The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-10-06

The tide crept up to the very floor Of
tho massive structure, and the drift-wood
was tiercely hurled against it without iu-
terDission for hours; but the fridge re-
mained unshaken to the very last.
The Petersburg Railroad bridge was
never thought to be in danger, and it did
not disappoint the expectations. of its
friends. Trains ran over it when the
water was doing its worst, and the pas-
sengers, knowing its condition, felt as
safe as on dry land.
ROCKETS AND WHEREABOUTS.
+ Rockets suffered perhaps more than
any other part of the city. The river,
rising above the wharves, spread itself
over whole blocks, and an idea of the
height OF the fresh may be obtained from
the statement that only the peaks of the
roofs OF the steamboat sheds were visi-
BILE. Gillie's Creek was swollen to the
dimensions of a good-sized river, and
torrent. The James River Steamboat
Company's sheds were swept away quite
early in the action, and after bumpipo
against several houses and knocking
down street lamp, departed in pieces.
The people in dwelling houses, vainly
hoping that the food wonld soon sub
side,- were driven from floor to floor.
until finally they and their furniture had
to be taken out OF the garret windows
and carried away in boats to the
houses of hospitable neighbors.
THE VALLEY.
AS the river rose the back water gra-
dnally made its way mp Shocko Creek
until it obtained q considerable height
above the key stones of the different
arches spanning the stream at the street
crossings. The bridge in rear of the
Lancasterian school-house was carried
away, and the houses on both sides of the
creek as far up as the foot of President
Hill, consisting mostly of small framed
dwellings,, were inundated. Some of
their Inhabitants moved to the upper
stories, but the grenter number, with all
their worldly goods, abandoned their
homes and struck for IL higher position.
THE GAS WORKS.
The river never before rose high enough
to injure the gas works very seriously,
and the Superintendent had no reason to
apprehend snch q state of affairs this
time. When the day hands came to work
in the morning. the water had not made
headway enough to cause any alarm.
But it soon began to rise within the en-
closure with such rapidity rs to make it
necessary for work to be abandoned. At
5 o'clock p. m., the fires were all extin-
five feet deep in the retort-house. The
engines were entirely submerged.
The damage sustained by the works is
not known. It is fenred that the retorts
may have been injured by the contrac-
ton consequent upon sudden cooling,
and that the coal has been rendered unfit
for early use.
THE WATER WORKS.
We visited the pump-house about %.
m. on Saturday. and found the Super
lntondent on the spot with his force,
ready for any emergency that might
arise. All Of the tools, &C., had been
removed from the tool-h house to higher
ground out of danger, and the house
itself, to guard against possible washing
away, securely fastened with large ropes
to the surrounding trees. a small
wooden building which had been lately
erected at the West end of the main
building, and was not completed, had
been carried off by tho food. Work
was stopped on Friday, and, as q pre-
oautionary measure, oil of the feed gates
were tightly closed. The water entered
tue main building from the river front,
and rose rapidly until it had gained an
elevation of four and half feet above
the pump floor-four feet higher than It
was ever known at thnt point before.
The machinery was submerged, no
part of it being visible but the upper
portions Of the wheels and the air-box.
THE CANAL.
Early in the morning the water rose to
such an extent ut the first locks, about
three miles above the city, as to overflow
tho feeder to the canal ut that point and
carry away the cutoff gates, admitting
II large portion of the river current ut
that point. Very soon the current was
seen rushing along the course of the
canal towards the basin, rapidly gaining
upon the banks. About 10 O'Clock it
was discovered that it was nearly upon a
level with the tow-path, and at points
near Gallego Mills, the Tredegar Works,
and the pump-house, was gradually steal
ing over the banks.
:. DESPERATE REMEDY
AT this juncture it was determined to
cut the canal bank. and give vent to the
rushing stream. Accordingly gang of
men from the Tredegnr Works was de-