Rash's Surname Index
Notes for George B. FELL
"The 8th of January, 1841, will be long remembered on the Delaware for one of the highest and most destructive floods ever known along the river. Houses, barns, fences, furniture, haystacks, coal boats, saw logs, bridges and cakes of ice, were borne by the destructive tide. Not a bridge was left standing between Easton and Trenton, nor on the Lehigh between Easton and Mauch Chunk.
Center bridge came floating down in two massive pieces just before noon. One piece struck New Hope bridge about midway, with an awful crash, carrying away one arch on the Jersey side. The Jersey pier soon gave way, when the third arch followed, and lodged a short distance below. The other part on the Pennsylvania side remained. George B. Fell, who happened to be on Center bridge, was carried away with it. Fearing danger from the crushing of its timbers over head, he succeeded in reaching, with the aid of a plank, a broken portion of the roof floating near him, thus freeing himself from the main structure. When he passed New Hope bridge he was upon a loose plank, and was obliged to lie flat upon it to avoid touching the bridge. Attempts were made in vain to rescue him at that and various other places. At Yardleyville he struck a pier, and got splashed with water. When he had passed under the bridge and floated a few yards below, the whole structure was precipitated into the stream. He continued to float, gathering pieces of lumber, which he kept together, forming a sort of raft, by which he was enabled to steer into the still water about three miles above Trenton, where he was taken up in safety. On his return to Lambertville, he was received with shouts and the discharge of a cannon."
| HOME | EMAIL | SURNAMES |
Return to The Pennocks of Primitive Hall website.
The information in this database may contain errors. If you find any questionable data, or if you have something to add my findings, please feel free to e-mail me by clicking on the "E-MAIL" link above. Thank you!
Page built by Gedpage Version 2.21 ©2009 on 07 July 2020