FLOOD OF 1841 – On Jan. 8, all the river bridges from Easton to Trenton were swept away, except for half the Lambertville-New Hope bridge. Happily the Frenchtown bridge escaped destruction by not being built for another couple of years. The event was called the Freshet of 1841, freshet being an old fashioned word for flood.
At the 60th anniversary of that flood, the Frenchtown Star examined the newspapers that had been published the week after the flood and retold the story for posterity. This report is adapted from the Star's rendering:
Early in the morning of Jan. 8, 1841, along the Delaware “the roaring of the water was heard and hundreds hastened to the scene of destruction.” The river was filled with “floating piles of lumber, logs and fragments of buildings. The river was then rising at a rapid rate, and continued to rise until about 3 o'clock, when it appeared to be on a stand. It was then five or six feet higher than was ever before known by the oldest inhabitant. Many citizens residing along the river were preparing to leave their homes. The lumber yards, store houses, mills, and other property situated along the river were in immediate peril throughout the day.”
George B. Fell, 25, of Solebury Township, Pa., was a substitute toll taker on the covered bridge spanning the river from Centre Bridge, Pa., to the hamlet that would later be named Stockton.
Just before 11 p.m., Fell was crossing the bridge to get to his post, when the bridge tore loose from its piers and floated off. “Fearing danger from the crushing timbers overhead, and seeing a portion of the roof floating near him, he succeeded, with the aid of a plank, in reaching it and freed himself from the main body of the bridge.”
Just downstream, the Lambertville bridge was in trouble. “The water was nearly up to the bridge; the ice and drift still increased and struck the bridge with tremendous force. Large coal boats and heavy saw logs and cakes of ice were loaded against it and had forced apart one of two piers on the Jersey side.” Then two massive pieces of the Centre Bridge span “were seen floating down a short distance above by the resistless current in terrible grandeur.”
Somewhere in the onrushing debris was George Fell, riding on a plank. Upon reaching the Lambertville bridge, he “was obliged to lie flat upon it to avoid touching the bridge.” But the two big pieces of onrushing wreckage did not shrink from contact.
“One of the pieces struck about midway with an awful crash, passed through and carried away one of the arches of the bridge. The other soon followed and took with it another arch on the Jersey side. The Jersey pier soon gave way, and the third arch followed and lodged a short distance below. Thus one-half of that structure, which had stood the freshets for nearly 30 years, had been suddenly carried away.”
Attempts to rescue Fell were unsuccessful, and the current carried him onward, “almost dry, suffering but little from the cold until he reached Yardleyville, when he struck a pier” and got splashed. He had no sooner passed under that Yardleyville bridge than “the whole structure was precipitated into the stream behind him.”
“He continued to float with the current, gathering pieces of lumber, which he kept together, forming a raft by which he was able to steer into still water, where he was taken up in safety” by a bateau three miles above Trenton. His wild ride had carried him about 15 miles.
“After his rescue, he immediately proceeded to Lambertville, were he was received with the most extravagant demonstrations of joy by the citizens, who immediately raised a telegraph announcing his safety, and fired a cannon, which was responded to from the opposite shore in the most clamorous shouts and cheering from the joyous multitude. Mr. Fell being satisfied that his friends were apprised of his safety, then retired to bed and took a refreshing sleep and then returned to his home, where he was anxiously received by his family.” Note: Fell's age and hometown come from the 1840 Census.
From "Rick's Frenchtown Encyclopedia"
What a ride! At least he didn't have to negotiate the rocks in the rapids as the water was so high.