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THOSE who have never visited the western, slope of the Alleghany Mountains, find it difficult to realize the accounts that reach them of the sudden floods which rise sometimes in a single night, and sweeping through the gorges and valleys, bear irresistible destruction before them-uprooting trees,-bearing away from the scant farms the result of a season of toil,lifting dwellings from their foundations, and leaving behind, almost as suddenly as it was

accomplished, a scene of desolation in nature, and of sorrow in the domestic circle.

These sudden inundations are caused by the waters which fall upon the vast and rapid slopes of the mountains during heavy rain storms, and concentrating rapidly as they descend into the ravines, convert the brooks into streams, the streams into rivers, and the rivers into lakes; sometimes causing a rise in the Ohio River of twelve or fifteen feet in a single day and covering, for a short period, large tracts of that beautiful and fertile valley. Owing to the frequency of these floods, the people of that region usually take the precaution to select for their dwelling-places and farms, elevated situations; but even then they are not entirely safe from danger, for it has occasionally happened that the flood has surpassed, in its extent, all human calculation, and many a family who has retired to rest in fancied security at night, has found itself houseless and homeless on the morrow-the farm devastated-crops destroyed, and cattle swept away. The following sketch will illustrate the hardships and sufferings that have been encountered by those hardy pioneers who, in advance of the age in which they lived, made the mountains vocal with civilization, and caused

"The wildernes: to blossom like the rose."

Let the reader take a retrospective glance, for a period of about thirty-five years, from this present anno domino 1850, and see in his

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family. No barn had yet been reared, beca lumber was not only scarce but expensive, a the few cattle that they had acquired w sheltered from the storms of winter by a ho which Jerry had himself erected, and the n terials of which were logs, branches of tre and a thatch of dried grass. Taken all in their means of comfort had been greatly creased, and the little family were compa tively happy.

In addition, also, to their immediate co forts. the deep and almost frightful solitude the place had been somewhat softened by t proximity of three other families, who, li themselves, being driven by the hardships civilization from the dense haunts of men, h cast their fortunes in the wilderness, det mined to rise with the rising greatness of new country, rather than live submerged

mind's eye the little frame-built cabin of Jared | dimensions had been erected for the use Hanford, lying cosily under the very branches of a huge oak, within a rifle-shot of the Conemaugh River, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. This river empties into the Alleghany River a few miles from the site of the now thriving city of Pittsburgh. There you will see the spot on which Jerry, with his hearty young wife, and little Annie, their child, then about four years old, made their first settlement in the Great West, after having been deprived by some legal chicanery, of the old homestead in Connecticut, on which Jerry had been born, and from which his father, after fighting the battles of his country's independence, and his mother, who first taught him to pray, had been buried. The young couple were thoroughly learned in all matters pertaining to farming; and having braved a passage of the Alleghanies in a covered wagon, with little to boast of at the shrine of Mammon,neath the mature littleness of artificial ex beyond their old vehicle, a span of horses, an economical sufficit of kettles and pans, a good, but rather ancient, musket, which had been a trophy in the family of the Hanfords since the battle of Bennington, and a brace of stout hearts, they were fain to halt on the spot above described as one adapted to their then limited means of cultivating the soil. They had been told that land was so plenty in the "West" that all a body had to do was to "squat," as they called it, build them a house, and go right to work farming; and that, as the land belonged to nobody, nobody would trouble them about title deeds, or writs of ejectment. They did not, it is true, select the finest farming portion of the Great West but after the weary journey of passing the mountains, they were fain to be content with the first spot that indicated soil enough for a crop of grain, a hill of potatoes, and pasture for the cow, when they should get one and there, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, they pitched their tent and reared their habitation. At that time, there was not another human creature resident within twenty miles of their settlement-the wilderness was primeval, and the wild beasts of the forest were their only companions.

Two years had gone by since their first settlement, and some changes had taken place both in the external aspect, and the social condition of the squatters. Another member had been added to the family, in the person of "little Robby," who was now nearly a year old. The old log hut had been converted into a pig-sty, and a building of rather more ample

tence. These families had all "squat" with
the range of a mile from the domicil of o
friend Jerry Hanford, and as they had be
all mechanics, their talents were frequen
brought into use in doing little jobs for o
another, from the mending of a broken ploug
share even to the building of a shanty.
carpenter's and a blacksmith's shop had be
erected, and the "settlement" was getti
along snugly, and even prosperously. T
years had passed in the accomplishment
these small changes and improvements, wh
one afternoon, about the middle of Septemb
Mrs. Hanford heard the whistle and voice
her husband in the field near the house.
"Whe-wit-whe-wit-here Bose-here b

here!"

No response was heard to this earnest su mons. Bose, the dog, having little to do tl day, had gone on a hunt to the foot of mountain, in company with another of his of race, who belonged to the neighboring bla smith. Hanford's voice and whistle was aga heard, evidently not in the best humor w the absentee.

"Whe-wit-whe-wit;-here, boy-here! Confound the dog!-he is never to be fou when he's wanted. Here's a sou'-easter comi down from the mountain like all creati and the cows are, nobody knows where. Whe-wit-whe-wit;- here - here - here; come, boy!"

Be it known to the reader, that Bose was personage of no small importance in the fam of his master. He had his duties to perfor

as well as others, and, he knew as well as any one, at what time the cows should be sought for in the woods, and brought in for milking. This was one of his principal vocations, and he very seldom failed to have them at the door, together with the pigs, in due season. At this time, however, his hour had not arrived, but like his master, he had seen the indications of the approaching storm, and was even then hastening homeward.

On hearing her husband's voice, Mrs. Hanford came to the door of the hut, and saw in the distance the fast approaching storm. Far as the eye could reach the lofty peaks and ridges of the Alleghanies were clad in the dense mist as in a shroud, and with the rapidity of the winds the dark clouds were stretching away over the valley. Though all was yet calm in their low retreat-the sound of the rushing storm was distinctly heard, as it came pouring like a flood over the high summits, and through the gorges, and down the rough mountain sides, in the direction of their dwelling. These indications were too well understood to be neglected, but storms from the mountains were not unusual occurrences, and, therefore, created no serious apprehension. The skiff which Hanford used on the river, was drawn upon the bank, to be out of the reach of the freshet that was expected as a matter of course, at every rain; the horses were put under the hovel, and such other precautions taken as were necessary. Meanwhile, large fields of fleecy scud, like winged pioneers, were passing over in whirling eddies high above the cottage, and the sides of the distant mountains became obscured in the gathering mists. The groaning of the forest, as the winds whirled through the close branches and foliage, grew more and more loud and near, resembling, to the unpracticed ear, the roar of a vast and ceaseless waterfall; and already, though scarce a leaf was stirred by the wind in their immediate vicinity, Hanford and his wife could see afar the lofty monarchs of the forest bowing and swaying their proud heads to the resistless blast. Our mountaineer gazed upon the fierce gathering tumult of the elements with a contracted brow, and the face of his wife became pallid with apprehension. They saw plainly that no ordinary storm was approaching, and they awaited the onslaught with fear. At this crisis, the truant dog came panting home, and erouched exhausted at the feet of his master; and, when ordered to perform his accustomed duty, instead of obeying, be slunk away into

a corner of the cottage, and with a look of seeming supplication, laid himself down. The instinct of the brute taught him that there was danger abroad, and his master partook so much of the same feeling that the order was not repeated. By this time the thick, dark clouds had completely overcast the earth, and shrouded the face of nature in a mantle of gloom, broken only by occasional flashes of lightning,— fierce gusts of wind swept howling by the cottage,--and in a few moments the hurricane in all its fury burst upon them, in a deluge of rain-uprooting trees, and whirling their rifted branches aloft into the very clouds. The cottage in which the family were gathered was saved from instant destruction only through the shelter afforded by a thick forest, lying a few rods east, which broke the force of wind; but the old oak over their heads swayed and bowed so low before the storm as to excite an apprehension that it would yield and crush them in its fall.-Darkness came on, but with it came no cessation of the elemental strife.

The eloquent storm, pouring its wild voices On the night, grand, sublime, and terrible, And the electric blazon of the clouds, And the vibrations of the affrighted earth, As peak and vale answered ti e thunder-shock, produced a combination of appalling grandeur, and contrasted strangely with the quiet scene within the cottage. From infancy to mature age, Jared Hanford and his excellent wife had been taught to regard regular family worship as one of the paramount duties of life; and amid all their vicissitudes and privations, they had never neglected to acknow edge, morning and evening, their dependence upon their Creator; to pour out before Him, the grateful emotions of their hearts for any blessing conferred, and to ask with humility, through the name of the Mediator, a continuation of his blessings here, and wisdom to prepare for a glorious immortality hereafter. The usual hour of their de votions had arrived, a chapter in the Holy Scripture had been read by the wife, and now the deep, earnest, and manly voice of the husband mingled in solemn prayer with the confused tumult of the elements. Though all without was at war. all within was at peace, and although the hearts of the husband and wife may have beat quicker than usual at the imminence of the danger that surrounded them as they knelt with little Annie between them, at the family altar, yet their devotional exercise was not the result of impulse or immediate fear; it was the customary outpouring of a

1

sense of religious duty, the daily appeal of that little family, for divine interposition and protection.

The family had scarcely risen from their attitude of prayer, when they heard, mingling with the howl of the storm, the sound of a human voice. A loud and prolonged hallo, from some person near at hand, was clearly distinguished, and although there was nothing peculiar in the voice itself, yet the sound at that particular moment was startling. Hanford and his wife paused an instant to listen, and again the hallo was heard. Their first impression was that it came from some traveller, lost and benighted in the storm, seeking a shelter, and the first impulse was to receive, and make him welcome. Hanford opened the door of his hut and answered the hallo, while his wife brought the candle to the closed window as a beacon to guide the steps of the stranger. The rain still poured down in torrents, and by the occasional flashes of lightning our friend saw that the whole earth seemed to have been converted into a lake; the waters were on every hand.

"Halloa! Hanford!" was now distinctly heard from a prominence about fifty yards east of the house

in anticipation of his neighbour's distress, and now came to offer his best efforts in their service. Hanford started for his skiff, and fortunate it was that his attention had been called to that direction, the water was already flooding up about the cottage, and nearly kneedeep at the spot where the boat had been left, a few moments more and it would, doubtless, have been broken from its mooring, and carried away by the swift-flowing current. It was plain, too, that the prediction of his neighbor was likely to prove a truth, for the rain was still pouring down, and Hanford well knew that if the storm had been as severe in the mountains as it was in their vicinity, the rise must continue for several hours after the rain was over. It was necessary, therefore, to take instant measures for the safety of his family, and such of his limited household effects as could be taken care of. The first movement was to "pole" the boat across a hollow, now filled with water, which ran like a river, to the spot where the lad had been waiting, and bring him to the house. Hanford next went to the hovel and detached the halters from the heads of the two horses, in order that they might be free to take care of themselves in case the flood should drive them from their

"Hallo," again shouted Hanford, "Who are shelter, while his wife got the clothing togeyou?" ther, and tied it up in bundles, ready for a start.

"A neighbour,' was the reply, and then followed the enquiry, "Where's your boat?”

"All handy," answered Hanford, "I drew her up before the storm-she is here by the ash tree."

About nine o'clock, the force of the hurricane had passed away to the westward, and the deep-toned thunder was heard only in the distance, or in prolonged reverberations, as its

"Make haste and get her then the Cone-heavy maugh's over the banks, and your house 'll be flooded before you can say Jack Robinson."

"But Joe, lad, what brings you here?" inquired Hanford, as he recognized the voice of a neighbor's son, "the storm's enough to drown such a stripling as you, without waiting for the Conemaugh to run over."

"Why, I come down to lend you a hand. Your land's so low, father said he was afraid you'd be washed away 'fore mornin', and as he had to stay home and take care of our folks, I come to help you if you want it; I can't git no furder though, without you bring the boat; it's too dark to swim this current."

This act of disinterested kindness, though not uncommon among the pioneers of the west, was touching to the heart of our cottager. The lad was not over sixteen years of age, yet he had risked his life, wading through the forest a distance of half a mile on that terrific night

sound came back in rumbling echoes from the successive mountain peaks; but the rain continued to fall from the dense masses of clouds above, and the whole earth was shrouded in the very "blackness of darkness;" so that not an object could be discerned at the distance of a single yard. This fixed and impenetrable solidity of darkness was, if possible, more fearful than had been the storm itself, in its worst fury; for now the waters were gathering around them, and the thought of being driven from shelter in a poor, frail skiff, on such a night, and thus left to the mercy of the winds and the flood, was truly terrible. "My poor children," exclaimed Mrs. Hanford, clasping them closely to her heart,-"God must be your protection!"

All, at length, were gathered in the hut, waiting with deep anxiety the result of the flood. There was no upper story to the building to which the family could retire in case the

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