Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-09-19

TIE STORM AND FREsHKT.-The heavy rains Of
Friday ana saturday caused freshet Yesterday suf
h'len' 20 alarm those owning property on the ca
nal ana rVer- The river rose about four feet
above rhhary high tide, producing a current of
great strength and velocity equal 10 ten miles the
hour, which nOated Immense quantities Of drift
wood, endangerng especially wharf property be-
low the Long Bridge. An old aulk Of 4 sunken
schooner. which xas removed from I.enoxis dock
some Two Years ago to point about three hundred
yThs above the Long Bridge, whore II lay nearly
buried IN sand, WIS noated to the surface and
THROWN with great force against the bridge near
l. north terminus, where IL was feared II would
carry away the piers but fortunately it lodged in
sirh manner against the outside shores az 20 be-
come barrier against damage by the drift wood
which always lsNiyss ut this point at each heavy
rua- a vessel, "a passing throug the north draw
yas,erdly, was driven by The force Of the current
fainst the Slip 50 rs to dflOdgP them from tue
running gear; ard travei was delayed In conse-
Ience Tor some aours, until the damage could be
ICpaired
AT the south draw, Virginia side,) the drift
logs tore away some II tue piles but serious
damage was clSai1rd The railroad track was
t1rl on NJ a poiIt some hundred yards beyond the
SUN trrni10s Il the bridge for a short dist IRce
- as IA VrCve3t tie cars from running to-day
The damage - lOt gTest, however and a speedy
resumption OK regular avrl may be looked FOR by
the public. About O'Clock p. az. Yesterday, the
mail Steame Salt :sIOre broke away from her
InnOrlHss At tue Xth street wharf and was
dTI sged down the liver ~ far as Getsbury before
cuPy her .IuuT.ng ground again nv dark. having
IL the "a -LuttTIe rot up sufficient steam tO push
her Wa Ia. against the fierce current At the
Long Bridge today, large number Of men are
engaged in cutting away the drift wood which
H. ben lod ED Ia large Quantities against the
piers. Large portions 81 this drift are thrown up
and CaItec away by the Lborers for Ire wood and
the process of clearing is attended with great peril
n instances.
Ths morning sn old man named Kirby, who
WIS Engaged with Others In this labor, was car
-. .l.TFs n
tie had mistaken his footing on the uncertain
iOutdatIOat aBd in a twinklinV was immersed 10
his neck betV.een two rolling tmbers, and would
ave PrriShed hut for Prsmpt assistance from his
frllOw laIO:ers
The tide ran so high along the causeway be-
tween ne two river channels rs TO force its way
the sluice holes provided there for the
purPIse Of carrying away tue accommodations of
water by falling rain) and completely Hood the
place b-twecn the brick barriers on either side
This stStr Of affairs existed during all Of last
night, but the current diminishing this morning
caused the Hood thereon to salside in a few hours
The merchants along the line Of the canal began
10 fear Ior the safety Of their wood and lumber
Yesterday afternoon, and so commenced precau-
uonary measures in season. From Galts mill and
coal depot the water rose a considerable height
above II" canal banks, as far rs Twelfth street
The captain of the canal steamer j. L. Catbcart
hsding Ser place at Georgetown unsafe steamed
her down and made her fast Ia Cialt's wharf close
Ia the .Uil. During the night, the propretors of
tie wharf found the water had inc reased an ran
were standing in IL leg deep; and, in order save
them, they Were removed. The business of Sc
cut;ag the property was greatly aided by small
boat. w III which the hands were carried from
point To point At the wharves below, the mpr-
chants. with their employees, were at work till a
late hour this morning, in endeavors TO secure
their property from serious damage. The entire
loss Of tie merchants on the canal exclusive Of
lDss Of tine. and the expense of replacing their
lumber, will not probably amount 70 more than
two hundred dollars. The merchants on the
south side of the avenue, from Sixth to Seventh
street, We're busy removing the goods from their
cellIrs, which were oyerhOwed from shutdown I'LL
lata hour At night. The merchants on the
whaTVes are still in dread Of the coming tide
though il is believed that the great danger las
p SS-d.
AT the western wharves, the water began to as
sumo serious appearance about O'clOc X Sunday.
MesSrS- Nor gan Rhinehart called their work
nien together and immediately removed the goods
from their new warehouse. About 3 O'Clock thi S
morning the water reached to within few feet
ct the old stone house, and within an inch Of the
floor OF the new warehouse; but no damage was
done 10 the WharveS ar vessels there, or the goods
II store The fears OF the proprietoIs and prop
T9tT owners Al the wharves excited because of
tue strady increase Of the water the time flood
tide. m apprOaCs hes. The indications now
are that The Waisr may rise some inches higher
than Al the LIST tide.