Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-31
UNPARALLELED RAIN.
TENNESSEE AND GEORGIA RIVERS
OUT OF THEIR BANKS.
Eailroad Traffic Interrupted-Bridges
Washei Away ashouts in all Direc-
tions-Number Of Persons Drowned.


to'aI rainfall varying from eight TO ten
inches throughout upper Tennessee. At
=. NJ. the river here marked thirty
five feet and is rising at the rate Of ten
inches per hour. Advices from above
indicate that the rise will reach forty
five feet, and may go to City feet.
No passenger or freight trains on any
OF the eight railroads have left the city
or arrived since last night, aud there Is
no prospect of traffic being resumed to-
morrow. On the East Tennessee, Vir-
ginia and Georgia railroad heavy wash
outs and slides have occurred between
here and London, Tenn, and heavy
slides on the Georgia division of the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.
On the Cincinnati Southern a small
bridge at Rock Greek has been carried
away.
The tracks Of the Nashville and
Chattanooga, the Alabama Great
Southern, and Memphis and Charleston
railroads at the foot of Lookout noun
tain are undermined by torrents of
water. Bridges in the vicinity of the
mountain are in danger. An engine on
the Alabama Great Southern railway
ian into landslide and was precipi-
tated down an embankment. No one
vas seriously hurt.
On the Western and Atlantic rail-
road culyert washed out near Grays-
vile. and a slide occurred at the mouth
Of the tunnel near Tunnel Hill. No
damage OF consequence can be done
here unless the river rises over forty
eight feet.
Dispatches to the Times from Rock
wood, Tenn, say that 200 feet Of rail-
road track was washed out, and the
coke ovens of the Roane Iron Company
are badly damaged. At Emory Gap
Emory run marks 20 feet and the bridge
over the Cincinnati Southern road
is in danger. AT Dayton, Tenn, the
backwaters are inundating the town,
and many people are driven from
their homes. At Rising Fawn, Ca,
water flooded the coal-mines and one
miner was drowned. The Rising-Fawn
furnace was compelled to shut down,
and a coal famine is apprehended at
Dayton and lockwood unless traffic is
speedily resumed, and the same is
probable here, which will compel the
largest iron plants to shut down.
COLUMBUS, Ga, March 30.-The
rain here to-day has been incessant.
The Chattahoochee river is higher than
ever before known, and tears are en-
tertained that the bridges will be car
ried away. Four steamboats, are water
bound, and the fears of crash from
the drift and floating bridges are APP
pretended. The low-country farms are
damaged many thousand dollars. The
river is still rising six inches per hour.
IN ALABAMA.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, March 3d.
The heaviest rain-storm for years has
prevailed throughout Alabama during
the past two days. There are wash
outs on the Louisville and Nashville
road north of here and on the Western
road between Montgomery and Atlanta,
stopping all the western and eastern
mails. The officials hope to get the
trains through by tonight. The wash
outs on the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia railroad north Of Selma
! have stopped the mails and trains. Spe'
Gals to the advertiser from Wetump-
ka report that the bridge across the
casa river at that point was washed
away last night. Loss 100000. Spe.
Gals from 0pelika report that the con-
| struction train went through the bridge
over the Tallapoosa river on the Column
bus and Western road between Opelika
ard Danyille. The engine and two
cars and the engineer and fifteen hands
went down. 1t is feared that some OF
the men are lost. Great cries of dis
tress were heard, but nothing as to their
fate is yet known.
MONTGOMERY ALA, March 30.--A
special to the Advertiser from Pratt
Vile, fourteen miles west of here, states
that the cotton-factory there has been
undermined and has fallen in, and is a
total wreck. The loss is sS5, ZOO.
Two hundred laborers are thrown out
Of employment. Ii. E. & e. Faber are
the principal owners.
GEORGIA TOWNS INUNDATED AND
GREAT DAMAGE DONE.
Especial telegram to the Dispatch.l
ATLANTA, March 30.-Last Friday
night a drilling rain began to fall
throughout Georgia, Monday morning
assuming the character of a water
spout. For twenty.four hours the
rain continued without intermission,
registering eight inches, while for the
twenty Jour hours now ending the fall
will be quite as heavy. The sewers
in the city were all bursted. The
people in the valleys are flooded, and
forced to move, and desolation generally
resulted among the poor. Last night
the trains on eight Of the nine roads
centeripg in Atlanta were side-tracked.
Huge washes were reported in the Ala
bama Western. The East Tennessee and
the Western and Atlantic were block
AIDED by landslides, and devastation
amounting to hundreds Of thousands of
dollars occurred. In West Point
the Chattahoochee rose during the
night until the town was flooded and
100000 worth Of property carried
away. The railroad bridge, huge
structure, was destroyed, and one white
man and two negroes were drowned
while battling with the waters. Rome
is submerged under six feet Of water
And the people are seeking the hill
tops. Columbus, which is on the
Chattahoochee, is also in great
danger, the waters Of the river having
risen twenty feet. Tonight not train
is moving out Of Atlanta and no mail
has been received. Many of the tele-
graph-wires are cut, and wild rumors
are ahoat as to the disasters in mac
cessible districts. 1t is the greatest
freshet OF the generation.
Steamer Sunk and Lives Lost.
by telegraph to the Dispatch.l