THE FLOOD OF 1843. 23 



ice freshet of 1839. This sudden change in the height of the 

 water in so short a distance, must have been altogether owing 

 to the obstruction caused by the thick growth of young 

 timber, as at Palmer & Marker's mill, half a mile below, the 

 water only attained a height of fourteen feet — the width of 

 the valley of the creek being about alike in both places. But 

 slight damage was sustained at the woollen factory owned by 

 Oborn Levis, and occupied by Moses Hey. The lower story 

 was flooded, and the machinery somewhat injured. Next 

 below is Palmer & Marker's paper mill, which exhibits the 

 destructive power of the flood in a very striking manner. 

 Thirty feet of this mill was washed down, and the balance 

 much shattered, a paper machine ruined, and their race and 

 dam considerably injured. Upon the site of a very product- 

 ive garden, there is nothing now to be seen but rocks denuded 

 of every particle of earth, while a few yards below, a deposite 

 of stone, &c., covers three-fourths of an acre. Mr. Oborn 

 Levis' dam was swept out entirely — his race broken in some 

 places, and filled with stones and gravel in others. The 

 sizing-house attached to his paper mill, was swept awaj^ to 

 the foundation, and the basement story of the main building 

 with its contents, was greatly damaged by the flood bursting 

 through the door and windows on one side of the building, 

 and passing out at the same avenues on the other side. Oppo- 

 site to this mill, on the eastern side of the creek, were a 

 number of gardens belonging to the workmen. Scarcely a 

 vestige of vegetation is now left to mark their site, and over 

 a considerable portion of it, nothing is to be seen, but a bed 

 of rocks. The next improvements below, are on the estate 

 of Thomas Garrett, deceased, and it was here where the flood, 

 in this creek, proved the most destructive to private property. 

 A small cotton factory on these premises, occupied by John 

 and Thomas Kent, with its entire contents of machinery, 

 stock in trade, &c., was swept awa}^ ; an unoccupied dwelling 

 was so completely carried away, that no part of it remains to 

 mark the site upon which it stood. The large dam on this 



