New-York tribune., 1870-10-03
THE GREAT FRESHET.
VIRGINIA UNDER WATER.

BLE-LOss OF LIFE.
RICHMOND, Oct. 2.-The freshet reached this
city at O'Clock Saturday morning. and before night the
river had risen far above the gh-water mark of o 100
years Atsoclock In the morning the north western
part OF the city known the Rockets completely
swamped and of fghtful distress and confusion
ensued Houses hoated bodily, the terrified occu
pants escaping a. best they could.
Dispatches were hourly received from Lynebbure
warning the people to prepare for great freshet At
ABOUT t o'clock the river before placid and clear, be-
came suddenly muddy; and litteIwhie afterward tur
puenI In an hour or two IL rose rapidly and the color
OF the watertchanged to dirty red 1t continued to
deepen in color and TO rise steadily though not fast
until O'clock The first great volume Of water caughta
negro IN hshtrap near Haxas ylls, and two compan-
ions In boat in mid stream. " rush was so violent,
that an effort TO prope in the direction Of the
hshrap to rescue the IL proved utterly futile,
and the fisherman realizing his situation and seeing that
nothing hut prompt action would save his life, stripped
nearly naked tied his clothes to the trap and cast him
self into the seetbing waters. Being powerful swim
mer he was enabled TO get of the torrent and on
reaching smooth water assisted to the shore more
dead than alive. Four goats, a rocky abutment just
under the Petersburg bridge, surrounded by
water, and finally washed away.
little after O'Clock the waters ceased to rise. 10
was evident that considerable had emptied
itself But about an hour later the rush again com
menced more steadily, however than before and up TO
midnight the waters had risen about is feet, or at
the rate OF about IA inches per hour The prOpTie-
tors OF Mayo warehouse removed all the tobacco stored
there, and down the river Rockets faithful watch
was kept ana preparations made to remove everything
burg should reach the city The small streams rising in
the Piedmont region and emptyng into the James were
all swollen to an extent never before known, and great
damage done To the mills houses and property along
their banks, but the washing away OF railroad bridges,
and the destruction of the telegraph lines prevented any
accurate and extended reports OF damage done before
reaching Richmond.
invading still further the lower part Of the city Hun
dreds Of persons busy carrying of the furniture
the St. Charles Hotel about the of the city,
chored schooner Her crew put off in the boats as
Telegraph Office crowded with anxious people trying
to asceranh the whereabouts Of their friends who left in
the late trains and for whose fate the announcement
that the river at Lynchburg was rising again created
much concern In the lower part OF the city the only OBJ
ect Of attention single lanp that still burned,
though within few inches OF the water.
The Richmond aud Petersburg iairoad haspnt on their
road four times the usual Dunber OF to accom-
modate the southern travel The flood on the Kvanna
nngs and Mr. Miller whose homes are near the river,
were washed away-in all five persons Mr. Jennings Ia
children are known to have perished young lady of
the family cung To tree 4S hours but washed away
and drowned. Her death witnessed by crowd on
the other bank the river. hut there boat
by which she might have been rescued. on the Manas
saa Railroad the bridges across the North and south
Shenandoah Rivers gone. No iDforpaton has been
received from beyond Strasburg Many lives are known
to have been lost. The Baltimore and oho Railroad
above Harpers Ferry has been swept away. ScOttsve,
in Albemsre County has been inundated, and the de
structOn of property very great Eighteen lives were
lost. Trains are running regularly between Alexandria
1Icnm0nd.
Families who had remained in their houses hoping the
flood would subsde commenced crying from the upper
windows for help Boats were brought and they we're
Two hundred families in that portion OF the city we're
GHne % The % earn s@ ont a S%s Sp aS 5een
ming through the flood with water to the seats
made by ferries. At this time portion Of the Mayo
ant al he off. Va
followed by the whole structure. The bridge
quarter Of mile long water then entered the Mayo
fohaeco Warehouse, 35 feet above low water mark
All the teams In the city were impressed TO save
German Goverapaents With the exception OF about $50
hogshead the tobacco saved At this time it was
from the oyerfow Of the canal down Which an immense
body OF water was rushing and spreading over the
danger abaed In the lower portion OF the city the
street lamps under water The city is in darkness at
Chants though greater than il would have been if the
kilograms from Lynchburg announcing the mood had
been needed, will probably reach s0o0 Persons well
acquainted with the sections OF the state flooded say
that, including damage 10 railroads. &c. the aggregate
loss will amount 10 100000
Last night the bridge of the Richmond and Danvle
Railroad still standing; but, IA the river was, at
o'clock still rising IL was hardly believed could stand
much longer Al MOrfss large sugar refinery the wafer
up the floors dropping all the machinery into the
basement. All the large cotton, iron, and Hour mills,
employing hands have been forced by the Hood to
stopped having been badly damaged that they cannot
repaired in two weeks. The reservoir only contains
city are on he river hank 20 feet under water
The seven feet higher than ever known before
The lower portion OF Libby Prison took fire yesterday
morning at IL o'clock, from quantity OF lime being
wet by the food. The fire was stopped before much
damage was done Citizens volunteering To rescue
tobacco the warehouses on the river bank and the
Gspes snd sares @ % OF our and Of whisky are floating
down the river. At II o'clock y. m, yesterday,
between 800 and 400 stores were IN seven eet OF water
Piled unt when the water coming in at the win
allt he
Just the Manchester end OF the mayost Bridge
gave way and half OF the bridge foaed down stream.
All the wharye deep under water and the York River
Railroad Depot is completely submerged Several small
been swept Of All day the river dotted with
small houses and wrecks OF houses fencing, dead cattle
&C. drifting down stream. The gas works were sub
merged Several bridges the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad were washed away.
GREAT DESTRUCTION AT LYNCHBURG-LoSS OF
LIFE.
LyNcHBURG. Oct. 2.-0n Friday, the James
River rose % feet submergng the greater part OF the
town in its muddy saturday morning, the lower
mart Of the town was covered by what seemed an i'm
mepse lake: all frame houses are carried off, and many
of the brick and stone edhce are nearly half submerged
The destruction Of property is rightful and the city
will not soon recover from the devastation Every rail-
road leading into the place has been destroyed all the
depots are ruined and telegraphc communication
,ay .ease The damage along the line of the Orange
Road between Charlottesville and Lynchburg cannot
ma knouu a. there teegraphic communication be-
tween those points The railroad bridge across the ROCK
fish River is known be swept away Fears are enter
tanned for the safety the other bridges on that portion
OF the line.
Nearly all the canal and railroad bridges have been
swept away, thus permanently stopping uaVei ana com
,.re nv railroad and canal The Rio mills and Bureys
Wellss mills are floating down the river. Tue ryeris
sirrwed with drifting furniture and several hundred
barrels of flour are on their way drifting TO Hchm0pd
The bridge across the North River at Waynesboro'
swept AWAY few minutes after special traIn Contain
a nd (fnra af
company had passed. -. ~,
fiS River In Neraon County WAS swept away on Frlday
cfr6rnoo- d,Iuage unknown The bridge from JOness
Isiand fo imLersI ou ,he same road estimated loss,