St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-02
THE SUBMERGED SOUTH
Hundreds Of People Living on River Low
lands Driven From Their Homes
by High Water.
The Loss Of Life Along the OoOsa River,
Alabama, Believed to be Very
Large.
Parts of Richmond Ten Feet Under
Water--The Potomac Flooding
Maryland.
The Steamer Britannia Snaps a Shaft
-.NO one Yet Able TO Board
the Europa.
The Raging Rivers of Dixie.

yesterday. GauSuen reports the NOOSd
river at it's highest mark and still rising,
with alarming reports from above. All the
railroad bridges on the branch road between
Alfalfa and Gadsden are swept away, and a
number of waShoutS on the Alabama Great
Southern are reported on both sides of
Alfalfa. The mill and lumber interest at
GadSden suffered immense damage. The
Tennessee river is reported out of its banks
1t several points. From Tuscaloosa and
Warrior advices are serious, though it is be-
heved the worst has passed. Many houses
on either side of the river have been
abandoned, and the water is running
through the doors and windows. Some
families occupy the upper stories of the
dwellings and Skitfs and fiat boats are used
for transportation. The village of
Northport, across the river, is
almost submerged now, and the
iron bridge connecting the two places is
under water at both ends and fears are ell
tertained for its safety. The water is a
foot deep in the Tuscaloosa cotton factory,
and work had to be abandoned. Just be-
fore dark the wreck of a small house passed
down the river and several persons were
observed clinging to the timbers. ReScuing
parties in skitfs started in pursuit from the
Tuscaloosa shore, and were rapidly borne
outside by the rapid current. Many per-
lOosa had to be rescued from their homes
in skiffs. No calculation can be made of
the amount of damage done to farming in
tereStS, to railroads and other highways.
From every place with telegraphic facilities
come the same reports of no trains and no
mails since Monday night. The regular
trains on the Dads centering here have
been discontinued till further orders and no
work is being done by the companies en-
ployes except in repairs and construction.
RumOrS reach here of loss of life in the
Goose river valley.
EXTRAORDINARY FALL OF RAIN.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, April Ito
night at o'clock the Tennessee river at
this point marks As feet, inches on the
guage and is rising at the rate of inches
per hour. =, 1t will reach its climax to-mor-
row. No'actual damage has yet occurred
here, but several hundred families have
been forced to move from the low lands.
The greatest inconvenience is from the total
Stoppage OF trains. Only one train has
entered the city since Monday night. 1t
was fOrty-eght hours On the road and
brought passengers, many of whom were
on the road since Monday. lis not thought
that any train will leave or enter the city
before Sunday. A special to the Times
from Gadsden says that the entire county
has been devastated by the food, and that
county will be sufferer for many thou
sands of dollars. The freshet this city is
now experiencing is due to the most extra
ordinary fall of rain ever known here. All
The mills in the city except two or three are
closed down to-day.
STILL RISING.
Tha river continues to rise about two
inches an hour. 1t is now at greater
height than at any time since 1875. The
suburbs are inundated, and large factories
hove suspended operations. Several houses
are in water from one to ten feet deep. All
the homeless have been provided for, and
there has been little loss of household prop
erty and no serious accidents. The business
1t is not probable that the river will
Use high enough to reach it.
Dayton, Tenn, is under seven feet of water
and the damage is great. The millions of
feet of lumber in RATS and along the bank
OF the river and the bargeS of grain are still
secure. The railroads are about five feet
under water at BOyce, and about the same
at Wauhatchie. No trans are moving.
MUCH OF RICHMOND UNDER WATER.
RICHMOND, Va, April 1.-The James
river at this point has been rising steadily
all day, and at p. m, nearly all that por-
ton OF the city known as Rockets was sub
merged to depth of eight to ten feet. The
water has also invaded the streets about the
old market, between Fifteenth and Eight
zenith streets, cutting off communication
between the upper and lower parts of the
city. except by boats or by going a long
distance around towards the North. The
street cars run only as far as the ST.
Charles hotel. The water is still rising at
the rate OF six inches per hour, and it is eX-
pected 1t will continue to do so until or 5
o'clock tomorrow morning. The precau-
ton taken by people in the threatened
districts will keep the damage down to
comparatively small figures. Many poor
families living in Rockets have been driven
from their homes. From present indica-
TONS this flood will surpass those of 1870
and 1877. No trains have run on the Rich
mond & Allegheny road since yesterday
Dispatches from Clifton Forge and other
points above Lvnchburg, state that the
water is falling rapidly.
THE POTOMAC OUT OF ITS BANKS.
CUMBERLAND, Nd, April Recent
heavy rains have caused the south branch
Of the Potomac river to rise greater height
than for nine years past, and the Baltimore
q Ohio railroad as well as the telegraph
wires, are submerged. No trains have been
able to get through since early this morning
and communications with that section of
country bordering on the river is entirely
cut off. Mails are all water-bound, and |
damage by the freshet is believed to be very
heavy, though its extent cannot be esti- !
mated. 1t is reported that farmers and
nillers have suffered greatly and that sew
eral bridges have been swept away.
HALF THE CITY SUBMERGED.
CHARLESTON. w. Va, April 1.-Heavy
rains the past three days have raised the
Eanawha and Elk rivers to thlrty-eight feet,
and they are still rising. a few railroad
trains are running, and at 9 a. m. matters
ook gloomy, as at least one-half of the city
IS under water and many dwellings occupied
by poor people are submerged The West |
ern Union wires are under water from here
to Point Pleasant. sixty miles. New river is
reported falling at the rate of four inches |
LII hour, but the Kanawha is rising |
1t the rate of five inches per hour. |
PENNSYLVANIA CAUGHT TOO.
SHENANDOAH, Pa, April 1.-The storm |
Of the past three days, which eliminated |
yesterday in one of the heaviest rainfalls |
ever witnessed here, did considerable dam |
age throughout this section of the state. |
All the streams are swollen to immense |
proportions and nearly half the collieries in |
the Mahoning valley are flooded. Some of |
them. however, will be able to resume I'm a |
few days, but weeks will be required to re-
move the water from the others.
HOUSES AFLoAT.
MACON, Ga, April 1.-The Ocmulgee |
river is falling rapidly. The man in a tree |
mentioned yesterday was rescued this morn |
ing. His two companions were drowned. |
Twenty small houses on the east bank were |
SNyent AWAY by the fresbet