Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-03-17
The Flood at Chattanooga.
CHATTANOOGA, March

To the Editors Of the Chronicle
The city has just passed through an
ordeal exactly like that experienced
In 1857, except that the water fell short
by about feet of the hight reached at
that time. The damage in the present
instance is much greater than in the
former ease, because of the larger num-
Der OF buildings 10 the overlooked dis
trict.
The history of the disaster Is a. fol-
lows: 1t began to rain about 10
o'clock on Tuesday morning, Febru-
AIRY %. and rained continually until
Wednesday morning, when the clouds
partly broke away, with occasional
showers during the day, accompanied
with considerable thunder and light
ming. Towards night the rain became
regular again and continued without
intermission until Thursday evening,
when the weather cleared, and the
genial rays Of the sun filled the hearts
OF all with gladuess. Meanwhile the
river began to rise, and the rapid in
crease in volume aud force, excited
some apBrehensions of a 'reshet. No
alarm WAS felt, however, until "a dis
patch was received from Knoxville to
the effect that the water was higher At
that point than in 1867. Still it was
not believed that we were going to
| havea "flood,n since il frequently
| happens that one Of the tributaries of
| the Tennessee is in this condition
without materially changing the state
of the water at this point. Even after
the water hUd covered much of the
| low grounds, every one felt confident
| that the tide would soon turn.
| Still the water came on, on, on, I'M
| til those who occupied the less elevated
| portions of the city were forced out of
! their houses. Then those little
| higher up fell back before the insid-
ious foe, until all but the highest
points were surrounded. So confident
were the people that the water would
presently subside that many of them
left nearly everything in their houses.
| Very few really moved" aud none
seemed to appreciate the danger until
it was too late to avoid it. The fact Is,
the flood of '67, was the first known
here, and was produced by peculiar
combination of circumstances. There
were, at that time, an unusual amount
of snow in the mountains, aud seven
I =
bringing up all the rivers emptying
into the Tennessee to an eXtraurdl-
nary height at once. AS these cOndi-
tons were not present in this instance,
1t was believed to be impossible that
there should be anything like an ap-
proach to the amount of water then
passing down. 1t was thought, too,
that the opening of larger channel at
the point few miles below the city,
known AS the "suck ~ would help Ia
take the water off, so AS To prevent
anything like serious calamity.
Every body was deceived The result
has been that very few escaped with.
out heavy loss, while some barely es-
capped with their lives.
The hight of the water above the
usual level of the river, is estimated
at over 80 feet. a large number OF
houses have been swept away, while
hundreds more are badly damaged, il
not utterly ruined. The loss in house.
hold stuff, as already indicated, has
been very heavy. Very many vii
= have to begin anew. The writer has
lost, at least, $500 in furniture, books
clothing and provisions, besides a
large number of manuscripts, there
suit of nearly 80 years of labor in pre-
pairing for the pulpit.
Only Il few families remain among
the wrecks of their former homes
and they are nearly ali in distress fol
= food and other necessaries. The city
authorities are doing all they can to re-
lieve their wants, but the demand il
greater than the supply.
The question of protection against
similar disasters in the future is the
= engrOssing subject with our citizens
Meetings are being held TO devise
measures for the safety of the city
Several propositions are before us, bu
/, neither has yet assumed a definite
shape.
Something must be done or tn,
: prosperity of the city will be severely
checked. 1t may be that, like Cincin
natl, Chattanooga will have t
abandon the lower grounds and occupy
the higher, of which, 1 am glad t.
say, there is plenty.
ID. NJ. BREAKER.
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