The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-24
Washington Under Water.
WASHINGTON. Fe]

irgton with Virginia soil is for the most
part causeway, which has made it a
dam for the Potomac during the last few
days. The warm weather had flooded
the river, aud the ice gorge above and
below Long Bridge has helped toswell the
volume until early this morning when
the ice began to break up. The swollen
waters of the Potomac poured against the
wall of masonry forming the bridge
across the Potomac, backing the river
around the point to where the Washing.
ton Monument stands, and thence across
the White House lot, filling up the lower
ground between Pennsylvania avenue
aud South Washington, for the distance
of mile and half.
Pennsylvania AVENUE FLOODED.
The result has been that all day long
the lower portion of the broad avenue
from Tenth street west to the Capitol
gate has literally been canal, in which
row boats, fiat boats and all kinds sof
small water craft have been used to ferry
people from their dwellings, places of
business, and to and from some of the
smaller hotels located on the south side
of the avenue. Fully one-half of this
great business thoroughfare has been sub
merged aud is likely to be submerged for
several days. ALI day long the streets
leading to the avenue have been thronged
with pedestrians and vehicles.
A VENICE IN WASHINGTON.
Senators and Representatives crowded
the balcony in front of the Congressional
library watching the wonderful scene
witnessed from this favorable position.
One part of Washington. had become a
new Venice. Along the streets where
the pavements were known to be good
horses were driven, and in some locali-
ties it required an effort more than ford
ing q stream to get safely across. The
broad space covered by the Botanical
Garden at the foot of the Capitol had
become an artificial lake. The site Of
the Baltimore and Potomac depot was
surrounded with water, the flood causing
all business to be suspended. Street cars
that were driven for awhile were aban-
doned on the track. The great market
house was isolated by the food, and
even the few dealers who attempted to
open up business on the open sidewalk
were finally compelled to abandon their
temporary quarters.
THEATRE CLOSED BY WATER.
Think of theatre in the heart Of
Washington closed because it was impos.
sible to get to it except in boats. And
yet there were members of Congress who
had the meauness to say that this great
damaging overflow of the banks of
the Potomac vas a job got up by the
advocates of a large appropriation for the
Mississippi River, for while the Potomac
was rising the House was engaged in
discussing the river and harbor bill.
DAMAGE.
The damage caused by the flood is at
present pure conjecture. The govern
ment will be heavy loser. The fish
pond and all the apparatus used by the
Smithsonian Institute has been destroyed
and the carp scattered to destruction.
The basement of the main building occu-
pied by the census bureau is filled with
water, though most of the papers and
records stored there were removed in an
ticipation of just what has happened.
The steam fire engines worked all day
trying te keep down the deluge in this
building, but gave it up after hours Of
service as a bad job, it being discovered
that it was practically throwing water
over a rail fence.
BROKEN BRIDGES.
The principal loss to the government
will be the damage done to the bridges
out Of the city. The frame work of the
Long Bridge a. the draw having been
swept away, railroad communication and
postal connections South will be delayed
for some time on this account. Tonight
the only means of communication with
Alexandria is via Aqueduct Bridge,
above Georgetown, by couriers, who have
to take the Summit Road on the Virginia
side to reach that place, and from thence
there is telegraphic and rail communica-
ton.
1t would seem almost incredible to
those acquainted with the topography of
Washington that the scenes described are
real, and the damage done here aud in
Georgetown will aggregate hundreds of
thousands of dollars. The sight of the
unfinished monument on little island,
the waters almost laving its very base,
was one of the attractions from the south
frontof the treasury building, from which
position strong boy could easily have
thrown stone into the water.
The stables of the President, just south
of the Executive Mansion, were within o
sort distance of the encroaching food, and
near the old Vau Ness mansion, which,
in the earlier days of Washington was a
palatial residence, was great basin of
water big enough for a New York skat-
ing rink. South Washington, generally
known as the island, is now in very fact
wholly separated from the other part Of
the city by a river from three hundred to
eight hundred feet wide. How long the
food will stay no one can tell, but that
it is here and likely to remain for several
days no one can doubt.