Brent’s Marietta Trip
On Sunday, a little after noon, Mr. Chas. R. Brent made his appearance on the streets of McConnelsville. He was haggard, worn out and mud bespattered. On inquiry it was learned that he had come overland in a buggy from Chesterhill. He reached Chesterhill by way of Sharpsburg Junction, having come up on the T. & O. C. to Sharpsburg Junction which is about nine miles from Chesterhill, and four or five from Sharpsburg, proper. He walked from where he left the railroad to Chesterhill, where he stayed over Saturday night.
Mr. Brent had quite an exciting experience. He had business in Marietta and left Tuesday on the Lorena, accompanied by his wife, whose sister is employed in the Children’s Home of Washington county, and took that opportunity to visit her. On reaching Beverly, on account of the rapidly rising water they determined to take the railroad to their destination. They accordingly proceeded to Marietta by rail. Mrs. Brent went to the Children’s Home and Mr. Brent took up his quarters in one of the hotels. The river rose so rapidly, that after helping the hotel people to remove the furniture to an upper story, he moved to another hotel, only to soon be called to assist again in moving to dryer quarters. He stayed there until the water came up to the counter, when he made a break for the Children’s Home. He remained there until he could endure it no longer, when he set out to return. He walked three miles over the hills to Marietta, where he paid a dollar to be set across to the Harmar side. He climbed over the hill to Sharp Creek, where he paid a man twenty cents to ferry him across, and struck the T. & O. C. and returned home as we have already described.
The water was not so high in Marietta as in’84. It was the rapid rise of the Muskingum that did the damage. All the goods in Marietta are practically lost. The greater part of the town was under water. The people had no time to get their goods out. Mr. Brent says that as he stood on Harmar hill, there was spread before him a wild scene of destruction; factories upturned, houses lying piled up against each other and destruction everywhere.
Herald, McConnelsville, 30 March 1898, p. 2.