Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-10-03
THE GREAT rIooD.
Loss OF Property I'm Washingt0n and
Georgetown.
Scenes and Incidents.

which set in at this point last Friday night, as
stated in Saturdays SrAR, continued with but
little abatement up to yesterday Sunday to-
wards midday, when the flood seemed to have
spent itself, and commenced to subside grad
ually. The most serious public disaster here is
the destruction of the Long and Chain bridges
over the Potomac, the effects OF which every
body viii feel more or less.
THE DAMAGE TO THE LONG BRIDGE.
The damage to the Long Bridge is much more
extensive than was supposed on Saturday last;
so much 30, that the railroad company, in whose
charge ii now is, will not attempt, in all prob
ability, to repair it, but will ut once set about
replacing it with q structure which will be
proof against such floods for all time to come.
Yesterday our reporter, accompanied by Super
tntendent Bradshaw, Tin charge of the bridge, }
w. w: Swapk, drawkeeper, and others, crossed
the extent of damage to the bridge and the
railroad track beyond. The railroad bridge
If se .hs ss to have Tith.tood the
the loss OF most Of the extra supports re-
Gently placed under it, between the piers, to
give Of ength to II. These will have to be re-
the old turnpike) bridge is 1872 feet fully one
half of which has been swept entirely away,
wall and all, leaving nothing but the hard gravel
bed, which seems to have resisted the flood
better than the maeeDry work. In many places
the current has cut deep and irregular holes i'm
this gravel. This is perceptible the whole length
OF the breach. Some forty or fifty large forest
holding them there Against that portion of the
causeway which remains is piled thousands of
cords Of drift wood and debris In every imagina.
pie shape. Among this is much valuable timber,
which the railroad company proposes to make
use OF In the construction Of temporary foot
walk for pedestrian travel, and, after selecting
such rs IL wanted. the poor people will be al
pile Of drift extends nearly to the south draw
and very compactly wedgedin together.
SCENE OF DESTRUCTION.
Among this mass may be seen almost every
article of household furniture, whole and In
fragments, farming implements, mill gearing,
bridges. houses, boats, fences, &c. In order to
examine this mass Of rubbish, the party had to
south draw, and cross over to the old bridge on
a narrow plank which rests on some piles close
by the channel, and which are swayed 10 and
fro constantly by the surging water. This is
nost away at any moment; but at present it is
the only accessible path. After getting safely
s over and taking : long breath, the first thing
that claims the attention is the boiling and mud
dy current dashing through the draw at race
mixed. Looking back toward Washington the
curved and angular. Some portions are pushed
over toward the railroad bridge, and piled nm
against 1.-THE heavy timbers and wrecks Of ali
nlnds making compact mass Of debris, which,
makes a constant trenholm. OF the railroad
bridge throughout It's length. ii would not be
.sing II the entire pile OF rubbish
should all 60 together, taking both bridges
draw last Friday night with his horse and
wagon just a moment before the bridge broke
became so much frightened that he resolved to
20 no further, and is still on the bridge near the
the water settles. Several bureaus, q piano,
tables, chairs, washstands, barrels, tubs, bee
hives, buckets, sofas, desks, carriages, mangled
bodies OF sheep and swine, moving machines,
ladders, staircases, mill gearing, washboards,
stove pipes, doors, window sash brooms, blinds.
bedsteads, cradles, picture frames, benches, and
pell-mer with the drift wood. A large wooden
mash-tub from some distillery has been fished
out and lodged on the bridge. There seems to
Bridge I lodged among this rubbish. The heavier
portion no doubt struck the draw and adjoining
piers, and passed under, forcing the draw inso
It's present POSITION Other portions have
and are easily distinguishable from other tim
Der. The wooden portion of the bridge, from
the eauseway to the south end, is badly dam
stone abutment are entirely swept away, and
the current is rushing through at a fearful rate.
JACKSON CITY UNDER WATER.
Returning again to the railroad bridge, south
of the draw, the party reached the shore, where
every house in Jackson City was found sur
ROUNDED Dy water. AT JOD BURROWS hotel and
restaurant, on the piazza railing, row of woe
BECOME looking old soakers were bending their
empty stOmachs over, looking at the drift wood
cIrcling around in eddies in front Of the door.
The pike road all the way to Roach's Spring was
submerged all day yesterday, and boats were
running from the bridge to the spring, convey
ing passengers.
DAMAGE TO THE RAILROAD TRACK.
The railroad track of the Alexandra, Wash
ington and Georgetown Company is very badly
AA ILL - 4. IL zA...rA
entire distance on these low grounds. The Gull
verts are all gone, and some portions of the
track are swept from ten to fifteen feet out of
line, and in one place the whole track, rails and
swung round into q cornheld, the rails being
bent or broken.
ADVENTURES OF A HAYsrACK.
The most singular sight is q stack Of hay,
about fifteen or twenty feet high, perfect in
form. which is said to have fioated down from
Analostan Island, and, sweeping over the river
crossed q large ooTnfeld which was submerged,
so on over fences and bushes. across the turn
pike, and lodged in the middle OF the railroad
The bridge near Roach's Spring 10 gone, and
wide channel worn across the road, through
which the water PUSHES like mill-race. The
bushes and small trees over the entire low
grounds are bent over with grass and weeds
clinging to their branches. Some colored fami-
lies living IN shanties at the fishing shores barely
ccCdpcu viii t1cI llVos- tbkluH 10 the llGl
grounds beyond, where they now remain.
This morning at the Long Bride the water had
fallen to the usual depth. On this side the street
Is blocked up with carts and wagons and the
crowd have been admitted as far as the breach
in the causeway to gather up the drift wood,
which is brought across and loaded into the
carts and carried away. There are probably
over a thousand people thus employed to-day,
and will be for some time to come.
THE PLooD ALONG PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
In this city the water broke into the cellar OF
the st. James Hotel, corner Of 9th street, but by
the quick action of Mr.. Bunker and his assist
ants its progress was stopped for a while, but
afterwards gaining Roadway, the services of the
Columbia steam engine were obtained and the
water kept down. At Messrs. Harvey & HOl-
dens, corner Of 1fth street, the water extin-
guished the fire in the ranges and business had
to be stopped At the st. Marc Hotel water
rose in the cellar eight inches. This had never
been Known on any previous occasion. The
losses in many cases will be considerable. Mr..
John A. Baker h heavy loser from having had
large amount Of guano spoiled. Mr.. John
Murphy, coal and wood dealer lost 40 cords of
wood, which were swept down with the current.
lose perhaps $500, besides being Inconvenience
in their business. Meesrs. Bryan & Brothers,
grocers, lose possibly 500 by spelling Of sugars
There is but little loes to other parties along
the avenue, below 9TH street. The water was
pumped out Of the ST. James basement on Sat-
urday night. but the wall bursting, it again