The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-03
MONDAY. MORNING. OCTOBER 8, 1870.

M0NDA, MORNING..
above the Water Works, and set TO Wor <
| After making q ditch about three feet deep
| the entire width of the path, the water came
rushing and tumbling through with such
| impetuosty and force as in few minutes
| to form an immense chasm 100 feet wide and
about 40 feet deep, which gave free vent to
| the pent-up power, and entirely emptied
| the city side of the canal, thereby SAVING
| from almost certain destruction the water
Works, the Tredcgar Works, Gaitego Mills,
along the water line. But for this wise and
timely action, almost ,incalculable damage
would have been, inflicted, throwing hum
dri,ds of working men for q long time out OF
employment. flooding the whole city on the
south of Main street, from the head OF the
basin to Rockets, and causing untold dis
tress and danger from q scarcity OF water
for the purposes of eXtinguishng fires and
for household purposes.
The damage to the Water Works, as far as
could be aScertained, will not exceed So 900.
| The filling of The canal bank above that point
will he done at the expense OF the Tredegar
Company.
| =. ,@'s1 BELLE ISLE.
1 =
| the rising waters on Friday night. Many
Of the EMPLOYEES reside on the main land,
and those from this side go and come in
boats from point above the Tredegar
| Works, while those from the Manchester
side Use the bridge connecting the island
with the Richmond and Danvlle railroad.
Only one man went over from this side to
work on Friday night.
/ Beyond the carrying off the rickety
i trestle-work at the Chesterfield end of the
i bridge and the encrOachment of the flood
upon one or two houses, the damage was
\ almost nominal.
| HEADQUARTERS OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
| At Go'clock on Saturday evening the Chief
of Police left his headquarters at the Old
| Market, and established his office ut the de-
pot Of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad,
leaving two men on duty at the first station
house to strike the hours and give the fire.
| alarm if necessary.
Notwithstanding the almost Zimmerman
| darkness IN which the whole city was in
volved during Saturday night, the thieves
do not seem to have taken advantage Of it !;
and we have not up TO this writing e 2. III.
Sunday heard Of single case of burglary.
The city (if anything) was quieter than on
any preceding Saturday night and Sunday
Cor weeks past. .-
| SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
! BY order of the Acting Mayor, (Mr. Eng
| fish forty-two members of the chain-gang
twere ut work for several hours trying to
get the tobacco out of Mayo's warehouse.
|They worked with all their might. One
fellow, Dick Griffin, succeeded in making
his escape.
The DanviIle train, which left here on
Saturday morning, went only two miles
from the city, finding the track four feet
under water. go .......
libetwecn MayoS and the Uanyille railroad
bridges We're undermined and carried away
on Saturday night.
/ A new wharf, the name Of which we
were unable 70 learn, gave way and went
down the river, carrying Witllit L schooner.
L The Danvile Railroad Company has
kindly allowed pedestrians to pass over
their bridge from Richmond to Manchester
and return, and will continue to do so until
other arrangements can be made.
/ About one O'Clock yesterday afternoon
boat ferrying on Main street between Ham.
ilton's hat store aud McPhairs drug store,
and containing five colorcd persons, two Of
whom were females. was upset, aud its
contents were spilled in water four feet
deep. Nobody was drowned.
We had to do without ice yesterday, the
ice-houses being submerged on Saturday
1t was q great priration to others besides
Sons Of Temperance.
| All the floor of the York River freight
shed was raised by water. The track wa
covered to depth Of 4 foot or more i'll Thu
tunnel near Pine and Main streets, ana |
couple Of engines and some cars were moi
gotten out Of town in time toayoid hene
flooded. ....
On Saturday evening orr streets in the vi
entity of the food and Libby's and CANDLES
Hill were thronged with sight-seers. II
was sight worth seeing, and few who saw
it will ever forget it. .n.l.
At 1 O'Clock yesterday afternoon the
water had fallen from around the lork
River depot, so rs to allow them to clean
up, and we suppose the trains will leave to
day rs usual. The water at that time wa:
still all along the dock on some cross streets
nearly up to Cary street. The water hay
ing fallen rapidly, a great many persons
commenced FIXING up last night and put
ting their goods back in place. At the fer.
tilizing mills of Down, Ward g. Co. and
Smyth & MCGOWAN the loss is heavy.
The safety of the Old Dominion Steam
ship Company's fine new shed is owing en-
tirely to The foresight of the agent Of the
company, Mr.. Wyatt. A cargo was landed
late on Friday afternoon, and by 8 O'Clock
| at night he had it slowed away out OF dan.
ger. lie also dashed schooner to the front
Of the shed to break the strength Of the
waves, and kept tug in motion picking NJ
the drift-wood in the neighborhood.
The City Pointers say that all they saw o.
the fresh was little brushwood floating
down the river.
| A reporter of this paper, navigating OF
Cary street yesterday afternoon, was inYi
ted into Squire Aliens house TO take Z
drink. The water was ten feet deep. He
didn't like so much water to so little Whis
key, and declined
THE TIDE REcEDEs.
| The water was at it's height at 10 O'Clock
on Saturday, night. Theirs was no per
ceptible rise after that hour, and at about
midnight there were many evidences of {
| fall. It continued to decline during the
night, and at 10 O'Clock In the morning hat
fallen four feet. AT noon the water wa:
| about as high Us it was ut the same time OIL
Saturday. Thereafter the fall was very RI
| Did, and last night vehicles could pass with.
out any difficulty, and pedestrians could
! wade anywhere on the parts OF Main anC
/ Franklin streets that had been flooded. The
river was not entirely confined to its limits
and was indeed higher than 1t is in All ordi
nary fresh.
THE LOSSES.
AS the tide receded our reporters were
enabled to obtain more details as to the loss
sustained by business houses, but even the
losers were not prepared to give any rela
Bile estimates OF their damages.
: r" ON MAIN STREET.
The highest point reached ON Main street
west was in front of the St. Charles Hotel
| of the corner of Fifteenth street, the water