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March 22, 1865
Account of Flood of 1865
(from - Record of the Times)
A century has not witnessed a flood in the Susquehanna of the magnitude of this of 1865. The depth of snow on all the northern hills was much greater than usual, accumulating through a long, cold winter and fears increased as the springtime approached without the breaking up of the ice bound streams. The ice was known to be thick and strong and from that the "great danger" was feared. When that broke way on Wednesday evening ( March 10) last and the river was clear, everybody breathed and felt better. The danger was certainly past.
The air was soft and springlike, the frogs piped in the waters and the blue bird carrolled in the woods and increased activity was visible everywhere in preparation for April changes and the spring trade. The warm south wind of Thursday hardly occasioned a thought as the snow was gone in the valley and the spring air was so delightful.
The rain at night was heavy but few heard it, as the many slept, and the snow and cold of Friday morning would check a thaw. It could hardly be believes when it was announced that the river was rising rapidly. It came up flooding the yard of Mr. Teets, the gatekeeper, and then ran round the bridge over Market street. Still, it had been higher and it was yet a cause of congratulation that the old ice and the rubbish deposited with it was washed from the river banks and from the flats.
As it came higher, people began to look anxious, but only those on River street. There was great sport in catching lumber, and many surmises whose saw mill owned the floating platforms which could still pass the bridge. The little cabin from the tow path at Hillman's mines went down, with portions of small buildings and straw from stables and barn yards showing the water was high above us.
Soon the street was covered north of Market and the pavement was the line. At evening the pavement was covered and a prospect of an anxious night.
On Saturday morning we reached town after a ride on the high hills of Plains, overlooking the water from Pittston down. West Pittston was in sight. The water was on its river street, and back towards the mountain where the bed of the river might once have been, the waters seemed to run and join the flood below Wyoming where Tuttle's mill, and the land to continued down that low ground to Toby's Eddy, wherever we could see Swetland's were covered. It may have beyond the higher flats water was to be seen.
Our old friend of the Phoenix was safer than on River street for we could see his door high and dry, and looked long to see if he was not about. Along the plank road all was desolation, the strong wind driving drift of all kinds to the east shore. On a rail came a poor, forlorn looking chicken, which a man reached for and pulled to the shore, when he clapped his wings and sprang up the bank glad to escape. He was from the shanty on the tow path and had not long afloat.
Reaching River street we found the flood up to the corner of the pavement at the Inham's. The highest flood we ever heard of before came into the cellar kitchen of this house. Now it was only kept out by the higher road approaching the bridge over the canal. Capt. Reichard's board fence in front of his corner lot was yielding to the pressure and was nearly down.
Down town the water was just entering Franklin street from Northampton and many anxious faces were to be seen. Riding down Franklin we saw many ladies at their windows, some already surrounded but looking calm and smiling, as persons having no vote and not being responsible for the misfortune. The fact is, for real true courage and dependence in danger, women are superior to men everywhere.
Except in boats, nobody could make calls in River street, but with the widespread of water there could be no further danger to them. The worst had happened.
Toward evening we rode to Prospect Rock with Mr. Osterhaut, Jesse Thomas and Isaac Thomas, ion horseback. The view was fearfully magnificent. Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Plymouth, Nanticoke, miles apart and all under water, and completely surrounded. From shore to shore must have been two miles and from north to south the sea must have been fifteen miles in sight. The rows of houses at Lee's mines in Nanticoke looked like piers of a broken bridge in the water. All along the flats were dotted houses and barns like little islands. It was difficult to determine localities for a time but by tracing from town to town, we could see that Mr. McLean, Gen. Sturdevant, the old Horton house and Mr. Sively's were nearly over the river to Plymouth, only that Plymouth was not over the river at all but considerably this side of the further bank. Back of Kingston the water extended to the hills at the new coal works and above the road to the hollow.
Coming back we went to the Blackman mines to south Wilkes-Barre. At Mr. Hibler's they aked anxiously for news from Wilkes-Barre, and told them in return that signals of distress had been seen from the top of General Sturdevant's house and boats had gone to their assistance. Boats were scarce; all along the Canal boats had been floated out to the hills, many of which will no doubt be lost, and more injured unless got back before the water falls.
To reach town again we had to cross the hill to the McCarragher road and through the fields to the new road to the Empire mines and so return by Market street. The mail had been brought up to the Empire and from there by coach, which stuck in the mud, and one horse came near disappearing in a quick sand.
Except in Canal street there was no water in this road, and there we found a crowd waiting for the ferry. There was no boat and one man was wading carrying another on his back. At the crossing on Northampton two men were on a slab raft tilting first one way and then other, evidently not first rate water men, while a crowd looked on envying them their chance of getting over. Hiram Dennis was in a tree in front of his house looking for the dove with an olive branch.
It was not till nearly night that the rise ceased, and as the wind fell the water began to recede slowly. By Sunday morning the current at town was nearly confined to the river.
It is certainly the heaviest flood ever known in the Susquehanna. At Harrisburg it was up to the Cumberland Valley railroad bridge, thirteen inches higher than the high flood of 1846. The waters then bore upon them evidences of great destruction above, and the West Branch and the Juniata must have both been very high. We shall not probably know half the damage along the Canal for some weeks.
West, in the oil region, bridges and railroads are carried off, and the streams were full of oil barrels. tanks, and other valuables and the loss is millions.
(Sunday Independent - July 5, 1825)
