The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-02-17
The Rushing Waters.


GREAT DAMAGE AT WASHINGTON AND ALONE
THE POTOMAC, AND ELSEWHERE.
Last Saturday was day of intense excite
ment in Washington. The river rose to al
unprecedented height, deluging the lower par
of the city and extending up the avenue as fal
as the Capitol grounds.
This extraordinary flood was caused mainly
by the breaking up of the ice in the river and
it's formation into DAMS The loss in Wash
ington is estimated at between $250,000 and
100000, besides the damage to the long bridge
between Washington and Alexandria, which
will probably reach 1926, 900. The swelling
river spread out over the lowands on both
banks, and the water rose to an unprecedented
height partly on account of a great gorge of
ice extending across the river from Glesboro
Point to Fort Foote, which acted as dam 1t
was nearly twenty-four hours before the water
subsidized. The streets along the water front
were dcluged, and great damage was done to
the large amount of property which had not
been secured.
There were scenes of intense excitement on
the river banks, where great destruction was
done Crowds of people watched all day to
see the Long Bridge give way before the flood,
but the structure oravely resisted the force of
the waters for many hours. The ice gorged
above the bridge was heaped and piled up like
frozen breakers in vast field, extending as
far up the river as the eye could reach. The
water rose to a height of eleven feet at the
bridge
During the day the ratings on the causway
and telegraph poles were carried away by the
ice that swept over the bridge The great
crash did not come until about nine o'clock at
night, when section of the trestle-work be-
tween the District side and the causeway was
carried off the stone piers, leaving gap of
about 300 feet. The section was carried entire
to point about 300 feet, where it landed with
its head down stream.
The Baltimore d Potomac depot, Market
House, St. James Hotel, Census Bureau office
and Large number of public buildings were
deluged, and great damage resulted. Boats
were used on the avenue as far up as the Ma
tional Hotel. The Botanical gardens and
Smithsonian grounds were flooded, and the
whole flat from above the monument was
great lake.
In describing the scene from the Aqueduct,
the National Republican says:
From the centre of the Aqueduct bridge the
scene was peculiarly grand. The Potomac
ragged like torrent, whirling the huge masses
OF ice against the piers with grinding, split
ting noise that sounded as if the solid granite
was being riven from its foundation When
the fifteen feet rise at Harpers Ferry began to
put In an appearance at Georgetown the effect
was most remarkable. The immense field of
inshore ice that up to this time had held firm
appeared to be lifted bodily from beneath and
then, with splitting crash, it broke into
great cakes, that went rushing away into the |
darkness, battering the wharf, heads and snap
ping OF the stout piles as though they were
pipe stems. Some of the dwellers between the |
river and canal above the bridge began to ex-
hiblt symptoms OF alarm, and light after light |
tWlnkled out, and soon moving forms could |
be discerned creeping up to the higher ground
laden with their lares and penates.
Throughout the North, West and South the |
damage by the flow and breaking up Of the
ice is very great Navigation has been entire
ly stopped and great destruction of property is
reported along the water courses.
Three-fourths of the city of New Orleans
was under water for days, and the greatest
distress and suffering prevails. Upon the poor
it is especially hard, and many are suffering
terribly