Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-15
Three Hundred Families Forced to
Abandon Their HOmes-The Race
Course Submerged.

north OF the railroad bridge and watched
with deep interest the attempt to remove
drittwood which had lodged against the
pier which stands in the main current of the
river. Large amount of drift was dis
lodged during the morning 1t, however
again accumulated so fast that the railroad
J officials took active steps to remove it and
were at work at it during the afternoon
and night. \ snatch block was attached
to a locust tree back of the workhouse
in the afternoon, with cable passing
to similar block on the pile. The cables
were attached to a locomotive after a
hook had been firmly listened in the
drift, and dead pull made to dislodge it. 1t
was soon discovered however that one engine
was not equal to the emergency and another
was brought into requisition. When both
began to breathe" upon it the tree gave way
and the drift still remained. The whole at
ternoon was spent IN unsuccessful attempts
to remove the drift. Lights were brought
out at night and the work was continued, ten
or fifteen men being employed. The water
had got so high, the stream so swift and the
drift so rapidly accumulating that it was be-
lieved that the greatest vigilance and activity
were necessary to protect the pier.
ON THE EDGEFIELD SIDE OF THE RIVER.
When it was discovered that all the mills
on the Edgefiel side had been surrounded
by water their operations ceased. All the
employes-aboDt two hundred-were put TO
WORK securing lumber, carrying it to higher
ground, where 1t seemed to be in jeopardy,
and doing everything, in fact, necessary to its
protection. At noon a slight current was
passing through the Shelby bottom, with TIE
prospect OF its being greatly increased in
| volume by this morning All the land
! around the bucket factory was submerged
the water spreading through Fatherland
street around South First street, inundating
the cellars of dwellings on the east side OF
| th?t thorougbfare. Busk's brick kline, sheds
| and small houses looked lonesome in their
| isolated condition. The water commenced
running between the abutments Of the Whites
! creek pike early in the morning, stopping the
running OF the North Edgefield street cars and,
! IN fact, all travel on that thoroughfare people
either taking the dump or Foster street as
! the only means OF reaching South Eigefeld
| In the afternoon the current between the
piers grew stronger, while the water on the
| pike reached depth of about four feet and
was still growing deeper last night. The bot
| toms west of North E1geiield were covered
! with water, large amount of the lumber of
| the Southern Pump Factory and the Indiana
Mills standing in it, portion of the material
| being IN the current from the Whites creek
! pike.
| MORE WATER COMING.
The following dispatch was received here
last night:
PoINT BUENsIDE, KY, January 10, 1882.
| d. C. Patterson, No Broad street: 49,
Still raining; thir y feet rise; rising
eighteen inches per hour. -----------.-
: - GEORGE p TAYLOR
With the heavy rise reported at Point
| Burnside, it is probable that the river will
reach the hight attained in 1S47, which was
54.67 feet. The water is now within 742
feet OF that point, which is said to b ave been
notched down by river men in those ancient
days OF keelboat and steamboat navigation.
THE MILLS AND THE RAcE-TRAcK.
The mills above the reservoir were also
| isolated by the water, and special efforts had
to be made to keep much of the lumber from
floating away. So far, the mills along the
river have lost but little lumber, but it is
feared that, upon an additional rise, it will
be very hard to protect all of it. A large
number of cables have been purchased, and
are being put to good Use. There is about
| twenty million feet of lumber in the various
yards in danger, with large number of RATS
that will have to be so moved as to resist
the force of the current of the river.
The water commenced to pour in broad
stream over the road leading to the race
track early yesterday morning, and down
through the ravine back OF the track, por-
tions of which now flooded. George w.
Darden, secretary OF the Nashville Blood
Horse Association therefore had the thirty
horses training Tor the spring meeting re-
moved by steamer and placed in stables in
the city.
TWO HUNDRED FAMILIES DRIVEN FROM THEIR
HOMES.
Over two hundred families living in the
Lick branch depr- ssion have had to abandon
their homes. Much distress prevailed among
many of them in consequence of their ina
oIitty 10 procure either houses or rooms else
where. A large number remained in their
houses until the water ran in uron their
floors, when, by means OF either express or
boats, they made hasty exit with all their
household effects. Some, however, were
even then 10th to leave their homes,
hoping that the river would rise no higher
Captain Yater rode around the backwaters |
and offered assistance to those who might be |
in need OF it. In one In lance he entered |
house occupied by some women. The water |
was then within two inches of the floor He |
urged them to leave at once, when the Oldest |
remarked, GLOW we? We have no other |
place to go, and must remain which they |
did. He afterward sent officers to look after
them, and they reluctantly departed while |
the water was fast filling up the room.
woman took matters very coolly by |
reading a newspaper in a house on Line |
street while the water was running into her |
house: "When asked why she did not move
she said: "Pll not move until the old man
comes home if the house Eoats away" |
large number of people gathered in this
vicinity and Watched the process of moving.
At the Lick Branch bridge, on Line street,
the water was four feet in depth. The street
cars on the Line Street and Watkins Park
railroad were therefore prevented from
running
The water ia in almost all tie houses on !
Crawford from High street to the trestle on
Line from McLemore to point beyond the
Northwestern trestle along Broad street, over
Belleville and Cumberland street, and ex-
tending as far as Clay street, in the Thir-
teenth district.
Many more people were compelled to
leave their homes last night.
a large number of houses along the Lick
branch depression, in the ninth ward, were
vacated.
THE SCHOOLS AND FACTORIES INUNDATED.
The water had so encroached on the Belle
view school lot yesterday morning as to pre-
vent children from entering it. The chill
dren were therefore dismissed until the
water subsides.
The backwaters will seriously interfere
with the attendance at the EdgefeId schools,
the majority OF the pupils OF the Vandaville
and many of the Main Street school having
been cut off already, and it is probable that
portion OF the dump" roadway will be COW
cred by this morning.
South Front street is under water 10 the
depth of twelve feet and very little more rise
will be needed to put il over Market street.
1t lacked about = foot, last ni0ht, of being
over South Cherry street All the shops in
the vicinity of the overflow on South Front
ceased operations and goods shipped to a
landing on hatbcats.
Cooper & Co.'S warehouse is in the water;
the lower portion OF Benedict Brothers lum-
Der yard, the foundry and stables of B. G.
Wood, submerged.
The backwaters along Browns creek ex-
tend to the Chattanooga division.
The yard Of Cunningham's tannery is sub
merged. Some of the smaller houses in this
locality are almost totally submerged.
TIE further pumping of water from the
judges spring to Pearce, Hopkins & Law
rences distillery had to be abandoned yes
ierday, the back water having covered the
floor OF the pumphouses.
The foundation of B. g. Woods foundry
gave way at midnight, and fears are enter
tanned that the entire portion of the
building will fall by this morning. About
two tons of iron was stored in the
rear part of the building. This addi-
,ional weight, and the steady rise OF
the river, it was thought, would result in de-
molishing the building. 1t might have been
saved, perhaps, in the removal of the iron,
but Mr.. Wood resolutely said that he would,
under no circumstances, put any mans life
in dagger to save any property he pos
sessed.
At midnight the water had run upon the
floors Of the brick house at the Sulphur |
ha - IL L. - q.