The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-03-27

loss of Life aud Property = Distress
Among tho Citizens Tho Wator Pif
toen Feet Higher than cyor Known
Before.
From a gentleman who left Chatta-
nooga ut late hour on Monday cycn-
ing last, VIC have obtained few nar-
ticulars OF tho terrible state Of Affairs
in that unfortunate city. A,ihc time
he left Tennessee river was SILL rising.
tho rain still falling, and Tho whole
country presenting thc appearance Of
y vast sea of water. ,io was = quest
at the Nrutchtield liousa, whore he
remained until the water rcnchcd thc
vcranda, when il was deemed nrudcnt
To- vaea{e, which was done in q boat.
The water continued to rise steadily
until it reached the ceiling OF the urSt
story OF that hotci, after which, being
in other parts Of the city, he saw
nothing more Of it. On market street,
the main business thoroughfarc, the
water was ten feet deep at the highest
points, or over the tops of the awnings
IN front of tho largo stores. The
goods had been removed to the see
ond stories Of the buildings. where IL
was believed thoy would be safe, and
IL necessity OF removing them to q
II re secure point was not seen until it
was too late. Thus, more than three
ion:thS OF The dry goods, provisions,
Nc, were destroyed. IIc saw small
houses Aoating hithcr and tlithcr,
while many largo ones had either
tmnbIod over or were falling asumhcr.
he scene was one OF wild cpniusion--
IN fact, so terrible rs to hewmar de.
Scription. Persons who had remained
III their homes in the vain hope that
the waters would rcccdc, wcro COM
! PEELED IN some instances to make their
exit through the roofs and cScrpc in
| boats III boats. lie could not Give an
opinion as to tho number of lost. but
they were numerous, and Ec saw many
very narrow escapes. Tho citizcnS
wcro going from house to house il
boats, assisting each other, and en-
dcayoring to save articles of personal
apparel, and 4 icw valuablcs While
| tins was tho case, however, with the
better class, that wrctchcG ropulayion
SO peculiar to Chattmoa&a, composed
we're busy iniaEinI!$; inI!$;9%HH} %}an,Nj Wits S, mqBt
situation hy thc porpctratioa Of yobbc~
ry and other acts OF lawlcsSncss.
Great loss from that cause will result
to families whose homes had boon
abandoned.
On TIC Hills adjacent TO the city
wcrc h',a1lcd the refugees from the
dclugc, and in The mixed aHScmblann
there existed most unfortunate state
of society. Among the groups Of tho
lower classes, both white and black,
scenes of most disrraccml character
were transporting, the result Of the un-
restrained drunkenness.
At the car shed tho water was over
seven feet deep. All the railway roll
ing~stock that could DO taken to n
place of safety remained intact, hut
much of it was submerged while box
cars were seen floating in every dircc.
| ton.
| We only make a brief synopsis of
the facts furnished to us, hoping to
give our cadcrs tho full particulars
in II few days. Our informant was
told that the Oldest inhabitants docs
not remember to have seen The Ten
ncsscc river so high by fifteen feet,
and the unprecedented magnitude OF
the flood can only DO accounted for
by tho great quantity Of rain, added
to the rapid melting Of the snow in.
the mountains.--lIttnntu MhNiyeucen
KEcoHsTRUcTIoN IN NIRGIHIA--
TuE FEELING IN OTHER SOUTHERN
ISTATEs. Information from Rich
mond received in this city to-ninht
represents that General Schoic!d's or
dor assuming command Of Virginia as
Military Governor gives entire satis-
faction. Ii was read in the House Of
Delegates and referred, after consid-
cradle debate, to the Committee on
Federal Relations. The Senate was
Iaetiyely employed in q political dis
cussion on the Wilson bill
| Senators Ould, McRac, Trent, Mcr-
Ger, Robinson and Kcnnc, have, re-
turnedto Richmond from Washing
ton; having, as is reported, partially
accomplished tho passage of the NIL
son bill in tho .Unitol States Senate,
which was tho objoct Of their mis-
sion.
| Political movements arc inprogrcss
lall over the State Of Yirgmia. Lu-
ncnb'rg, NIccklcuburg, Fredcrio)ss-
burg, WILLIAMSBURG aoa other conn