The Enquirer

By a gentleman from Chester county, Pennsylvania, we learn that on the morning of the 28th ult. a tremendous fall of rain took place in the upper end of that and adjacent parts of Lancaster county, such as the oldest inhabitants of the neighborhood never before experienced.

Our informant states, that for some time it appeared as though the fountains of the great deep were broken up; that the water descended in torrents, swelling the rivulets and larger streams to an enormous height, and rolling impetuously down the hills, swept with resistless fury all that opposed its progress in the vallies below, bearing down fences and enclosures, as well as mill-dams of every description, and some buildings; among the latter are mentioned one forge and one coal-house totally washed down, another forge nearly washed down, and two more much injured; one saw-mill carried off, and two others materially damaged and removed from their foundations; one valuable flour-mill and one nail factory (the former built of stone) completely torn to pieces, and almost entirely washed away; and three valuable bridges, two of them on stone piers, swept off; together with sixteen valuable mill and store dams, entirely levelled to their foundations, all within a distance of about fifteen miles, principally on the Brandywine and the smaller streams emptying thereinto.

One or two families were obliged to fly for their lives, leaving their houses and furniture to the mercy of the furious elements; fortunately no lives were lost. The destruction of fences, our informant adds, is almost inconceivable: the best idea he can furnish on the subject is, that on the meadows of one person nearly thirty thousand rails are deposited.

Considerable damage has also been done on the Octararo Creek, in Lancaster county, as well as on the streams composing Elk River in Maryland—particulars not ascertained.

On the Brandywine, which presented such a scene as the neighboring inhabitants had never before witnessed, the water in less than eight hours rose twenty feet perpendicular.

Several letters have been received in town corroborating the above account, one of which says, that this was absolutely unequalled in the annals of American floods.

[Baltimore Evening Post.]