THE FLOOD OF 1 843. 57 



perity will be required to replace the count}', in every respect, 

 in the same enviable position which she has so long enjoyed. 



As large as was the amount of property destroyed, the 

 poor were the heaviest sufferers in proportion to their means. 

 "Twenty families had their houses with their contents carried 

 away, and more than one hundred other families met with 

 severe losses, in proportion to their means, by the destruction 

 of furniture, household utensils, provisions and other neces- 

 saries, that render the abode of the poor man comfortable. 

 Among these were twenty-one widows with families contain- 

 ing fifty-two children."* The first efforts of our people were 

 turned to the relief of these indigent sufferers. In this they 

 were liberally aided by the city and county of Philadelphia, 

 and the county of Chester. The sum of three thousand three 

 hundred and seventy-five dollars and seven cents was contri- 

 buted, and placed in the hands of a general committee raised 

 for the purpose of receiving and making distribution of the 

 same. From this fund the committee have been enabled to 

 extend aid to one hundred and thirty-one families, including 

 four hundred and four children. Independent of this fund, 

 considerable amounts have been contributed in different 

 neighborhoods, expressly for the relief of particular sufferers. 



The buildings which were carried away, and those wholly 

 or nearly destro3'ed, if placed contiguous to each other, would 

 constitute a considerable village. In this connection may be 

 enumerated thirty dwelling houses, eight manufactories of 

 different kinds, two flour mills, three saw mills, two paper 

 mills, besides twenty other buildings of various descriptions. 

 In addition to these, fifty-three mill dams were either entirely 

 swept out, or very much damaged. In fact scarcely a mill 

 property on the inundated streams escaped without injury to 

 some extent, and besides the buildings above enumerated, 

 very many were seriously injured. It was the original inten- 

 tion of the committee, to have furnished an estimate of the 



* Report of the Relief Coinmittee. 



