The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-03-06
FROMCHARLESTON.
Great Flood I'm the Kanawha Valley
sCause--The Capital Question.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, !
March |, 1915. /
Editors OF the Register


Editors OF the Register:
The Kanawha Valley has been visited
bv another food, although not quite such
AN extensive one ~ that of 1861, never
theless the lower parts OF this town were
entirely submerged, and your CORES
pondent padded skill through several
of the streets. The back water made
Coxs branch take the dimension, of q
river, rising and pJIring up that stream
with great rapidity. The culycrts-with
u span of five feet by five feet hish-were
too small to vent the rising water, and
all day Friday the water poured over
the roads in some places to Il depth OF
from two to six feet. One story houses
were at II discount i'll the line OF the
flood. Two stories were convenient, and
from some such properties the lnhablt-
ants could have used the lower story Is
swimming or bath house, to say nothing
of the advantages of being able To raise
duck, in the back yard, and convenience
and comfort of fishing from the up stairs
windows, The ''ri,c was almost entire
J., from the New river, which i said to
have been over three feet higher than
il was during the Hood OF
Is6I. Had the Gauiey and Elk rivers
risen at the same time the entire town
of Charleston would have been under
water, and the damage and loss OF HE
would have been undoubtedly very
great. Thcsc rivers, however, behaved
themselves splcudidly, and patiently
kept low while their sister, New river,
was rampant and roaring. In some cases
,ick persons had to be moved before the
advancing waters. and in one case Il man
supposed To be- dying was carried out oi
the house as the water crcpt up through
the floor. Ordinary "duckihSs were
too plentiful t. I've II subject for laughter.
In one boat saw lady with pair OF
little children, the older one OF winch
seemed t. duly appreciate the Venetian!
like circumstances of his position and
with the true instincts Of the gondolier
he sang lu>ti ", but the style of his sing
inc was pitched on key other than
musical. and he would not be comtorted.
Your correspondent got surrounded 10y
the element and had the exquisite ~
pleasure of roosting on post until re-
leased by "gondolier.'
The rise is supposed to tie the result OF
rain and melted snow along the head
waters of New river. Major Appleton,
however, says that the badly drained
condition of the streets was the cause oil
the overflow in Charleston.
The plank sidewalks in the line OF the
flood now need reconstructing badly, and
the brick pavcments have a spring to
them that partakes of anything else than
,ohditv. The feat of sinking into Il brick
pavement over shoe top deep, Is matter
Of such common occurrence that 1t has
ceased to be remarkable. The traveller
who has walked over pitch lake OF Trim
adnd can appreciate the peculiar up ana
down movements in our pavementS.
The capital question Is still theme for
comment here. and Governor Jacob Is the
butt against whom curses are piled up,
Iniunctions are talked of, but no person
seems tc know exactly what Is going to
BE- done.
Tie steamer Clara Scott took the mayor
portion of the Legislators (hcre styled the
"crucifers." ~ out of town on Friday, and
now Il man might tall out of window "A
half dozen times and never once light on
/ the head of II Scion. HARoUN.