PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



Delaware County Institute of Science Lit 



NGV 



Vol. VI, No. i October, 1910 <"«a 



THE FLOOD OF 1843. 



In the year 1843 there occurred in this neighborhood one of the 

 most remarkable phenomena of which local history gives an account. 

 " The Flood of 1843 " i^ considered by those who remember it as one of 

 the mile-stones of Delaware County history. So extraordinary was this 

 flood and so great the damage done, that shortly after the occurrence a 

 committee of the Delaware County Institute of Science was appointed 

 to investigate and make report in regard to it. The members of this 

 committee were Dr. George Smith, John P. Crozer and Minshall Painter. 

 A number of copies of the report of this committee were printed for 

 private circulation, but very few of these copies are now in existence. 

 In response to the frequent inquiries that have been made for data 

 concerning the Flood of 1843, it has been deemed advisable to reprint 

 the report in full in these Proceedings. 



REPORT. 



An event of such an extraordinary character as the storm 

 of rain and consequent inundation with which the county of 

 Delaware was visited on the 5th of August, 1843, accompa- 

 nied as it was with so many circumstances which the past 

 experience of the inhabitants of the county had not taught 

 them to anticipate — an event which in point of magnitude 

 and dreadful consequence, many ages had passed by without 

 witnessing, and which in all probability may not be again 

 witnessed for many ages yet to come, certainly deserves to be 

 inquired into with the greatest possible care, and to have all 

 the accompanying facts, embodied in such a manner as to 



