The New York herald., 1867-03-21

Wafer-Loss Of Life-Terrible Havoc and
Dissress-A Houselcss and Starving People
Proclamation OF Martial Law-Appearanco
Of tho City When the Waters Fell, &c.
From tho Chattanooga American Union, March 10
We have heart this morning 70 dwell at length
Citizens 0e o. nS
For milos and miles the land is hidden, only
=: = few Of the higher point. Of hills being above
March Q, 1857, there is from four 70 eight feet Of
water on all the streets The losses Of our merchants
business and citizens not be estimated and we
fear the injury the future prospects Of the place
never be estimated Such Hood has never been known
or heard Of BY any in this secton and we sincerely
hope II may never be again.
Yesterday our carriers compelled to carry the
papers GROUND n skins ~ and canoes to Leave them Nth
tney called and the papers had to be brought back to
The clerks in the Post Ofce moved out the mail mat
ter to the amount Of forty large bags during the day.
tho water being nearly four feet deep in the oce at the
At the river bank nothing could bo seen but water
outspread as far IS the could reach Tho current
was still very swift, and considerable drift wood
running down. Tho water was up to the base Of the
lime kiln on the cliff above town. This shows that the
water has risen fifty feet the base OF the kiln being
Mr. Parhan, one Of well known citizens was in
srumental In rescung hundred people living in
high ground. Chaplain Van Horn and family, living at
the National Cemetery, were brought on by him and
taken to his house.
From the Chattanooga American Union March I2l
The waters continued to rise during Saturday night
and Sunday. On Sunday night they rose inches
between nightfall and daylight During Monday morn
ing they a stand, and about they began to
fall From that time till about twelve o'clock night
they fel! five inches
The steamer Cherokee on her trip down the river
steamed the country three miles to the town Of
Washington county seat Of Rhea county, forty miles
from here. Her officers took every man. woman aud
child who remained in town board and after giving
them excursion around the suburbs Of their town
Hundreds OF people camo in from Mission Ridge and
Lookout Mountain during yesterday, to endeavor to get
Il is stated that the backwater extends up Lookout
valley 70 distance Of forty miles from the river.
The stood FIVE feet deep in the lower story Of the
american Onion building yesterday morning The paper
has been published regularly every morning. without the
lost OF single issue The employees ali others who
had business to transact with the office were compelled
to land in a boat on the stairs
The Republican Office has been completely ruined
Several attempts were made during SATURDAY. night
the city Some parties succeeded in making an entry
with boats into the store Of W Crutchneld Co., and
other gentlemen. who In the second story Of the
building drove hem away twice. but they succeeded
the third attempt in getting iu undiscovered.
Locomotive engines standing the track in the depot
yard covered by the water leaving nothing their
bells and smokestacks visible.
Ten cars belonging to the Memphis and Charleston
Railroad Company, loaded with dry goods were stand
ing on the ccmpanys track alongside Of the passenger
depot When the water was at its highest II with
in foot and half OF covering them Of course their
immersion in the water will completely ruin them and
entail heavy loss upon the railroad company.
Yesterday morning petition, signed by about one
hundred Of tho property owners and business men OF
the city, was presented to aor Kline, commanding the
troops ut the post, requesting him to proclaim martial
law and interfere TO protect tho citizens from the
bands OF rowing scoundrels sho were pundcrng the de-
After consultation with his Honor, Mayor Carr Major
Kline issued the following order:-
GENERAL oRDERs-Ho. IL
March IL, 1887.
In of the wishes Of the Mayor property
holders the city Of Chattanooga Is hereby placed under
martial law.
An skins barres, natbosts, &C., Will be seized and
used BY the military for the purpose Of moving furni
tnre. &C., unless they hold permits from the Mayor or
from snsss ssS acoS
Two companies or men In Charge Of commissioned
ofhcer sent out during the morning and guards
stationed the foot OF street both SIDES OF the
overflow with to take every boat soon as II
landed. Every boat owned and used by any of
boat for q legitimate purpose aferward released but
great number taken from negroes and suspicious
wanted 10 cross ovor the water TO either SIDE OF tho
town found dihlcutvin doing so, as major Kline or
Mayor Carr issued passes to all such and let them take
In the afternoon tho Mayor swore number Of special
police for tho purpose Of having the town patoled by
boats during tho night He also procured lot of pro-
vsions and had them distributed IN various parts OF the
city.
LOSS OF LIFE.
No reliable estimate be made "A yet Of the number
of individuals who p,rished by tho food We can
only give few well authenticated accounts from which
tween nine and ten o'clock on Saturday night cries
heard as from two rnen in the watr on Railroad
street. opposite the Crutchned House. Their cries
mingled with splashing in the water, which lasted
for couple OF minutes, when ail became quiet,
TO rise no more. small boat containing three men,
capsized between the Episcopal and Presbyterian
churches At Seventh and Chestn.t streets on satur
dav morrng No boats were near 70 r8ndor them any
aid and none or them seemed TO know how to swim.
Afser several attempts to climb upon their boat
Xfrnme building with three mn on It foated across
antlertown late on Sunday evening. Two OF them
"a the r1o nsr ana attempting 70 gs
one OF and burying the two underneath It
A gentleman informs us that b has counted fifteen
bodies of men, women ard childrn, whitc and black,
noat past his place on the Lookout fountain road.
A negro man was drowned near he upper end Of the
Loss by boat swamping thsold soldien' Home
corner Of Ninth and Pine streets.
o hat
very largo Probably the full number viii never BE-
known.
(From the Chattanooga American Qion, March 131
buring yesterday the wator fell n the rate OF four
lsss of i've inches To-day i VIM rObabIy iowor stiII
faster
in Conjunction viii the civn authorizes and doing al
in their power 70 keep law and crdeih the town The
city ws r': suD 10sy o 81 but
Dur;nS Ss Yesterday our merchants d business men
stoc =: vsssrs have fallen satsntiy 70 allow Of
boats entering the Arst floors Of all Market street
Mud over an lnch deep has settled on Eerythng which
the receding waters brings up 70 the tht and the labor
ana expense Of cleaning sheving, cchtcs and floors
win b v.y heavy issn fhs list lossss occasionsd
rhers Sii BE- great deal Of work Be done in few
days by panser glsxeFs, papcrhangt carpenters and
plsstoren There h scarcely hou4 but needs their
woTh
The YEA quantities Of driftwcod fhich noated up
Market street In the last four days hs been very de-
6rucve 70 panes a gla IN bulk wiAbws of stores and
70 Rlam DOOM
Rssions we're Issued BY the city autfitiss yesterday
% the hundreds Of poor white and NIX VINO swarm In
eur city. and whose penury has bGAincreased BY the
To- o( their habttations and huta
Gho Oould be heard during Last Sg In various psrs
o. the oiey We mpposs they wsrssiber fred By some
Of 1he s5llis0 On duty n man lrdwling around In
oanoea who refused 70 come Nd ordered or else
by soue q the police citizens at sstcious chsrscers
BuiIdinW have been carried Oh frubvery part OF the
~sxw Qorna of than l0d0ed covvov.flcn /