The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-16
THE CHATTANOOGA FLOOD.

A VERY UNUSUAL sUBMERsIoN IN EAST TEN
MISREPRESENTATION IN CHATTANOOGA
$3.50, 600 DAMAGES To THE RAILROADS.
The Louisville Courier-Journal of late
date gives the following concerning the I'M
precedented flood around Chattanooga: a
resident of Chattanooga says that the ap-
pearance ofthe country around Chattanooga
is almost that of an ocean. Three-fourths
of the city is inundated, a number of houses
completely swallowed up, others are float
ing away from their foundations, while the
water stands in the second story ofnearly all
the houses reached by the flood. All
the hotels except one, the Stanton, the
postoffice and the banks are among the
inundated houses. Captain Doughertv states
that before the rise commenced it had rained
necessarily along the Tennessee river and
its tributaries for two days and nights. This,
with the addition of general thaw, caused
a mighty rushing of waters, and the people,
not certain of the result. and consequently
not on their guard, had barely time in
many instances to save their house
hold goods. Those living more re-
mote from the river thought to
escape danger by moving from the
first floor to the second story of their houses.
But then they were soon overtaken by the
swelling tide and compelled to move out,
using as a means of exodus, canoes, skiffs,
rats, and flatboats, all of which were con-
structed in great haste for the occasion;
nearly every man becoming for the nOncs a
mariner and ship carpenter in his own
original and limited way. Our informant
declares the flood to be ten times more dis
astTous than has been reported by telegraph,
with the prospect of an additional swell that
may carry with 1t still more
LAMENTABLE DESTRUCTION.
These fears are based on the fact that it
has again been raining, and the news, when
he left Chattanooga Monday morning, was
that the river was again rising at Knoxville.
The suffering among the people, especially
the poor of the flooded city, is very great,
and there are more utterly ruined and des-
titule ones than people here are aware
Of There is cry from every quarter
| for shelter and provisions. Thou
ands are deprived of their homes. The
houses which are left on dry land are full OF
people, and the owners devoted to the work
of feeding those guests and making them
comfortable. Hundreds of persons who can
not obtain shelter elsewhere have taken up
quarters i'm the numerous freight and pass
enge- cars which are standing idle at the de-
pots. The city authorities are doing all in
| their power to relieve the unfortunates, and
a large force is constantly employed cooking
provisions for them, Thus the people there
| have suffered for week, and with another
swell in the river the probability is that their
houses will still stand in the water for an
other week or two to come. The statement
that the damage to the railroads would MOI
exceed $4,000, Capt. D., pronounces as ex-
trenely absurd. He says it will cost nearly
q quarter of million of dollars to repair
the roads and rebuild the bridges which have
been washed away on the Nashville &
Chattanooga and the Atlantic q Western
railways.