The April 1940 Flood on The Susquehanna

Looking North on 5th, from Market St, Sunbury, April 1 1940

In April of 1940, a flood on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River killed 9 people, and left 15,000 homeless.  (The flood was much less severe on the West Branch.)

 "Four cities along the raging Susquehanna River were threatened with complete evacuation today as rising flood waters inundated a 200-mile-long area extending from New York to the southern Pennsylvania border. Hardest hit were Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Plymouth and Sunbury." April 1940

Sunbury

Looking North along 15 at Blue Hill.  Flood at old Reading Railroad overpass.

The 4th Street Overpass, April 1940

10th & Chestnut Streets, Sunbury

The river crested 3 feet lower than predicted at Sunbury.

"Water began seeping through the railroad embankment along the North Branch this morning.  Wherever a cascade appeared it was blocked off with sand bags.  In some placed it resembled fountains shooting jets into the air.  It was believed the water broke thru holes dug by ground hogs under the railroad embankment."

The Sunbury Daily Item, April 2 1940

The A & P - Arch Street, between 4th & 5th Street

8th Street, Sunbury

The 1940 flood effected only 25 percent as many as the 1936 flood, allowing the city of Sunbury to be better able to cope with the flood.

Schindlers Photography Studio

Gas House Alley, Sunbury

Gas House Tanks, Sunbury

Police officers patrolled the city, stopping sightseers from entering the town.

The April 1st Flood At Sunbury was the 6fh highest river level to date (in 1940)

The Sunbury Overall Company, Queens Company, Uquahart Mill, and the Sunbury Burial Case Company were all closed for weeks after the flood.

Selinsgrove

Market street near the 522 intersection.  (the flooded area today is a Ford Dealership)

The Blue-White Tourist cabins in the flood of April 1940.
Looking south on Market St, near Sand Hill Road.  

Danville

Water levels at Danville

Lewisburg

"Because of the work of the Veterans from Weikart who came here Sunday [March 31] to move furninshings to dry places, Lewisburg residents suffered no flood damage." - Chief Burgess [Mayor] S.B. Wolfe, Lewisburg

Near Death In West Branch Waters 
Raymond Kline, Lewisburg, Rescues Two Bucknellians From Ice Waters
 CANOE CAPSIZED 

 Two Bucknell students who thought it would be fun to take a boat ride on the flood waters of the Susquehanna River at Lewisburg at eleven o'clock Sunday morning were saved from a watery grave only through the bravery of Raymond Kline, 19, son of Justice of the Peace and Mrs. A. Paul Kline of Front street, Lewisburg. 

Young Kline not only rescued the pair from the swift and swirling waters of the river, but saved their boat. John Davis, son of Judge Warren J. Davis, of Trenton, N. J., after whom Bucknell named its new gymnasium, and William Woods of Union City, were the students who secured a canoe fastened a motor to it and then started sight seeing on the Susquehanna. Judge Davis, who retired during the past year as a member of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, is a Bucknell trustee. 

All went well while they remained near shore but just south of the river bridge they essayed to run out into the stream and as their frail craft struck the main current it immediately capsized. Both boys are good swimmers but could do little against the current and were rapidly being swept down stream. Squire Kline and his son Raymond were in their boat helping Abner Scholl move furnishings from his immersed home on Front street, and when they heard the motor on the boat suddenly stop, looked out and saw the boys struggling in the water. Young Kline, who had a well built row boat, immediately started to their rescue and succeeded in getting them into his boat and back to shore, although in doing so he was carried south of the gas house, a good quarter of a mile from where he set out from shore. He again braved the waters to pull the canoe to safety and the only loss sustained was two oars and a pair of shoes. ' At the point the boat capsized the water was fully 25 feet deep at the time, but the students escaped with only a wetting due to the heroism of young Kline [Story ran in several local papers, including the Danville Morning News]

Milton

Carl Fuehrer, borough manager at Milton, said the damage at Milton was minimal.  He doubted the total would "approach  $10,000.".  Most of the flooding at Milton was caused by the flash flooding of Limestone Run, on Saturday March 30th.

Find More Flood Photos Here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/06/when-mighty-susquehanna-flooded-our.html

===========

READ MORE
===========

April 17 1940

The Danville Morning News

On This Day In Local History - April

On This Day In Local History, April 

JAN    FEB    MAR   APR    MAY    JUNE   JUL   AUG   SEP   OCT   NOV   DEC

In the early 1920's, the Miltonian newspaper ran a weekly page of Historical Notes, with history listed by day.  It's one of my favorite things to read, and many of the articles on this blog have come from those blurbs.  This is my version of those 1920's pages, in a month format rather than a daily one.  (They typically post daily on my facebook page, when I remember to schedule them to do so)

For a Time Line By Year, go here:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-time-line-of-history-in-central.html

A Parade For Maj. John Oberdorf, Selinsgrove, 1943

 

Approximately 200 people lined the streets to honor Selinsgrove's first war hero, on April 9 1943.

Major John Oberdorf was awarded the Air Medal for Meritorious service in connection with a troop carrier flight to North Africa in 1942.

The entire group of aviation cadet candidates at Susquehanna University would appear for the first time as an entire unit, in this parade.

The 450 participants in the parade also included member of the Selinsgrove Victory Post 25 of the American Lewion, and members of various Civilian Defense Units, both men and women.

Prof. Elrose Allison of the Susquehanna University Conservatory of Music was in charge of the band music.

"Every effort is being put forth to make the parade a gala occasion.  Major Oberdorf, a former resident of town, a graduate of the local high school and Susquehanna University, is the first Selinsgrover to be cited in the present war. No tribute that the town can pay will be too great for him.  The parade Friday night will be a visible means of appreciation for the services of such men as Maj. Oberdorf who are doing their part for us." - The Snyder County Tribune, April 1943

The parade was to begin at Susquehanna University at 6:30pm and proceed over a route through the central part of town. 

All town residents were asked to display flags at their homes for the parade.

The Reviewing Stand was in front of the Hotel Governor Snyder (Formerly the Sterner Hotel).  Maj. Oberdorf is shown standing beside his mother.

==================

Stories & History From Selinsgrove, Pa

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/04/selinsgrove-pennsylvania.html

For More Local History & Stories From Nearby Towns:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

==========

READ MORE

============

John Oberdorf with a bi-plane

Colonel John W. Oberdorf, born in Snyder County in 1914, was the son of John C. & Celeste [Sandel] Oberdorf. In 1947, he married Lois Ely, in Pasadena California, where his brother George lived.

Colonel Oberdorf entered the Air Force in 1939 as a flying cadet.  He served as plans officer of the 9th troop carrie command in the European Theater, and spent three and a half years in foreign duty.  Col. Oberdorf achieved the remarkable distinction of becoming a Colonel when 32 years of age.

A sister, Mrs Arthur H. Wilson, remained in Selinsgrove in 1947.

Two Trains Collide, Selinsgrove, March 25 1900

March 25 1900

"A train of 35 loaded freight cars started at a down grade run at Selinsgrove.  The runaways collided with an engine that was going up grade, and produced a wreck such as had not been seen on the Selinsgrove & Lewistown Branch.  More than a dozen loaded freight cars piled themselves over the top of the engine and obstructed travel all day Sunday. Everyone on the trains had power to get out of the way of the wreck of matter and crush of engine and freight cars." - The Sentinel and Republican

The Ice Gorge On Penns Creek At Selinsgrove, March 1904

The Ice Gorge At Isle Of Que Mills, March 1924

Looking North From East Mill StreetThis Mill building was built in 1865, replacing an earlier structure.  It was demolished in 1928.

The worst of the Ice Flood in 1904 occurred on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River, between Bloomsburg and Danville.  Ice boulders there remained through July of 1904.  Other towns, such as Selinsgrove, also dealt with ice,  flooding, and destroyed bridges  in 1904, just not quite as severely, or dramatically.  

See the dramatic Ice boulders in Danville in 1904 here: 

 https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-1904-ice-flood-in-bloomsburg.html

The ice was reported to be two feet thick in spots along Penns Creek at Selinsgrove

On Sunday March 6th, heavy rains began to fall.  By Monday night, March 7th, the water was moving the heavy blocks of ice, slamming them with great force into bridges and property along the way.

One span of the red bridge was swept away and landed against the piers of the railroad bridge.

The bridge at Monroe Mills was greatly damaged, with the arches all cut off.

Maruers bridge that spanned the creek two miles north of Kratzerville was carried away by the ice, parts of it were left laying in fields north of Selinsgrove.

The New Berlin bridge was also swept away.

The Ice Gorge at the Red Bridge over Penns Creek, March 1904

As the ice passed through, it tore away the east span of the bridge.

The Ice Gorge at the Red Bridge over Penns Creek, March 1904

============

The ice was moving on Penns Creek on Monday March 7th, but no ice was reported moving on the river at Selinsgrove, according to the Harrisburg newspaper.    The Sunbury paper reported that the ice from Danville came through the Northumberland area on Wednesday night, March 9th.

"A number of people from up the West Branch were visitors in town [Northumberland] on Thursday [March 17] to witness the coming of the immense ice gorge on the North Branch river, but the worst of the damage was done on Wednesday night when it was impossible to see."

==================

Stories & History From Selinsgrove, Pa

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/04/selinsgrove-pennsylvania.html

For More Local History & Stories From Nearby Towns:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

Sterner Hotel, Selinsgrove PA

 

Hotel Sterner, 17 N. Market Street Selinsgrove

Originally the Keystone [1875], this hotel re-opened in March of 1924 as the Hotel Sterner.  It became Bj's restaurant in 1991.

Where The Ferries Crossed - Ferry Boats On The Susquehanna

Where The Ferry Boats Ran On the Susquehanna River

The Watsontown Ferry

The Montgomery Ferry

The Milton Ferry

The Ferries At Sunbury Pa

The Bloomsburg Ferry

================

Assorted Ferry Notes

===============

The Ferry At Danville

Capt. Jacob Gearhart established a ferry from Riverside to Danville in 1791.  Gearhart has a home on a hill over looking the river, and in 1949 the ferry house and tavern were still standing.

Daniel Montgomery laid out Danville in 1792, at which time ferry rights were given to both Montgomery and Gearhart.

The Ferry At The Riverside Landing - silk mill shown across the river

Between 1904 & 1905, The Ferry was the only way to cross the river between Danville and Riverside.  An ice flood in 1904 destroyed the Covered Bridge, the new iron bridge was not completed until 1905.

The Ferry At Lewisburg
Ellinckhuysen's at Lewisburg
The bridge was washed out in the flood of 1865 and the company immediately established a ferry until October 19 1868

1871 Map showing the Ferry At Montgomery

Port Trevorton To Herndon

The Ferry At Selinsgrove
Fishers Ferry, from the Island of Que to the east side of Sunbury, was opened by Adam Fisher in 1791

May 17 1897 — Geo. M. Lumbard  [My Ancestor] leases the Masser Estate Ferry to carry passengers from the Junction to town in the absence of the N. C. R. connection formerly made by the "Shifter."

==========

Find More Stories & History From The Central Susquehanna Valley
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

==========
READ MORE
==========

 The first ferry on the Susquehanna River was Harris, where Harrisburg is located today, licensed by the Governor in 1733.

"Other ferries were Ellinckhuysen's at Lewisburg, Hulings at Milton, Lytles below Millersburg, Montgomery's below Liverpool, Clarks at the Juniata

===============

1934 Selinsgrove Times