THE FLOOD OF 1 843. 7 



had been erected at the expense of the county. Of these 

 ig were stone arch bridges ; 

 4 Lattice do. 



I Chain do. 



21 Wooden bridges of different constructions, 

 besides three stone arch bridges, and one lattice bridge, built 

 at the joint expense of this county and the county of Phila- 

 delphia ; two wooden bridges built in conjunction with Chester 

 county. 



Bridges over the smaller streams, which are not included 

 in the foregoing enumeration, were erected at the expense of 

 the several townships. 



Exclusively of the alluvial meadows, bordering on the 

 river, but a small part of the soil of Delaware county is nat- 

 urally of a very superior quality. But its manufacturing 

 population, and its proximity to a large city, afford such a 

 certain market for its surplus agricultural produce, that the 

 farmers have for many years turned their attention to its 

 improvement, by means of the application of lime and other 

 manures, so that in point of productiveness, Delaware county 

 is not now surpassed by any other county in the Com- 

 monwealth. 



The flats bordering on the creeks are mostly cultivated — 

 in the vicinity of manufacturing establishments they were fre- 

 quently occupied as gardens by the operatives. 



It will be apparent, from the foregoing hasty sketch, that 

 scarcely any country district of the same extent could be 

 found where a similar visitation would have been attended 

 with such disastrous consequences. 



THE STORM. 



The morning of the 5th of August, at early dawn, gave 

 indications of a rainy day. The wind was in the east, or 



