The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-29

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| In the mean time quantity OF rairoad-ties
and a cow were carried off, The current
was very swift and strong. and the men
were forced to get up into the second story
OF the store. In short while house near
by tumbled and hoated off. By this time
the water was nearly up to the joiSts OF The
ceiling. and the three Of us who were IN
the second story began to feel rather un-
easy, as the only boat in the neighborhood
had been taken by some of the men to try
and save some horses, which they sue
ceeded in doing by swimming them
ashore. AS the water continued TO
rise rapidly we had TO devise some
| plan of getting up higher. At last we
struck upon one, and ripping up plank
from the floor Knocked hole in the roof
and took refuge in walnut tree that grew
against the store. While in the tree we
noticed four young colts that came swimming
towards us, and party OF men in boat in
pursuit. Some OF them were saved near
the store, and the rest about mile below.
We were soon afterwards rescued from the
tree and taken ashore to the house OF Mr.
George w. Harris, where we were treated
to good breakfast and related our adven-
ture. <.a
The loss at Bollins's landing amounts to
about $1,000, consisting OF Hour, bacon,
raiiroad-ties, ,barrel-staves, warehouse, and
goods in store.
The damage done here by the flood
amounts to $1,000, and Is divided as fol-
lows: Moon. & Brothers, $1,000; S. r.
Worsham, 81 900; Charles Harris d Bro
ther, S2,S0O; +. II. Dawson, $500; Mrs.
Watson's warehouse, occupied by Moon &
Brothers, S500-burned by water coming
in contact with lime in the building.
The canal, hear, is broken below Hard
ware acqucduct. T..
P.S. I send this letter around by North
Garden, and theEcc ria the Chesapeake and
Ohio road, to Richmond.
: The earca, Flood in Jackson River.
correspondence Of the Richmond DisDatchl
CovISGTOS, VA. November 26, 1877.
write tou this letter not knowing when
it will reach you, but hoping it Will go
through tomorrow and he published.
About noon on Wednesday, November
2lst, slight rain began to fall. During the
afternoon the clouds tbickened, and a
steady. drizzling rain set in. This contin-
ued without iutermission till Friday morn
ing, when the heavy clouds rolling up from
the east began to empty themselves in tor
rents. l left Covington on Thursday after
noon, and, crossing the Island ford without
any difficulty, went to wedding Mt the
house Of Mr.. G. w. Hayse, near Low Moor
Iron-Works. A wet time it was. Friday
morning I rode on down Jackson river,
and observed that the river was rising
only slightly after forty hours Of rain.
The rain had been so steadily driz.
Zle as to wet the earth perfectly with
out adding materially to the volume OF the
small streams. The earth was now ready
for the heavy rain which began to fall soon
after | resumed my journey. l saw that
there was danger OF being caught between
the fords OF the river il stopped for shell
ter, and / pushed on through the driving
torrents, My fears were soon realized, and
leaving the ford at Haynes's mill to my
left, ! hurried on to the ferry at Clifton
Forge. Mr.. james Thomasson, the ferry.
man, thought it would be safe to delay cross.
ing till evening, but his mothers opinion
was ayerse to his and co1ncided with mine
I crossed as soon as possible, and pro.
ceedcd to the residence of r.. M. kincaid
ESQ.,, for dinner and shelter.
Wilson's creek runs in front OF Mr.. Kin.
caid's house, and rs l crossed it to reach his
house noticed that its waters had not risen
or become discolored. Before we dined the
waters became muddy, and when we came
7 out from dinner the creek was "past ford.
ing" And so found myself cut off from
the railroad, notwithstanding my hard ride
in the rain. We spent the night in anxiety
The creek was higher than the oldest people
in the community had ever known it to be-
and still the rain poured.
Saturday morning Mr.. kincaiu and
started, between showers, to make our way
on horseback along the hills and across the
smaller streams tributary to Wilson's creek,
around the tortuous course Of the creek, tC
Clifton Forge. The fiat land lying on the
creek was submerged, and Mr.. DayenpOrt's
house, on the side of the creek near the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad bridge, was
half covered, the water having reached the
roof OF his stable and fisen foot above the
arch OF the bridge. We tied our horses
and proceeded on foot TO Clifton-Forgc de.
pot to see the river.
Oh, what sight! The water reached
from mountain to mountain, and was pung.
ing through the gap. the surface Of the flood
being within one foot Of the roadbed Of the
CliftOn-Forge and Buchanan railroad. Upon
the bosom OF the current was all manner OF
debris from above. Soon l saw sundry
boxes and barrels and the timbers OF house
passing; then the roof OF house, with g
whiskey- barrel on it; then the broken tim
bers of anew house. Supposing that these
things came from Williamson's, [ hurried
in the rain up the railroad. Telegraph
poles were down, and, held by the wires
were floating near the railroad. A short
distance below Williamson's the Hood was
beating up on the ralroad-track.
l now began to fear for the safety of Gov
ington. Visions Of my family flying from
the house in the pelting storm caused me tc
Ia. Ia
trains had passed since noon Friday. Wher
/ reached Wiliamson's I found that Mr.
Finn had lost his store and contents will
the exception OF probably fifty dollars
worth OF goods. Mr.. Bunley's new store
had also been swept away. l tried to tele
grap6to Covington, but the lines west o
Williamson's were down. l pressed or
with renewed energy.
When I reached the stone bridge ovel
Smiths creek the water was within three
feet Of the top. Opposite the house o.
Squire John Haynes I found his family
standing on the railroad watching the neigh
bors, who were trying to save some proyis
ions from the barn, to which everything in
the house had been moved when the foot
came. The house was submerged almos
to the second story. ] reached the site o.
Haynes's mill just after the mill and its con
tents went down the stream. Crossing tht
new railroad bridge there I walked VI
to Jaekson's River depot. A culyert neal
the depot had been washed away
carrying with it the roadbed to tht
width OF about forty feet. Abov'
the depot the embankment, which changes
the course OF the river, had beer
washed till it was unsafe, and during the
night the river broke through, carrying
away $50 to 200 feet OF the roadbed. A