The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-23
RICHMOND VA. MONDAY MORNING, JANUARY g. 1865.
TIE FLOOD 1T THE SOUzH

TIE FZo0D IT THE sou3H |
The recent heavy flood expsrisnDed in
Virginia and North Carolina sesQss to
have been general throughout The Pom
federacy. The Charleston Mercury sa5s:
Between this city and Columbia the
long trest!evnrk on the South Gafotna
railroad, at Kingsville, has been wasneo
away.
At Columbia, there was 4 great 'np-
heanl Of the waters" and The Conearee
river was higher than it has been slnce
1852, causing great destruction 70 lsiiis'
plantations, etc.
At Chester. on the Columbia and
Charlotte railroad, heavy losses Weresus-
tanned and the track greatly danaee4.
On the North Carolina railroad bes
tween Charlotte and Greehsborsy ss~o
bridges are gone.
In Georgia, the waters have been very
high. The Augusta ConstitutionaHst
says:
Up to Tuesday evening the Savannah
river had been rising with some rapidity,
but no one anticipated the angry, turbu~
lent tide that was presented On Wednes-
day morning The recent rains had been
in no wise heavy, and it was not sup
posed that the SHOWS in the mountains
had melted to such an extent as to pro-
duce freshet. Yet, during Tuesday
night the river rose very quickly, and by
morning had passed it's banks, sweeping
everything before it. The suburbs to the
west of the city were inundated, and the
eager watchers were hurrying through
the streets. By noon every avenue was
miniature river, the current dashing
: along at cataract speed.
All business was necessarily sus>
pended, save that incident to the
: protection and preservation of property.
, Pedestrians found themselves water
r bound upon all sides. Skifs, canoes,
and other craft were brought into requi-
s;tion. and vessels Of all sorts were i'm
pressed to transport passengers, furnl
: ture, baggage, etc. Ladies who hao
ventured ou. were caught by the rapidly
swelling waters, and forced to seek
wagons and drays for safe carriage home
a The only lucky fellows were the wan
Q dering cavalrymen, who, fearless for the
nonce of provost guards, plunged madlJ
and furiously about upon their horses
BY nightfall, Broad street, from one ex
!, tremity to the other, was billowy sea
: traversed only by boats. Green stree
e was rushing torrent; the cross street
were all filled to the brim, while to tn
south there was one vast watery expanse
n as weary waste as ever eye reste'
d upon. There was no egress or ingress t
n or from the city Every road was sub
m ,rged. The canal bridges were, il
= many cases, swept away. The railroa
n depots were inaccessible, and all travt
S. stopped The factories had to ceas
d work. The gas works were rendere
useless, and the hydrants choked u
" from surplusage OF water. Pumps an
y wells were oyerflown, and we might a
:, we'll have been in the midst OF the grea
10 Sahara, furnishing for aqua pura, as he'
= in the midst Of the flood.
:, The only places in the whole city nj
~ reached by THO water were the sidewalk
ic on Broad street, extending from Jaclsso
ell to Washington, and these were onl
,;s comparatively dry. At the Planter
Hotel the water was. from three to ii
~ feet deep, and thar popular caravanse
at was FOR the day approachable only
of navigators. TIE Globe, Southern Stat
;f and Augusta Hotel, escaped with celia
r., full of water.
4" The water, when at its height, was
OF to the track ON the bridge, and t
me greatest depth reached was thirty b
ed feet -. :,
49,. We have been unable to ascertain Il
~ any lives were lost. 1t was report
70 several parties had been drowned
ms Hamburg, but we could trace the run
nd to no reliable source.
yer A one story brick building, on
=, corner of Green and Cumming stree
" belonging to Mr.. Mcknight, was
re- tirely demolished by the force Of
as water, as also was number OF sn
IN frame tenements and out-houses in
- neighborhood of the. Waynesboro'
pot and the southwestern section OF
."e city.
led The tracks Of all the railroads arc m
lay or less damaged, and under water
oe such an extent as to prevent travel
!, the city for day or two.
We learn the canal was damaged,
70 not to great extent.
ing, ~