8 THK FLOOD OF 1 843. 



north east, and the clouds were observed to have the appear- 

 ance which indicated a fall of rain. The sun was barely vis- 

 ible at rising, but in a very short time afterwards the whole 

 sky became overclouded. At about seven o'clock. A. M. it 

 commenced raining, and continued to rain moderately, with 

 occasional remissions, but without any very perfect intermis- 

 sion until noon, or later. This was a general rain, which 

 extended much beyond the limits of Delaware county in 

 ever>- direction. Up to twelve o'clock, M. but one half inch 

 of rain had fallen, as accurately measured by Dr. J. \V. Ash, 

 of Uppe;' Darby ; and up to the commencement of the great 

 rain storm, it is not probable that more than three- fourths of 

 an inch had fallen in any part of the county. This general 

 rain scarcely caused an appreciable rise in the streams, but it 

 had the effect of fully saturating the surface of the ground 

 with water, to the depth of some inches, and in this waj- con- 

 tributed to increase the flood in some degree, beyond what it 

 would have been, had the subsequent heavy rai)i fallen on the 

 parched earth. The air was cool for the season, and the gen- 

 eral rain now spoken of, had very much the appearance of a 

 regular easterly storm, with the exception, perhaps, that the 

 clouds wore a more lowering appearance. 



No general description of the heavy rain which followed, 

 and which caused the inundation, will exactly apply to any 

 two neighborhoods — much less to the whole extent of the 

 county. In the time of its commencement and termination 

 — in the cjuantity of rain which fell — in the violence and 

 direction of the wind, there was a remarkable want of cor- 

 respondence between different parts of the county. It may 

 be observed, however, that comparatively little rain fell along 

 its southern and south-eastern borders. 



It will hereafter appear, that Cobb's creek, ^m the eastern 

 margin of the county, and the Hrandywine on the west, were 

 not flooded in any very e.xtraordinary degree, so that it will 

 be evident that the greatest violence of the storm was 

 expended on the district of lountry which is ihained by 



