THE FLOOD OF 1 843. 73 



gone.' We immediately proceeded down to the suspension 

 bridge, and when we arrived there, we found the creek about 

 as usual, but could see a tremendous wave, as it were, come 

 tumbling over and over, a short distance above, and moving 

 with great force and velocity. The bridge and eastern abut- 

 ment soon became crowded with people, when I took my boy 

 and went into Mr. Kerlin's shop and looked out at the front 

 door. I suppose we remained in the house, looking at the 

 wreck going down the stream, such as bridges, detached 

 parts of factories and mills, cotton bales, casks of various 

 kinds, carriages, hay stacks, &c., about ten minutes, when 

 we came to the back door (in view of the bridge). The 

 people had all retreated, and the water was rushing with great 

 violence between us and the town, to the depth of from four 

 to six feet, so as to make it extremely dangerous, if not 

 impossible, to reach it. Here we had to remain, the water 

 rising with great rapidity until 8 o'clock and 5 minutes, at 

 which time the flood reached its extreme height. For about 

 half an hour preceding the extreme elevation of the flood, we 

 expected every moment to be carried away. The water then 

 fell with as much rapidity as it had risen, and at a quarter 

 past nine o'clock, the water had disappeared between Mr. 

 Kerlin's house and the town. * =)« * If the eastern abut- 

 ment of the bridge had given wa}* as the western did, we all 

 would inevitably have been lost, and we should therefore feel 

 very thankful for our safe deliverance from such a perilous 

 situation." Besides Mr. Peirce and his son, and Mr. Kerlin 

 and his wife, there were five other persons in the house. 



Mr. Jonathan Button was placed in a situation of extreme 

 jeopardy. While endeavoring to place some of the property 

 in his mill out of the reach of the flood, he was surprised by 

 the sudden rise of the water to an alarming and unprece- 

 dented height. He retreated from story to story of the mill, 

 until he reached the upper one. His situation soon became 

 more awfully perilous, for the mill began to yield to the force 

 of the torrent. Knowing that his situation had now become 



