hand and threw them back in a window of the house, where he himself clung. Emery swam with the boat to the shore, a distance of nearly a mile, where men took him out, and another man went to the rescue of the Adams. The second attempt was successful, and they were all saved-father, son and two daughters.
The house and barn of Samuel Hartsel, in Dunnstable township, were taken away by the flood. Barns of the following persons were taken: Benjamin Baird estate, Abraham Bartholomew and Mrs. Alexander Stewart. The house of B. F. Rodabaugh, at Island, was taken. All the tobacco sheds along the river below Island were carried away. Many of the farmers lost all their live stock.
Both of the Island toll bridges are gone. One part lodged against the Half Way house, and the other part in Wayne township, opposite the farm of Mrs. M. A. Stewart.
The family of Graf Stewart, of Island, spent Saturday night in the Zeigler church. They were taken out of a window in the second story of their house and conveyed to the church in a boat.
The flood in McElhattan creek was terrible. Seven persons were drowned, and the destruction of property great. The names of the drowned are William Confer, wife and three children, and two children of Jacob Klashner.
Mrs. Klashner was carried away by the water, but was found alive on an apple tree at the station of the Beech Creek railroad. Twin children of
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Mr. Confer were found Sunday afternoon alive in a pile of driftwood, and one of them afterwards died.
The West Branch camp ground was inundated and most of the tents, tabernacle, boarding houses and restaurant buildings near the mouth of the stream were either carried away or badly wrecked. About a mile of the double track of the Philadelphia & Erie railroad at McElhattan stream was swept away.
The mill ponds of Messrs. Swartz and Nowland, above Woolrich, gave way under the pressure of water, and swept trees, lumber and bridges down the stream, destroying everything. In many places the course of the stream was changed.
Engineer Swartz, of the Beech Creek railroad, had a narrow escape from drowning last Saturday. He had a boat, and seeing a hog of enor- mous size passing down the river on some debris, he rowed out to bring him in. He got the hog into his boat, but the brute being so happy at the prospect of getting back to dry land, commenced to dance. Swartz yelled at him and tried to quiet him. but it wouldn't work, and the result was a capsize of the boat. The hog started for the shore, but not before Swartz was astride of him and holding on to both ears. They came in in grand style, and the engineer now says that he has pork enough to more than pay him for the lost boat.
FLOOD NOTES.
The family of H. T. Harvey are in Philadelphia, and their house was closed up. All the furniture on the first floor is ruined.
The steam press and engine of the Express was overflowed, and we are indebted to the neighborly proprietors of the Daily Democrat for the use of their press. "A friend in need is a friend indeed." e
Cows, pigs and a horse found quarters in the court house. The horse belongs to R. D. Peck, and barely escaped drowning. He swam from the livery stable near at hand to the court house, and walked up the steps into the court house on the second floor without difficulty.
Mrs. William Sykes, who resides with her husband on East Park street, died on Saturday while being taken from the house to a place of safety. She had been ill. Her age was forty-eight years.
The residence of R. W. McCormick, on West Water street, and the Water Street Catholic church were the only buildings in the main part of the city that escaped being flooded.
Rev. Joseph Nesbit, of Great Island Presbyterian church, went to his study on Friday night to secure his library, and while at work the water rose so rapidly that he was kept a prisoner until Saturday night at 10 o'clock, without food. He then waded to the residence of Mr. J. S. Furst, a few doors above the church, where he arrived in a prostrated con- dition, so much so that he fainted. He is all right now.
J. W. Bridgens' new brick house, now being constructed, on Church street, was badly damaged by logs, etc., striking the brick and knocking the walls down.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY.
The ice houses of both Mussina & Reed and Christian Fabel are empty to day. The water melted the ice rapidly, and not a particle of the crop housed last winter remains.
The household goods of A. S. Grow had been shipped in a car from Philadelphia to this city on Friday. When the cars burned at the freight depot on Saturday, the one in which Mr. Grow's goods were stored was consumed. His loss by the fire, he says, will be about $800.
The birth of a daughter occurred at the residence of Rev. S. B. Evans, in the First ward, Sunday morning. The physician was brought to the house in a boat.
Charles Corss, Esq., is to be married in Philadelphia on Wednesday. This afternoon he started for that city, accompanied by his daughter. They go via Tyrone, and travel in a carriage drawn by two horses.
The only person who met death by drowning in this city was James Guilford. He attempted to cross Bellefonte avenue, near E. L. Moore's store on Saturday,"and was carried away by the swift current and drowned. His body was recovered.
W. W. Christie started from the Fallon house about noon in a batteau with twelve passengers, bound for points below. He expects to anchor at Williamsport to night, and will probably not go farther than that, as the railroad is in working order from Watsontown east.
In the ark lodged at the Queen's Run fire brick works, on Water street, is a bread board with flour upon it, as if baking operations were under way when the ark escaped.
The water in the jail was between three and four feet deep. Sheriff Leahy was prepared for deep water. Mrs. Leahy had a large quantity of provisions cooked and taken up stairs, and when the water came on the floor of the jail the prisoners were all removed to the upper cells, where they were kept until the water subsided. Several families, about thirty persons in all-sought safety in the jail and were cared for by Sheriff and Mrs. Leahy.
In removing the paper from the walls of the residence of Stewart Law the marks showing height of floods of 1847 and 1865 were found. In 1847 there were two feet of water in the house, in 1865 eighteen inches less. The flood of 1889 was nearly four feet higher than the high water mark of 1847.
Last Saturday afternoon after the water began to fall a " little German band " got out upon the roof of Schied's Harmonica hotel and began to play. Everybody was feeling happy over the fact that the water was fall ing, and the music was indeed cheering, and as it was wafted to all parts of the city on the gentle breeze it could be heard above the roar and rush of the water.
It was humorously suggested by Judge Mayer to one of our merchants that he take down his sign-dry goods.
BIG FIRE OF 1862.
N the preparation of the following sketch we have drawn largely on a previous article, written by C. R. Gearhart and published in April, 1888, in the Insurance Solicitor. In Vol. I, No. I, of the Solicitor he says :
"Saturday morning, December 6th, 1862, will be long remembered by many citizens of our city. At 4 o'clock on that memorable morning the alarm of fire rang out on the wintry air, and in a few short hours mnch of the best business part of the town was laid in ashes. This great con- flagration has gone into Lock Haven history as the "Big Fire of '62," and the incidents the older people tell in connection with it would fill a volume. Believing the readers of the Solicitor will be greatly interested in a complete account of the fire, its origin, location, territory burned over, names and location of the sufferers, losses sustained, scenes and in- cidents, we propose devoting much of our space to such an account. We have gone to much trouble and made minute inquiry in order to get loca- tions exactly correct. Yet we doubtless have made mistakes with all our care, for we find people's memories sadly disagree. We acknowledge our indebtedness to the Clinton Democrat files, through the courtesy of Messrs. Clark & Co., for much of our information, particularly the ad- vertisements in fixing locations. There were over seventy business and other places burned out, and through inquiry and the advertisements above referred to we believe we have pretty correctly located those reported.
This memorable fire originated in the stable of J. F. Sloan & Son, located on Jordan alley, in rear of what is now H. S. Baker's stove and tinware store. All this square east of Jacob Brown's grocery was owned by J. F. Sloan, and was built up with frames almost solid. This fact, coupled with a lack of fire apparatus and a strong wind from the west, gave the fire a start which made it master of the situation, nor was it got under control until it had laid waste four acres, extending as follows: From the present dwelling and store of J. B. Lesher, on Main street, eastward to the Odd Fellows hall; both sides Grove street, between Main and Water streets, which were at that time nearly a solid block of frames from street to street, and from Scott's hall opposite the Fallon house, all the way down the south side of Water street to Jay street, and a few small buildings on the east side of that street. Of course stables, etc., on the alleys were all included in the general destruction.
Very soon after starting, the fire communicated to Jacob Brown's store, located where it now is on Main street. Here a determined effort was made to stay the westward course of the fire, and the Shaw & Blanchard
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY
fire engine did noble work in saving the residence of Jacob Brown, now occupied by J. B. Lesher as dwelling and store. Next east from Jacob Brown's store, a few feet away, a frame dwelling was burned, owned by J. F. Sloan, and occupied by George W. Marshall. Then came the large hardware store of Boggis & Beadle, situated where Hilton & Co.'s drug store and T. H. Harmon's cigar store now are, and fronting on Grove street. The wind carried great tongues of flames across Grove street from the Boggis & Beadle establishment, and soon the entire Farnsworth frame block was a heap of ruins. Mr. A. Farnsworth, the owner, occupied the corner as a dwelling, his parlor being where now stands the front of Mason's drug store. Next adjoining on Main street was the saddlery of A. Farnsworth, and beyond it, also owned by Mr. Farnsworth, was the frame dwelling of John L. Doty. The next building to go down before the devouring element was the frame residence of Hon. R. R. Bridgens, located where the opera house now stands. Here the fire met the solid wall of the brick Old Fellows' hall, and was stayed so far as the street was concerned. It will be seen by the above that this part of Main street was not then the business centre it is to day-many private dwellings occupy- ing the now busy squares. R. J. Moorhead lost a $700 barn in rear of his residence, now owned by Charles Corss, Esq. Dr. J. W. Eldred, where R. D. Peck now resides, was similarly unfortunate, while W. W. Barker, (father of our esteemed ex-mayor), who was then proprietor of the Man- sion (now Irvin) house, lost a large and valuable hotel barn, located on alley in rear of the hotel. Jacob Graffius also lost a large barn located in rear of Odd Fellows' hall.
As before remarked, the hardware store of Boggis & Beadle occupied the corner where T. C. Hilton & Co.'s drug store now stands. Next north the fire consumed the frame residence of J. F. Sloan, while alongside was consumed the boot and shoe store of L. Haberstroh. About where the W. H. Brown building now stands then stood the large furniture ware- rooms of the Sloans. Benner & Gast came next with their grocery and meat shop, while Julius Lindig and Thomas H. Poorman completed the square to the alley. Crossing the alley the flames destroyed a frame structure occupied as offices, Alderman Noble occupying the first and H. A. Childs the second. Next came the large shoe store of N. E. Johnson, which was the last building destroyed on that side of the street, except the bank building, now occupied by Hopkins & Weymouth as a lumber office.
Returning to Farnsworth's block, on the east side of Grove street, we find the first sufferer to have been J. H. Schwallenberg, a tobacconist, located in the first room north of Farnsworth's dwelling, which stood on the corner. Following him came the news store of J. N. Welliver. Then the large hardware store of G. W. Marshall & Co., and next the hoop skirt factory of Newman Brothers. Following them, located on the alley, was the flour and feed store of W. H. Sanderson. C. S. McCor- mick, Esq., locates his office on the opposite corner of the alley where
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Charles O'Connor's insurance office now stands, while the post-office, then in charge of A. M. Coe, the law office of Peale & Deise, and the residence of Abraham Graffius, which stood on the corner of Grove and Water streets, was destroyed as well as all the buildings standing at the time on the west side of Water street. The first room next to the residence of Mr. Graffius was occupied by him as a dry goods store. Then came the law office of C. G. Furst, the jewelry store of C. G. Weidhahan, the boot and shoe store of Oliver Donaldson, Bamberger's clothing store, Isbell's jewelry store, the confectionery of John Fox and J. G. Harris & Bro.'s dry goods store. These were all on the upper side of the alley. On the lower side of the alley stood the brick dwelling of Dr. Shultz, the front part being used by him as a drug store. The new store room of J. G. Harris & Brother, not completed, came next. Then came the Irvin block, also brick, which contained the dry goods store of Simpson & Nye, the liquor store of H. B. Amerling, and a millinery store. Then came the Clinton house, which stood where the court house now stands. All the stables and other buildings on the alley, between Main and Water streets, were destroyed, the only buildings left standing being those on Main street, from the Odd Fellows' block to Jay street.
Where the office of Hopkins & Weymouth now stands, then stood the bank building, which was but partially burned. Next to the said build- ing stood the saloon and restaurant of Batcheler & Orth, a brick structure. Next came a two-story frame building, occupied at the time by Christian Schrader and family. Then came the Mayer block, which contained the law office of Judge Mayer, the tailor shop of Philip Anthony, and the general store of W. H. Mayer. The large brick build- ing of Simon Scott stood next on the corner of the alley. It was not burned, but the Mayer block adjoining and all other buildings down to the bank were totally destroyed. The Mayers were the heaviest losers.
The following points concerning the big fire were clipped from the Insurance Solicitor of June 9th, 1888:
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