The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-22
Cold Weather and Floods.


Cold weather and Floods.
FREEZING At ST. LOUIS AND OTHER PARTS OF
Observation-Disclosures RISE IN THE
MISSISSIPPI RIvER-INJURY TO RAILROADS
And TELEGRAPH LINEs-sToPPING OF
TRAINS, &C.
ST. LOUIS, February 21.-The weather
turned very cold about 2o'clock this morn
ing. and the mercury sank several degrees
below the freezing point between that hour
and daylight. The ground is frozen very
hard.
The river has risen over five feet since
last evening. and is now twenty-seyen and
a half feet high, being u total rise since
Sunday OF about seventeen feet. The
rise is much slower to-day than on yester-
day. and the water will probably begin to
fall by tomorrow. Railroad travel is still
very much interrupted. The only roads
which sent out trains this morning were
the Ohio and Mississippi. the Cairo Short
Line, the st. Louis and san Francisco. and
Vandalia. The last named used the Ohio
and Mississippi track TO Odn, thence by
the Illinois Central TO it, own road. The
only train from Chicago this morning ar
rived over the Vandalia road, and the only
eastern train came in by the same route.
The incoming trains on all the other roads
were either abandoned or have been indeti-
nitely delayed. The Chicago and Altoona,
Chicago. Burlington and Quincy, and In
dianapols and st. Louis trains are stopped
at Wood river, about twenty miles from
here, and have washoutS, bad bridges, or
overlooked tracks at various other places.
The Nandalia and Louisville and Nashville
tracks are flooded at Silver creek and other
places. The Wabash, eastern division, has
trouble beyond Altoona, and the western
division has had land-Slides between here
and the Missouri river. At st. Charles,
on the Missouri Pacific, there are several
land-slides within five miles Of the city,
and considerable OF the track is over
flowed. The Keokuk and ST. Louis road
il also under water in several places. The
Iron Mountain road. besides the land-Slides
reported last night. has an extensive wash
out about sixteen miles below the city. The
st. Louis and san Francisco has suffered
no serious damage. and trains have not
been stopped. The rise in the river here
is said by old stcambOat-men to be unprece-
denied; no such amount OF water was ever
known 10 come down 80 suddenly. The
rainfall amounted 10 within seyentccn-htn-
dredthS Of an inch OF aS much rs the ave-
rage fall for the entire winter for the past
eleven years. The telegraph lines west OF
here are still Frustrated.
THE OHIO RIVER BOONING-MuCH PROPERTY
DAMAGED ny WATER AND WIND.
CINCINNATI, February 2l.-Tbe Ohio
river is now higher than it has been since
the great flood OF 1S47. At 1880 \. NJ. it
was fifty-eight feet six inches, and rising
half an inch an hour. High winds
prevailed this morning, accompanied
by colder weather, with light snow.
This will check the rise, though not I'M
mediately. The river is still rising rapidly
above. The water had the most injurious
effect on the railroad embankment in Mill
Valley, the waves crumbling the banks.
There are fears that the track OF the Gin
cinnati and Baltimore road will be seri-
ously injured. 1t is already abandoned,
owing TO injury TO the bridge, all freight
business being practically suspended. The
Cincinnati. Hamilton and Dayton, and the
Cincinnati Southern and Cincinnati North
ern, are the only roads whose tracks are
free from water. The obstruction of other
tracks and the flooding Of the side tracks
OF the Cincinnati Southern restricts busi-
ness TO the running of passenger trains.
The wind this morning blew down many
telegraph wires, and the business OF the
telegraph Office is consequently in great
confusion. The most serious loss this
morning is the breaking away Of eighteen
barges OF coal from Collier, Budd n Co.'S
landing There being no steamers ready
to pursue them, the chances are they will
be lost. All the coal-yards are submerged
and obliged 10 suspend business.
TIE FLOOD IN ARKANSAS.
MEMPHIS. February 2l.-A special dis
patch from Helena, dated last night, says
the situation remains unchanged. The
river has been at standstill the past
twenty-iour hours, The water in the city
continues rising. and is now at north
Main street, at the Presbyterian church.
All the mills and workshops in the lower
part Of the city have suspended operations,
and many labOrers are thrown ont OF em-
ployment. 4 few more days OF such distress
will leave many in actual want. The only
means OF communication between Main
/ street and West Helena Is by skiffs, for
which there is great demand. Business is
at a standstill. There are no transactions
| i'm mercantile circles except for actual ne
cessaries of life. At many points between
| this city and VickSburg the river Is twelve
4 inches higher than it was ever known be-
/ fore. This is accounted for by the fact that
| the Mississippi river has overlooked its
banks above Osceola, Ark, ninety miles up
the river, and large volume OF water
pours through that country into the
| headwaters OF the ST. Francis river,
and again finds its way back into the main
stream fifteen miles above Helena, Ark,
where the st. Francis river emptics into
the Mississippi. Plantations between Mem
/ pbis and Friar's Point are submerged, and
the water extends back from either shore
fifteen miles. The planters are enduring
great hardship in the loss of stock by
drowning. In nearly all the overlooked
sections the stock is suffering. What were
saved are kept huddled together on hastily
/ built platforms.
Destructive Wind and Rain.StOrm.