Lycoming County PA News - Disasters
Seven people drown near Williamsport (1824)
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
July 21, 1824
Casualty
On Sunday the 4th inst., a number of colored people were crossing the river, about one mile above Williamsport, in two canoes, when unfortunately the canoes came in contact and both were immediately upset, precipitating the whole of them, amounting to ten persons, into the river, when seven out of the ten met an untimely death. There were six males and four females, one of whom was a child of about 9 years of age. Three men, three women and the child were drowned; five of whom have since been found. - Lycoming Gazette
Fire Destroyes Samuel and Jonathan Rogers' Woolen Factory
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Feb 22, 1826
Extract of a letter addressed to a member of the legislature, dated "Muncy, Jan. 28, 1826
"A Most calamitous fire occurred here this morning, which destroyed the woolen factory of Meesrs. Samuel and Jonathan Rogers, together with all the machinery, materials and a great deal of finished cloth and cassinetts. The alarm was given this morning about one or two o'clock. The citizens of Pennsborough and the neighborhood turned out generally but the progress of the flames was so rapid that it was impossible to save anything of value in the factory. With great exertions the rest of the buildings were saved from destruction. The loss of the Messrs Rogers is great, say at a moderate calculation from 10 to 15 thousand dollars. Their case is an extremely hard one. This being the second time their factory has been destroyed and has excited a general feeling of commiseration for them.
To the above it may be added that the sympathy express by the neighbors of the sufferers is not misplaced. The Messrs. Rogers are men who by the most assiduous industry and by a course of honorable and laudable enterprise have twice acquired the means of independence for themselves and a great usefulness to the country. They first established their manufactory on the Loyalsock creek in a newly settled part of Lycoming county. It was filled with machinery, with wool and manufactured cloth; a flood came and swept the whole away. Scarcely a wreck remained to tell the site of the sad ruin. With renewed exertions in a few years they erected a re-establishment of their just hopes and erected a large manufactory on the Muncy creek near Pennsborough. They were realizing all the advantages that their best expectations could have promised and surrounded by a large number of persons connected with their increasing prosperity when this second calamity has swept away ?ment the labor of years. - Penn. Intel.