"On the west side of the river the water rose 

 nearly to the tops of the lower windows of the houses, 

 and people were removing, in boats and scows, from 

 their dangerous situation. Most of the stores and 

 other buildings were destroyed and the fragments 

 carried into the cove above the bridge. On the east 

 side the water rushed impetuously through Weybosset 

 Street, which was the principal thoroughfare, nearly 

 a yard in depth, turbulently carrying along with it 

 boats, masts, bales of cotton, etc., with almost 

 resistless force. It seemed as if that portion of 

 the toTrin was doomed. The store on Bowen's wharf 

 just below where the bridge had stood still maintained 

 its place, though much injured, but all the stores 

 below, on the east side, were either carried away 

 or so much damaged that they were in a great measure 

 useless. Several dwelling-houses on Eddy's point 

 were carried off, leaving not a vestige behind. In 

 Westminster Street, the water was >from six to eight 

 feet above the pavements. All the space wliich but 

 an hour or two before had been occupied by valuable 

 wharves and stores filled with goods, and the river 

 that had been crowded with vessels, were now one 

 "vjide waste of X'jater raging and furious. Along the 

 higher portion of land were heaped t'ogether lumber, 

 vjrecks of buildings and vessels of every description, 

 carriages, and bales of cotton, mingled with house- 

 hold furniture, coffee, soap, candles, grain, flour 

 and other kinds of merchandise. 



"Five hundred buildings in all, large and sraall, 

 were destrojred in this gale and flood, which, 'with other 

 property that was lost, were valued at fifteen hundred 

 thousand dollars. 



"Beside those persons who were wounded and 

 maimed, many valuable citizens were carried with 

 their houses into the water, and others were crushed 

 to death between the planks and the vessels as the 

 latter dashed through trie great bridge. No one 

 knows how many human lives were lost in Providence, 

 nor how many cattle were drowned. No business but 

 that in connection with the storm could be done 

 for some time, the streets having first to be 

 cleared, and then buildings, bridges, and wharves 

 rebuilt." 



A-7 



