1843.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 359 



of tlie work, within the few years it has been in construction, 

 has shown that the stones have decayed from both the.^o causes." 



Lar<^e quantities of stone had been quarried, particularly on 

 Crura and Ridley Creeks, when the Government, on the stren;^th 

 of the report of its agent, rejected the stone from Delaware 

 County. Tiiose engaged in the business, who would be subjected 

 to great loss by the rejection of their stone, brought the matter 

 to the notice of the County Institute, which promi)tly appointed 

 a committee to investigate the subject. The autlior was chair- 

 man of that committee, and upon him devolved the task of 

 making the necessary investigations, and of drawing up the 

 report. That report was decidedly favorable to the durability 

 of the Delaware County stone. Its material conclusions were 

 subsequently confirmed by a board of military engineers, and the 

 Pennsylvania stone again accepted by the Government. 



The year 1838 was remarkable on account of a great drought 

 that prevailed throughout a large extent of country, embracing 

 Delaware County. From about the first of July till nearly the 

 first of October, no rain fell except a few very slight showers. 

 The earth became parched, and vegetation dried up. All the 

 later crops failed; and what added greatly to the injurious effects 

 of the drought, myriads of grasshoppers made their appearance, 

 and voraciously devoured nearly every green blade of grass that 

 had survived to the period of their advent. Even the blades 

 and ears of Indian corn were greatly injured in many places. 

 Cattle suffered much for want of pasture, and many persons were 

 obliged to feed them on hay during the months of August and 

 September, or upon corn cut from the field. 



A great ice freshet occurred in the winter of 1839, which 

 caused considerable damage; but as it sinks into utter insignifi- 

 cance when compared with the great freshet of the otli of 

 August, 1843, we will proceed to give an account of the storm 

 and freshet of that day, which may be regarded as one of the 

 most extraordinary events that have occurred within the limits 

 of our County since it was first visited by Europeans. This will 

 be an easy task, as all the material facts connected with this 

 unusual phenomenon, and its disastrous consequences, were 

 carefully collected at the time by a committee of the Delaware 

 County Institute of Science, of which the author was chaii-man, 

 and embodied in an elaborate report, which was published in 

 pamphlet form. Only the general and most material facts will 

 be extracted from that report, as the reader who may desire more 

 particular information on the subject;, can have recourse to the 

 report itself, which is preserved in several libraries. 



The morning of the 5th of August, 1843, at early dawn, gave 

 indications of a rainy day. The wind was in the East or North 



