1936 floods

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From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tue, 26 May 2009 10:15 pm
Subject: Re: 1936 floods


The flood of March 1936 was indeed caused by a severe winter followed by unusual warm temperatures and heavy rain in March. Ice floes as much as a foot thick and the high water caused severe damage along the Potomac. Water was 42 feet above normal at Shepherdstown, where the highway bridge was destroyed. B&O was badly damaged, but their Harpers Ferry bridges survived. N&W was on high ground north of Front Royal, but it looks like it suffered where the tracks ran close to the Shenandoah south of there. Until a temporary ferry was placed in operation at Shepherdstown, N&W was the only way other than boat to cross there. The nearest highway bridge to survive was upstream at Williamsport, MD. That stretched the 4 mile trip to Sharpsburg, MD to 36 miles.?
?
--Rick Morrison?
?Shenandoah Div. track charts show some high water marks.? On 3/18/38 the water was over the main
line at MP H-185 (Buena Vista)?cresting at 828.93 ft. above sea level.?? Entries for the 1942 flood
start just north of Lyndhurst( 10/15/42)?and continues north to Carson (where I-66 crosses the river
?and the railroad) (10/18/42). Harry Bundy
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