The 1865 Flood In Williamsport, Pennsylvania

 
March 17th, 1865

The "West Branch Bulletin" gives very full  particulars of the flood Williamsport:

It says "as the clear morning light of Friday  appeared, there was one vast expanse of water in the upper part of town, extending from the Canal and, in some places from Third street, to the South Bank of the river.

 The waters were irresistible, and came down one seething, foaming, rushing tide, higher higher with every hour.

 Three spans the Williamsport (wagon) bridge were swept away about 6 o'clock in the morning,  and as it was swept down the rapid current span of the railroad bridge went with it.

The flood broke over all temporary embankments, the canal was full, and Pine street below Third was a scene of wild confusion, the waters came rushing through to Black Horse alley." 

The editor of the "Bulletin" gives the following picture as seen from the cupola of the West Branch Foundry:

"Logs, it seemed countless in numbers, were flowing down with the rapid current. A barn, all "right side up," is seen among them, which strikes, the remaining span of the bridge on the Williamsport side, and away they float, leaving nothing but the bare abutments standing. The remains lodged in the lower part of the town, and were left "high and dry" after the waters had abated. 

Here comes a house with chimney' standing. It has, evidently, come from "up the river," and looks, in its erect position, as if the family might be comfortably "keeping house"' and cooking as they traveled. All at once comes a crash. It has struck the Railroad bridge and becomes wreck. Chairs, tables, beds, bedsteads, clothing, and all the treasured articles of household use are revealed and soon swallowed up in the whirlpool which swallows everything in its way.

 A barn comes next. As it tilts over and the roof comes off, out springs ten or a dozen chickens to take their chances in the "wild waste of waters." Thus it is all day: Houses, barns, logs, log houses and barns, huge trees, wrecks of bridges, parts of mills, huge piles of lumber, just as they had been piled at the mill, floating along as if made for that very purpose, until some impediment meets them and they scatter, broadcast in the flood.

The water at its highest was twenty-eight feet two inches above low water, being four feet one inch above the flood of 1847.

 It is estimated that fully nine tenths of Williamsport was flooded, so as to fill the cellars, and a large portion had water on the first floor. The injury to the saw mills has been very great, and immense amounts of timber and lumber have been lost.

 Some idea of the loss, from the interruption of business, may be formed, by the fact that it is estimated that 60,000,000 feet less lumber will be manufactured at Williamsport this season than heretofore. 

The canal has suffered severely. The aqueduct at the mouth of Lycoming Creek is racked and tilted over, and the abutments much damaged by floating timber. Above the aqueduct no vestige of a canal is visible -both tow-path and heel-path having been swept away. It will take a long time to repair the damages.

 We have received no exchanges from Lock Haven since the flood, but a correspondent of the "New York Tribune" gives a sad account of the ravages of the flood at that place. Among other things he Horses, cows and hogs could be seen swimming for life or floating dead through the streets.

Side-walks, fences, trees, logs, timber, icebergs, and drift of, every description, covered the streets and gardens. It is difficult to estimate in money, the damage done to the town itself--probably $20,000 will cover the loss; but to the lumbermen who live in it, and to the business dependent upon them, it must be counted by hundreds of thousands.

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"Williamsport wire bridge, half gone ; toll bridge, all gone; railroad bridge, five spans gone and balance badly injured.  The principal part of Williamsport was flooded as far back as the railroad, and boats were used in the street in front of the Court House. " - The Lewisburg Chronicle

Notes on the former floods on the Susquehanna

West Branch Bulletin

April 15th 1865

The 1975 Flood Along The Susquehanna River

 

After five days of rain in September 1975, towns along the West Branch of the Susquehanna were once again flooded.  The Daily Item reported that it was the 3rd worst flood in Pennsylvania History, and the second major flood in three years, with 6 deaths, 6,000 homeless, and $100 million in damages.

At both Sunbury & Williamsport, the water failed to breach the dikes, limited the damages in those towns.

Bloomsburg, Milton, and Muncy were hit the hardest.

Milton, PA in the 1975 flood

On September 26th, before the river crested, route 405 between Milton and Watsontown was under water.  "Residents and businesses on North Front Street began the battle with flood waters early on Friday as the rising waters poured into the upper end of town. 

The Rendezvous Sign in the 1975 flood

The Rendezvous was located north of town, across from what is now the  Fort Boone Campground.

The Sign for the Arrowhead [the Arrow head is not shown here, only the sign] and La Hacienda.

La Hacienda is, in 2024, the building beside the Arrowhead where the Sunday Flea Market is held.

Inside La Hacienda after the flood

 The waters crept south on North Front and Lincoln streets, hitting homes that only seven months before had been struck by February flooding. Some of the homes were still in the process of rehabilitation from the  disastrous 1972 flood"

The Skat Service Station [Across from the arrowhead] had just been rebuilt, after the 1972 flood.

The Agway store, north of Milton, reported $75,000 in losses.

A car swamped under the Cameron Avenue underpass

vFire hoses removing water from ACF AMCAR building

Hackenberg Chevrolet, on the north end of town, was able to get all of their vehicles moved before the flood.  Water was 2 feet deep inside the building.

View from a boat during the flood.  Hackenberg Chevrolet on the left - looking north from north front street.

By 9pm on September 26th, most of the business section of Milton had been evacuated.

This view is of Arch Street, looking north from Walnut Street, Milton Pa.

[I think that today, that gas station on the top left would be Charlene's Petal Talk]

Trucks on Front street, being loaded with merchandise before the river crested.

Having so recently experienced the 1972 flood, this time businesses and disaster organizations were better prepared.  Most were able to take precautions before the waters rose too high, saving much of their inventory.

RPS Auto parts was not as fortunate.  They reported a $35,000 loss, with every bit of merchandise destroyed.

The bowling alley at the Milton Moose. The wet ceiling tiles all collapsed onto the lanes.

Looking South on Front Street, From below center street.

[For perspective, the Moose building, not shown,  would be on the left of the photographer.  The Miltonian building is the second building on the right. ]

Yocum's, once again under water in 1975

The Blue Spruce, south of Milton, in the 1975 Flood

In 1972, trailers along housels run road were swept away in the flood waters.  In 1975, the trailers were moved before the flood.

Aerial View Of Bucknell View Trailer Court

The State Insurance Adjuster reported that many had left their flood insurance lapse  not believing another serious flood would occur for many years after the 1972 disaster.

Milton residents using hoses to wash the mud from their property, after the flood waters receded.

Returning stock to Leesers, after the flood.

Cleaning up at Farmers Best, after the 1975 Flood.

Photo of Rt 15 in Allenwood, after the worst of the water had receded.  The highway had been covered for a time.

1st & Canal street, Watsontown PA, in the 1975 flood

Watsontown Park in the 1975 Flood

Watsontown Products Company, north of 80 along 405

1st street In Montgomery

A family in Montgomery, being evacuated by boat

In Sunbury, 400 units of rental docks broke loose, an estimated $300,000 in damage.  The original docks had been swept away by Agnes, just one week after the Marina's dedication.  The summer of 1975 was the first time the docks were available since the 72 flood.  

In Sunbury, 49 year old Alvin Campbell of Catawissa Avenue spent 30 minutes hanging onto a pipe under the Shamokin Creek Bridge during the flood, after he fell into the creek.

Campbell and his daughter were on the bridge when they spotted a ball floating on the water.  He reached over the side to grab the ball, lost his grip and fell into the water.  His wife later told reporters that he lost all sense of direction in the current, but came up under the bridge and found an air pocket, which kept him alive.  Divers from the Goodwill Hose Company went into the creek to search for him.  Amazingly, he suffered only minor cuts and bruises.

In Danville

The destroyed bridge on fishing creek north of Benton

"The Benton Pharmacy and adjoining Benton Hotel were destroyed by fire Friday afternoon, as firemen stood in two and one half fee of water to extinguish the blaze."

Occupants of the buildings were attempting to move prescription drugs  and pharmacy records to the upper stories to avoid flood damage, when a fire broke out in the Pharmacy, spreading quickly to the Benton Hotel. 

A volunteer drove a backhoe to the fire station to push the button and sound the alarm.

It took firemen more than 5 hours to get the fire under control.  Neighboring fire companies came to assist, but struggled to find an open road, many having to back track numerous times before finding a safe route through the flood waters to the fire.

Both buildings were destroyed.  The Benton Hotel had just been purchased and renovated two years prior.

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Milton Flood Records

The 1975 flood ranked 6th in the list of floods through the area between 1846 and 1975.

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In one of the articles, there's a quote from Bill Steinling of Muncy:

"They had a flood in 1849 that was so bad they had cattle on the second floor of our old house down on South Main Street.  The banister was busted where a cow stepped through it.  They shows me where it was wired together when we bought the house."