New-York tribune., 1870-10-04
THE VIRGINIA FLOOD.
THE WATER FALLING-DANGERs OF A CoNFLA-
GRATION-IMMENsE LOSS OF FOOD AND
PROPERTY.

IL in almost as bad a plight in 1885, when Gen.
Grants army entered The entire lower portion OF the
town has been untenable since Saturday, and the
greatest distress prevails among the people driven from
their homes In the business part Of the city the dam
age estimated 100000 counting the time lost
in getting things to rights again. There is no more mis-
chief feared the waters recedng quite as rapidly
az they rose The damages TO the Richmond and Dan
Vile Railroad not serious and trains are running
through regularly. The bridge across the James
River remains intact At present a detailed
statement OF losses cannot be obtained but the following
ia list Of the extensive sufferers whose places OF
business the main street. the st. Charles Hotel
were completely inundated: Allan & johnson, A. A.
Hutchson, X. Cauthorn, L. Harvey Co., Hehers tin
shop, Walker & Saunders, j. G. Phillips & Co., Vim.
jenkins, r. ii. Duke, Charles T. Palmer, f. Geese, W.
Walsh & Co., ii. NJ. Smith & Co., A. Bodeker q Bro, L.
Powers w. s. Wood, Christian thinner, Washington
HOTEL Old Market Bazaar, Frederick shafers bakery
Charles T. Taylor. On the South side: ii. A. Pearce, e.
c. Thon, Berrian & McPhail, Stephen Mason, o. A.
strecker, Solomon Wise, William j. Harwood, Meln
Iarocca & Co., b. Lenfeld X. g. Turner, O. Ammers
old place, recently destroyed by fre) j. jacob BALDWIN
& Bro, l.. Ottenhemer, James W. Hamilton, Ed"srd
Kersey Lewis Anteot, NJ. Golden, Joseph strause' M
Harris Bro Philip Weber, julius Kraker, Mr. Jacobs
b. samues and the Columbia House. The extensive
store of Tardy Williams OF Seventeenth ana
together with all others in that vicinity had
TO bear the brunt Of the storm.
Communication throughout the city is still carried on
mainly by improyised ferries, the second and thrd
stories and in some instances the attes, afording
wharfage Castle Thunder caught fire on Saturday by
the unsacking OF immense quantity Of lime which
was stored there and but for the constant fall and rise
of waters the whole central part OF the city must have
been consumed Salt in immense amounts stored In the
vicinity Of the Rockets has been washed away, and
the city is vertably saltless. There Is no pros
pect OF gas for days, provided even that
the rain has entirely ceased In addition TO the horrors
Of destruction there serious fears OF -four famine
all the mills for miles around being destroyed, and the
-four stored in the city being swamped with the nrst
rush OF the waters every street and alley piles OF
furniture and household stuff are lying awaiting means
OF The record of death Ia not 30 large as
at first apprehended. Seven people are known to have
been drowned and some who were missing nave since
returned after wonderful escapes
THE FLOOD IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY
HARPER's FERRY-FRIGHTFUL Loss OF LIFE.
HARPERs FERRY, Oct. 3.-By the rising OF
the water on Saturday Al lives lost The entire
town is waste Of and yestige OF human life
be The methods OF escape were wonderful and
1t marvel that hundreds of lives we're not lost instead
Of the comparatively few recorded. No idea Of the
amount injury inflicted property can yet be esti-
mated but everything pershabe destroyed The flood
came on with such fearful rapdity that could take
the slightest precaution. 1t seemed but moment after
the first rush that the city was seethng gull OF waters
rom their foundations like Pipe-stems and whirled
bodily down the stream, laden with thes horror
stricken owners House after house succumbed 10 the
torrent and went dashng into the stream amid
the fearful shrieks Of their occupants, while
away OF dark OF debris, told too painfully the
story death All that brave hearts could do done
10 save the unfortunate families almost doomed 10 GER
tain destruction. The macnne-shop, owned by Wern-
wag was the last building that fe %nch was apTGS
in the building threestory one at the time II te
Through the wreck that was rapidly noatlng down. ne
nm no ou above
per's Ferry bridge, he was seen to cling tensci4usiy
to @ 9 a hG fa T waRe P in the W
while the raft was plainly Visible IncIeaple as ~ may
named Leopold and rescued about u miles below that
village. He resuscitaed and was found TO be
but Slightly injured. The trestle-work aud bridges on
the Winchester and Railroad, running through
Harpers Ferry, completely swept away. Ihe Dent
and broken iron rails tell the power OF the mighty flood
The water rose TO within few feet of the large iron
bridge connecting Maryland and Virginia, over the 70,
tOmac at Harpers Ferry nundatng the lower noos Oh
the hotel and Adams Express building but causing no
shenandoah City, ainile above the Ferry, is entirely
sbops have been washed away Nearly all the families
of the Island are still in their houses and rescue can
reach them Some Of the houses, however VIII douDtess
stand and the Islanders endeavong to get into the
strong Last night family OF seven persons was
rescued by rope thrown in at a window. A few min
utes later not a vestige Of the house remained This
morning a coored woman was seen clnging 70 tree Ia
the midst OF the seethng waters where she had been al
night. Bolivar Hghts are crowded with ANXIOUS spec
tsors who are ee winchester Railway trestes are
completely gone and the bridges as iar up az
Shenandoah Valley. The Baltimore ana ONO RAILROAD
The number of mills and dams DESTROYED is about 80
The freshet confined within the radus Oh te upPet
valley of Virginia The flood was so great tha u
cattle hogs before 1t like SO many chips OF w4o1
was particularly along the Chesapeake ana ONO
poilroad Abont dozen land slides occurred between
Gotham and MilbOrOugh and eight or ten bridges Were
swept away. The road is damaged to the extent OF
At the MountanTop House the summit Of the Blue
Ridge Mountains the kitchen Sas noSdeI WIN no
damage to bridges the track the main line by the
floods and In the passener @ % ana and the
west and also TO Washington City. ,
The accounts coming from the county OF Albemafe,
from the towns OF Alton and Greenwood represent the
destruction Of property from the hood az immense Many
Instances swept away entire families. The number of
lives lost in Abemare County, AFT heard from. is
"a The amount OF destruction OF grain, tobacco, barns,
cattle hogs, houses, and mills, is incslculable.
LATEST
DISPATCHES to-day say that the loss OF life by the flood
here will not exceed thirty The Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal below this place badly damaged The President
OF the canal teegraphs that he hopes navigation will be
resumed in thirty days.
SCENES AT wAsHINGTON-GREAT DESTRUCTION
AT GEORGETowN-THE POTOMAC FALLING.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3-The waters have sub
sided and Washington has not suffered greatly, though
there was a great fright Sunday night The damage
done 10 property through the city Is considerable, the
aggregate OF which it is difficult TO estimate The range
OF stores from Ninth Tenthss on the south side OF
was all flooded in the cellars, and
much valuable goods damaged. Messrs. Shepherd 4
Bro. alone will lose several thousand dollars The ST.
lanes Hotel was flooded again yesterday In the base
ment the water being n high as nVe ee IN consequence
Of the bursting OF a sewer. - .
As far heard FROM the Orange and Alexandra Rail-
here regularly The track damaged the Chesapeake
and Ohio at Caldwell and the bridges over Moores
creek and the Reyanna River the Road
one span OF the bridge at ROcksh and two spans Of the
bridge over Tye River the Lynchburg extension,
have been washed away.
Intelligence from Front Royal 10 Saturday noon says