Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-03

THE FLOODS IN Administrators OF
RUINED FARMERs.-From this time on the
above line will occupy prominent place in the
annals of Alabama, for the great overflow of
1872 has been the greatest midsummer over
flow ever before known in the Alabama valley
Persons who have not visited the scene can form
no idea of il approXimating to correctness for
there is nothing to which it can be compared for
the purpose of conveying it to the mind. The
waters are now falling the full length of the
rivers, and a member ofthe Register family who
has just returned from trip up and down the
Lower Tombigbee, brings the following most in
teresting report: All the lowland crops land
they make up the bulk of the crops along the
river) are total ruin from Jackson down.
Corn and cotton, which a short time ago pre-
scented as fine prospect as could possibly have
been asked, now stretched out at every hand,
as far as the eye could see, a scared and black
ened mass, looking for all the world as if fire
had passed over the plantations, burning the
crops TO a cinder, and allowing the leaves 10
still hang upon the stalks. On the Alabama
and other rivers of the valley precisely the same
condition of affairs exists He estimates that in
cotton alone the loss to Mobile will be almost
incalculabe-not less than 100000 bales! Many
planters who considered themselves in the best
of circumstances two weeks ago are now
in actual want, and, worst still, are deeply
in debt, having been stimulated to go
in more deeply than usual by their superior
crop prospects. What is to become of them
one can naruly Tell. IL Is suggested tnat some
steps ought to be taken with view to their re-
lief, for not few are already suffering for the
neeessaries of life. The following, taken from
the Grove Hill Democrat, tells terrible tale of
damage on the uplands and along the creeks:
"The destruction of crops and land is great be-
yond calculation. Corn was blown down,
broken off, and terribly tangled and mangled.
The hill lands have been washed unprecedent-
edly, and cut into gullies too deep to be plowed
across. The lowlands were inundated, and all
such along branches and creeks were sweptover
by the furious and unparalleled tides, and the
growing crops of corn and cotton levelled with
the earth or buried beneath its surface by the
moving sands and mud. The entire crops of
many farmers were on these creek lands, and
they have thus, in the short space of twenty
four hours, witnessed and seen the rich fruits of
the years toll swept from their worthy grasp,
Just at the time when the most valuable por-
ton of it, the corn crop, could be regarded as
secured to them almost beyond peradventure.
The various large creeks of this county, so far
as we have ascertained, were from two to four
feet higher than ever before known. Every
milldam in the county, as far as our knowledge
extends, was washed away. Thousands of
panels of fence were swept away. BasSett's
creek was allover its valley, and the route, for
the greater part of the Grand Trunk railroad,
was several feet under water. The damage
taken altogether, surpasses anything in the his
tory ofour county. Mobile Register, 27th.