Post # 10 ~ Savannah River Rising

Fifteen Feet in One Night
~ Dealing with the Freshet on the Savannah River ~

The NY Evening Post published a report written by a Hamburg train depot manager. Clipped and transcribed from The Evening Post, New York, New York. Tuesday, 1840-06-02, Page 2:

TEXT TRANSCRIPTION:

From the Charleston Mercury, May 29.

DISASTROUS FLOOD. - We scarcely know in what terms to report the terrible freshet that has just visited Augusta and Hamburg. This much is certain, that
about three miles of the track of the South Carolina Railroad next the Savannah river, was so overflowed that the cars were stopped. A gentleman who had crossed the river reported that Augusta and Hamburg were to a great extent under water - the bridges over the Savannah were both carried away - the river having risen fifteen feet in a single night. What destruction of property and even of lives may have been the result of this terrible visitation, we dare not conjecture.

We are also informed that a great freshet has been experienced at Georgetown, but we have no particulars.

Since writing the above, we have received from an authentic source the following account of the flood at Augusta:

SCHULT’Z HILL, HAMBURG, MAY 27, 1840, 

Dear Sir - On arriving at the Hill, near Hamburg, this afternoon at 5 o'clock, to my great astonishment I found the river so high, as to be running over the Rail Road, and through all of our Depositories, and the goods from the stores of Hamburg floating up against the Rail Road. The Cotton from Sullivan’s, Cobb and Kernaghan's ware houses floating down through our field; the inhabitants of Hamburg fleeing for their lives in canoes, batteaux and rafts; many of the families have taken shelter in Mr. Hubbard’s house, which was entirely surrounded by water; and from what I could learn the water over his lower floor several feet; while most of the females and children had been removed to places of security; a boat was plying to bring out such persons as had remained in order to save some of their goods; a number had retired to the second story of their houses; the whole ridge of highland in Market street is now covered, and the water is still rising; since ten o'clock this morning the rise has been near eight feet perpendicular - stock or all kinds swimming in various directions, in fact I cannot find language to describe the scene.

From Augusta I learn that the water is running through Broad street. About one half of the new bridge has been swept away. The Savannah river was never known to be as high as at present, and it is still rising; we had incessant rains on Monday night, Tuesday and last night, it fell in torrents, this, together with the heavy rains that fell on Sunday afternoon and Sunday night has produced so unusual a freshet. While I am writing, (10 o'clock, P. M.) I hear persons calling for assistance, and it is impossible to render them any: at this moment Mr. Schultz comes in and reports that the lower bridge is swept away. The foregoing is all that I can say at present in relation to Hamburg and Augusta. The road has received much damage between Aiken and Hamburg - the mill dams from Bartons to Mittons have been swept away since the passenger train passed down this morning, the bridge of the road over Horse Creek has been very much damaged, so as to cause a change of engines at that place. This afternoon we passed the baggage and passenger cars over by hand, deeming it too hazardous to risk the weight of the engines over the bridges. The passengers took up shelter at Mr. Schultz's house on the hill. The females I have sent out to Major Stark's - the gentlemen will remain here tonight, although Mr. Schultz cannot give them victuals or beds; I procured them supper in the neighborhood, and hope they will be perfectly satisfied, as they are in security while many of our fellow men are in great peril.

The Road from the Hamburgh Depository to the hill must be greatly damaged, as much of the embankment is swept away; and the whole Road under water. The goods in store at the Company's Depository has been put into a large car, as also the books and papers of the company. The lime which was brought up a few days ago, remains in the Depository, and of course is destroyed or very much damaged. This intelligence I got from one of the hands employed at the Depository who made his way out from the passenger house upon the Road, after the water had broken over it; he says, he left Mr. Sturges and the Clerks in the Depository, but thinks they were taken to the bridge in a canoe about 6 o'clock in the evening.

I must close this melancholy catastrophe for the present, and will give you the state of the river, &c. to-morrow morning before the cars leave, if they can be sent out at all; many interesting circumstances in relation to the damage done to the road you can obtain from Eldridge. Mr. Brees has been at Horse Creek during the day.

MAY 28, 5 o'clock, A. M

The river is higher this morning than when I closed last night: from what I can see there is only one or two arches of the Bridge gone, the wheels of the freight cars appear to be under water as the cars stand on the track at the depot.

I shall send out the conductor to Horse creek, and if he can get over on the Road, he will go out to Aiken and from there take the Passenger cars and return to Charleston; it is impossible to send out the cars from Hamburg as the road beyond there is covered with water.

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