GREAT STORM AND FLOOD
Last
Saturday night the country was visited by a storm of wind and rain more
extensive and destructive in its effects than ever before came within our
recollection. We have not learned how far west it extended, but understand
that the waters of the Yadkin were exceedingly high. To the east, even down to
the coast, great damage was done by the wind and freshet. In our own section
of the country, fences, mills, bridges and crops on the low grounds have
sustained unprecedented damage. The wind blew down great numbers of trees and
prostrated the growing corn. We learn that the bridges at Madison, Leaksville,
Danville, and Milton on the Dan River have all been swept away, and the crops
on the river bottoms ruined. The following letter from a friend in Leaksville
graphically decribes the flood at that place.
Leaksville,
NC Aug 28, 1850
Messrs.
Swaim &Sherwood:--The most extraordinary rain and freshet occurred in Dan
River and its tributaries on last Saturday and Sunday, ever witnessed; the
rain and wind commenced late on Saturday evening, and continued with increased
violence until late at night; on Sunday morning, at about eleven o’clock the
Dan and Smith’s rivers were at the highest point and such a flood of waters
surely were never seen here before:--Dan River was about thirty deep above
common water, spread out all over the low grounds, covering entirely whole
corn fields, and was
some five or six feet higher than ever known, according to the accounts in
this country. At nine o’clock Sunday morning, Leaksville bridge moved
off with a loud crash, and before the waters were at their highest, by some
five feet.
Smith’s
river was up to Gov. Morehead’s sawmill eaves, over the gristmill water
wheel, and up to the top of the windows of the weaving room, or lower story of
the factory.
It
was a grand spectacle to see at once those two mighty rivers, so deep and
wide, moving on so majestically and bearing along on their surfaces immense
quantities of oats, wheat, rye and hay, and wrecks of mills and other
buildings, fences, lumber, saw logs, timber and large masses of driftwood, all
rushing on toward the ocean.
B.F.
(Article submitted by Donnie Stowe)