46 THK FLOOD OK 1S43. 



William Kerlin had his stone kitchen, and several out 

 buildings with their contents, carried away, the main build- 

 ing injured, and the furniture in the basement destroyed. 

 William Kerlin, Jr. had a frame house carried off and entirely 

 destroyed, as was also the slaughter house of William McCaf- 

 ferty, deceased. William Brobson's tan yard was much 

 injured ; his lime house was carried ofT, and his loss in hides 

 and bark was very considerable. William Benton, who occu- 

 pied the house of William Kerlin, Jr. had all his household 

 goods, dearborn, cart, &c., carried off. Mrs. Mary Engle's 

 sheds and stables, occupied by Maurice W. Deshong, were 

 much damaged. The pattern house connected with the 

 foundry of Jacob G. Kitts was carried away, together with 

 nearly his whole stock of valuable patterns. 



Agricultural interests suffered severely along Chester creek 

 and its tributaries. The meadows and flats were every where 

 stripped of their fences. Few of these flats were under till- 

 age, consequently the losses in crops, except grass, were not 

 very great, but in some places whole acres present deep depo- 

 sits of sand and gravel, and in others the surface is deeply 

 excavated, or covered with rocks and stones, and rendered 

 wholly unfit for culture, or even for pasturage. Joseph Cirif- 

 fith, Richard Dutton, Isaac Morgan, Nathan Suplee, Robert 

 McCay, John Slaughter, and Aaron Wood are among this 

 class of sufferers. 



It will now be seen that the flood in Chester creek was 

 much higher than in either of the other large streams. This 

 increased swell evidently depended on the inimense quantity 

 oi rain which fell in a short time, within the drainage of its 

 more westerly branches, as the water in the main Kast branch 

 was not higher a short distance above its junction with the 

 West branch, than Ridley creek, at a corresponding point. 

 It will also be seen, that the damage to private property was 

 immensely greater than upon either of the otlur lari^c streams. 



( 'Jo be toiitiiiiu'd. ) 



