The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-04-21
THE FRESH.

We employ the word fresh in speaking of
the Hood IN the river, because we are satisfied,
as we have more than once said 10 another
place. that i was the original term, aud that
freshes Is corruption, and very senseless
one. The term, in lis original sense, was first
applied 10 the floods of this river, and BY no
less parsonage ihnn Captain John Smith,
During his expedition, he had occasion to
speak Of the vast quantity Of fresh water which
Game down the river when the rains had been
very great in the mountains, when he made
use of that term.
We have always heard that the great May
fresh, Of l772, when the water rose 80 high,
that man passed in canoe through the pes.
ssge Of house which stood where the City
Hotel now stands, was the greatest that had
ever occurred in this river. A monument, still
in existence, was erected upon Turkey Island,
to mark the heigh; to which the food had as
cended, and osf.er marks ore still preserved at
various points along the line of the river. Ger
tainly il has never risen TO so great height
since that day and yet we think the sugges-
ton Of a gentleman, with whom we conversed
upon the subject on Mayo's bridge.las Monday
while the waters were still rising with great ra'
pidiy, that there was really more water in the
river in lS47, not only rational, but highly
probable. He said, what is very true, that at
that time there was vast extent of country
lying on both sides of the river which had not
been cleared at all-that the consequence was,
that the river meeting with numerous, and
sometimes irsurmountable, distinctions, rose
even with a quantity of water which would not
now carry it out Gifts banks, to height which
caused il to deluge the whole country. At
present, on the contrary, the low grounds have
been cleared TO the very waters edge. The
food meets with no obstruction, and the river
viii not overflow unless an enormous quantity
of water be added to its usual supply.
1t is very seldom that we have ever known
great fresh TO occur when there was much
rain hereahouts. The sky is generally overcast
for several days before the arrival of the wa
tiers, but il is not often that much rain falls
We have heard it said by very old person,
who was great observer, that when the great
May fresh occurred, there was not rain enough
here 10 wet q man in his shirt.sleeves. One
of the premonitory symptoms is the preva-
lence, for many days, of Southeast wind
and SO certain is this sign supposed to be by
the wea,her-wise, that we have known more
than one representation, drawn from it, TO be
verified by the event. The river, for so long
river, is proverbially capricious, and rises,
sometimes, with the rapidity of lightning,
when nobody is suspectiDg anything of the
kind, and while the day is calm and beautiful.
We knew party, consisting Of two men and
a little boy, who had stepped on the rocks
over 10 an island for the purpose of shooting
ducks, come very near being lost by one of
these sudden rises. They reached terra frma
with the utmost difficulty, one of them bearing |
the boy on his back, the water having risen
to their chns.
We should like very much to see connected |
history of the various floods and their conse-
quences. that have occurred since the settlement
at jamestown. We have heard that the great
May fresh, while il occasioned immense TEN.
porary loss, was ofeventual benefit to the soil,
on account of the rich deposit which itleft. 1t
certainly, however, covered some low grounds,
that we could name, with sand, so as greatly
to impair their value. One of it's most curious
effects is 10 be observed in the low-grounds of
MIR. VIM Michaux, of Powhatan, where it
created several ponds to which no bottom has
ever been found, and which are, at present,
filled With fish of very fine quality. How
they got there we do not know, for we never
thought to enquire. Perhaps they may have
been put there by the proprietor of the soil. 1t
is said that houses, full of people, came down
the river in the May fresh. We rather think |
that will not happen again.