Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-08-14
For tie Spectator.

r.
To the Council of the Town Of stanton.
Gentlemen will VOC permit one who is a
serious sufferer from the recent terrible freshets
to address you a few words in regard to the
causes Of the floods, and the easiest, cheapest
and most certain method of preventing these
devastating foundations. Three floods in one
aoeek are surely sufficient to convince you that
something must be done, and that promptly, or
the entire business interests of the town will be
very seriously affected. Our merchants and bus
mess men will not remain 10 town where the
profits of years may be swept off in day,
and at any moment. The evil has become so
serious, that remedy must be found, or the de-
probation of property in the town generally will
be enormous. To any humble comprehension
it seems to be useless waste of money to be
eternally scratching upon the streets In the low
er part of the town, first filling up and then dig
ging down, while the great source OF evil is
neglected. The digging down OF Augusta street
will not keep one drop OF water from the town.
1t is only saving a few at the upper end to dam
age more seriously those OF the lower end, by
throwing the waters upon them with fearfully
increased velocity and force. Remove your
hands then to part where their operations will
prevent the water from coming into Augusta
Street at all. rt4
have watched the three recent foods in their
rise and progress, and think l understand the
causes that produced them. The first and grand
cause is the overflow of the meadow, which re-
ceives, collects and discharges when it can hold
no more, an immense volume of water, that no
channel could carry off. 1t is the accumulation
of water 10 that grand reservoir, before the chun-
mel Of the crsek from the lanyard doom as full,
which mandates the town. What then pro-
duces this overflow OF the meadows Why the
simple fact that from the lanyard to CARRIERS
Foundry there is scarcely any channel to carry
the water of. Over it pours into the meadow
and down in rolls to Tannehill's shop, submerg-
ing everything in its course, before it leaves the
banks of the creek at the Market House or even
along Mr.. Waddell's lot. In the last freshet the
water was not over the bridges at these points,
while the whole lower part OF the town was in
undated. 1t seems to me, then, that the first
thing to be done Is to prevent the collection OF
water in the meadow by widening and deep
ening the channel of the creek as ia: out as the
foundery, uniformly soith the channel through
the toaon throwing up entertainments on either
side to confne the water to its channel. In the
next place, if the channel through the town is
not considered sufficient to vent the water, let
it be deepened with greater fall, or what would
probably be more successful and more econOmi
cal, let Water Street be- cut down from the tan
yard (the fount at which the water breaks out)
to its Southern terminus in Spring Lane. Two
channels would thus be afforded, whicn l am
satisfied would save the town from havoc in the
future. These are the views of plain man,
who is willing to sacrifice little of his mod
crate means tor the public good.
COMMON SENSE.