Floodwater Rages Through Smithtown, New York, Library
- by Michael Stillman
Water races through the lower floor of the Smithtown Library.
On the night of August 18-19, torrential rains hit parts of northern Suffolk County on the north side of New York's Long Island. According to the Suffolk County website, “more than 11 inches of rain fell in barely two hours. Many homes and businesses were damaged.” One of those was the Smithtown Library. It had the misfortune of having a floor that was below ground level, and that is where it's historic documents were held. Regular books and other material can be replaced, but if historic material is destroyed, it is irreplaceable. Unfortunately, the general security afforded by the lower level was the wrong place for what might be called a “perfect storm.”
The torrential rains, compounded when a dam on a pond burst, flooded many buildings in Smithtown. In the library's case, water filled an outside stairwell. It came in with such force that it broke through a window. From there, the water rushed across the lower floor with so much power it broke through walls. That's what happened to the “safe” room that held the most valuable documents. It had a locked, water-protected door, which held, but the sheetrock walls around it broke. Heavy furniture and even large appliances were moved around and many items were knocked to the floor. Fortunately, it happened at night as it is unimaginable what might have happened to anyone who had been inside the lower level when the waters broke through.
After the storm, a “supersucker” truck was brought in, along with several other pumps. Over 20,000 gallons of water were removed. What was left was a mess, a mud-covered floor with all sorts of things strewn around. Next came the dumpsters to cart away the material that was destroyed.
Initial fears were that everything in the historic collection might be ruined. When the lower level was pumped out, it was determined that most of the old material can be salvaged, though it will never look quite the same.
You can see the destructive power of the flooding water on the Smithtown Library on this video: vimeo.com/1004151360
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Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 11,135 USD
Sotheby’s: Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven and Other Poems, 1845. 33,000 USD
Sotheby’s: Leo Tolstoy, Clara Bow. War and Peace, 1886. 22,500 USD
Sotheby’s: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1902. 7,500 USD
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Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD, John. A Monograph of the Trochilidae...Humming-Birds. L., [1849-] 1861. $60,000 – 80,000.
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Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: ORWELL, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Lon., 1949. FIRST EDITION IN A VERY FINE DUST JACKET. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD. A Monograph of the Ramphastidae...Toucans. L., [1852-] 54. SECOND ED. $35,000 – 45,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:The Federalist. NY, 1788. FIRST EDITION, THICK PAPER COPY. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: SELBY. Plates to Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology. Edin., [1833-] 34. $20,000 – 30,000.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: APRES DE MANNEVILLETTE Le Neptune Oriental
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSAS Eaux fortes de la Sicile et quelques vues d’Espagne
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSINI DE THURY Carte générale et particulière de la France.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: JOUY; GARNERAY Vues des côtes de France dans l'Océan et dans la Méditerranée
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Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LICENT Hoang Ho, Pai Ho, Loan Ho, Leao Ho. Itinéraires suivis dans le bassin du golfe du Pei Tcheuly
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: FRENCH SCHOOL FROM THE 19th CENTURY Panorama d’Athènes
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Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). The Thirteen Problems, first edition, The Crime Club, 1932. £15,000 to £20,000.
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Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Cards on the Table, first edition, The Crime Club, 1936. £2,000 to £3,000.
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Forum, Nov. 7: Marsh (Ngaio). Overture to Death, first edition, The Crime Club, 1939. £600 to £800.
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Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Murder is Easy, first edition, signed by the author, 1939. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Sayers (Dorothy L.) Lord Peter Views the Body, first edition, Gollancz, 1928. £6,000 to £8,000.
![<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> GOULD, John. <i>A Monograph of the Trochilidae...Humming-Birds.</i> L., [1849-] 1861. $60,000 – 80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/5a5a37a4-bc84-4fa8-b8b8-bad6106a9297.jpg "<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> GOULD, John. <i>A Monograph of the Trochilidae...Humming-Birds.</i> L., [1849-] 1861. $60,000 – 80,000.")
![<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> A COMPLETE RUN of Limited Editions Club publications, v.p. [mostly New York], 1929-2010. $50,000 – 60,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00aa5647-98fa-42e5-aa1f-e306d308a753.jpg "<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> A COMPLETE RUN of Limited Editions Club publications, v.p. [mostly New York], 1929-2010. $50,000 – 60,000.")
![<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> GOULD. <i>A Monograph of the Ramphastidae...Toucans.</i> L., [1852-] 54. SECOND ED. $35,000 – 45,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/529a982d-de64-41cf-b68c-93f0df023bfc.jpg "<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> GOULD. <i>A Monograph of the Ramphastidae...Toucans.</i> L., [1852-] 54. SECOND ED. $35,000 – 45,000.")
![<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> SELBY. <i>Plates to Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology.</i> Edin., [1833-] 34. $20,000 – 30,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/5c121f9c-5368-40ac-a487-76508b5ac622.jpg "<b>Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:</b> SELBY. <i>Plates to Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology.</i> Edin., [1833-] 34. $20,000 – 30,000.")
![<b>Forum, Nov. 7:</b> [Carr (John Dickson)], "Carter Dickson" and John Rhode. <i>Drop to his Death,</i> first edition, Heinemann, [1939]. £600 to £800.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/b3755d4d-1805-4e33-969b-59cca97eb26e.png "<b>Forum, Nov. 7:</b> [Carr (John Dickson)], \"Carter Dickson\" and John Rhode. <i>Drop to his Death,</i> first edition, Heinemann, [1939]. £600 to £800.")
![<b>Forum, Nov. 7:</b> [Day-Lewis (Cecil)] "Nicholas Blake". <i>The Beast Must Die,</i> first edition, 1938. £750 to £1,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/b1a17968-ead3-471f-b6b2-ccd4e31c0e2c.png "<b>Forum, Nov. 7:</b> [Day-Lewis (Cecil)] \"Nicholas Blake\". <i>The Beast Must Die,</i> first edition, 1938. £750 to £1,000.")
