Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-07-23
THE GREAT FLOOD In ALABAMA,
Unprecedented High watres.

Portions of North Alabama have been
visited by the most destructive flood. The
Montgomery Advertiser has information
from gentleman who has travelled there
and says:
Between Birmingham and Tuskaloosa
he found the bridge across Big Sandy
Creek washed away and the Warrior river
opposite the mouth of the creek more than
six miles wide. The latter stream had
| then risen 81 feet at the city of Tuscaloosa,
and was ovcrflowing all the farms along
its banks and bottoms, carving disaster
and suffering in its course. At the crossing
of the railroad bridge of the South and
North road fifty miles above the city, it
had risen to the unprecedented height of
80 feet, sweeping away the iron bridge as
though it had been mere eobweb. OF the
seven bridges across Cunningham's Creek
in Jefferson county, five had been swept
completely away infiicting such damage to
the road as to delay its completion two
months or more. The iron bridge across
the Warrior was to have been swung at
seven o'clock of the evening on which it
was destroyed. The bridge across Turkey
Greek Withstood the pressure, notwith-
standing the fact that gin house lodged
against its timberS and was there torn to
pieces by the waters. Every water mill in
Jefferson county with the solitary eXcep-
ton of Boyle's mill which was slightly
careened, was cBrried away, Mr.. Boyles'
residence was less fortunate than his mill.
He had built on hill side facing the
stream, above high water mark, and the
first intimatiOn that reached him of its inn
pending danger was conveyed by the cries
of his little son who slept in trundle bed
in the same room with himself. 1t was
therefore in the night time that the dam
age was done. The little boy called to his
father that it was raining in the house, u
because as he said he "felt the water" Mr..
Boyle sprung from his bed to see what was
the matter and found the water knee deep
in the floor of his dwelling Without a
moments delay he set about removing his
family embracing several children and two
ladies, to q place of safety, but such was
the terrible rapidity with which the foam
ing torrent gained upon him that when he
led the last lady out the 1Uater came to her
chin! After the family had been safely
landed the torrent tore through the back
part of his house and swept away all of his
household goods. Houses of all sorts and
sizes along even the most insignificant
water courses were carried away and their
debris was on Tuesday last everywhere Wis
ible on the surface of the Warrior and Ca
haba rivers.
Inc CanaOa, at Lne crossing OF the Selma
and Meridian road, was at one time more
than two miles wide. A number of trest-
les on the eastern side of that stream were
destroyed and both ends of the bridge along
with them. Everywhere, that the waters
could reach, the destruction of property
has been terrible. We have heard of no
loss of life, however.
The suffering that will necessarily result
from this terrible calamity cannot fail to
be very severe. 1t is estimated that in
Tuscaloosa county alone, it has cast not
less than $500 people on the charity of the
public. Public meetings are being called to
consider the best means of aiding the suf- |
ferers, and we learn that the State will be
asked to extend them whatever assistance |
may be deemed right and necessary in |
view of all the circumstances of the case. |
A number of families in Hale and Greene |
nave also been involved, and in Jefferson |
here is no estimating the damage that has
been done or the suffering entailed upon
ler citizens. Blount, Winston and Wal |
1er have also been injured, but to what
extent we have not yet been ad- |
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