Albany, NY Freshet, Feb 1857

THE FRESHET.

Particulars of the Terrible Overflow at Albany.

The Albany Evening Statesmen of Monday has the following particulars of the flood:

On Broadway the first stories were filled to the depth of six or eight feet, and in Liberty, Union, and on the east side of Green-street the basements were inundated. Many families experienced the knawing[sic] sensations of hunger in the deprivation of their morning meal. Throughout all of yesterday the business men, on the Pier along the Quay, in Broadway and in lateral streets, were busy removing goods, but in nearly every instance the water had gained points which were considered as safe, and an immense destruction of property has resulted. In Lynius-street, for instance, the water reached as far as the corner of Franklin, and in the extreme southern part of the city it gained points further west than this even. If no lives have been lost in the southern part of the city, it has been owing to the general alarm caused by the continuous ringing of the fire alarm bells throughout the night.

Ascending to the fifth story of the Exchange building, a most terrible and awe-inspiring scene was presented. So far as the eye could reach, nothing but destruction met the view. The river, filled with huge cakes of ice, piled one above the other in a confused mass, swept dashing, crashing by; while at every 200 or 300 feet apart, were piles of lumber, lumber offices, boats, hogsheads, &c. The most appalling sight, was that of one pile of lumber, on which, standing erect, was the figure of a man. Down, down by the city, and away out of sight, the funeral pile (we fear) passed on, on to the death of the unfortunate person on it. God grant that by some miraculous interposition of His power, the man has before this gained a place of safety.

Looking North nothing met the eye but interminable fields of ice, and never ending piles of lumber; while at Bath it was perceivable that the entire eastern part of the village was under water, and that the agricultural works of R. H. Pease had sustained great injuay.[sic]

At East Albany the ice was piled up against the abutment of the Western Railroad Depot to a frightful height. Using a telescope, it was perceivable that the flood, when at its highest point, had reached to within an inch or two of the flooring of the immense flour depot of the Western Railroad Company, and that it contained a very great amount of flour and other merchandize.[sic]

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