The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-14
SPRING PRESHETS.
Great Damage Caused by Floods
North and South.
Villages Submerged and People
Driven from their Homes.

Freshets in any parts Of the country have
done great damage. Many houses on the
Tennessee river were abandoned, AMI the
water ran through the d)o:s and windows
The damage in the lower part of Lynchourg,
Va, was heavy. One third of the Richmond
and Alleghany railroad from Lynchburs to
Buchanan, forty miles, was Submerged and
all the tcestling was washed away The vii
lage of Northp,rt, Va, was almost SUD
merged, and tn, iron bridge was under wat'
at both ends.
In West Virginia the Kauawha and Elk
rivers rose rapidly. Ono-half of Charleston,
w. Va, was unler water, and many dwell
ings occupied by poor people were submerg'
ed. The Western Union wires were under
water from that town 10 Point Pleasant,
sixty miles.
Floods near Pownal, Vt, raised the Hoosac
river to such a height that the Troy O.
Boston railroad track was covered with five
or six feet of water and debris No trans
could get through. and the companys tee-
graph wires were all down Land sndes
along the east bank of the Hudson retarded
travel between Troy and Albany.
A flcshet along the Midland division OK
the Grand Trunk railway, Canada, stopped
all trains, and travel was not resumed
for several days 1t was showing hard there.
In Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin there was
q heavy fall of snow lasting forty-elght
hours. The snowfall ranges from four to
fifteen inches.
A heavy rain aud melting snow back in
the mountains raised the rivers in Vermont
so that great damage was done. Main street,
in Berlin. across the river from Montpelier,
was filled many feet high with ice for nearly
one mile The Winoosii lranch was higher
than at any time since 1861. A house on the
bank of the river, occupied by William Lind
sey, was swept from the foundations by Ice.
The family was asleep when the shock came,
but all escaped safely. A railway bridge Oh
the Northeastern road at East Richford was
carried away. :.
At Lancaster, n. H., the ice from Israel's
river formed in q biz jam just below Mechanic
street bridge and caused the river to be par.
TALLY turned from its course, so that aoou1
onc-half the stream ran down Mechanic
street, carrying huge cakes OF OF ice ice
houses in that section Of the village were
flooded. The sash and blind works of Mich
olas Wilson We're carried away and are
total loss. The Stewart house, small hotel,
was flooded, but tho guests and occupants
were rescued from the second story by means
of ladders and boats
William F. Robertson, with six French Ia
borers. stated from Bradsboro, VT, for Sears
burg, where they were all going log-rolling.
When crossing Keith bridge, about mile
from any house, the bridge gave way and the
men and borses were prccipitated into the
river. The water WAS very high and only
two escaped Robertson and three French
men were drowned.
The greatest disaster hy the floods in Ala
-bama was along The Alabama and Coosa
rivers, in Coosa, Elmorc, Montgomery, An
tausa and Dallas counties Wetumptka, the
county seat of Elmore county. and the coun-
try around it We're il a deplorable plight.
Water was four leet deep in business houses
of the town, and occupants were driven
out of many of tie residences. A con.
vict farm was flooded and all hands had to
take to the RATS and then foated for miles
on these before they could land safely. One
farmer was drowned while crossing stream.
There is not bridge left in Elmore county,
and ouly one mill. Untold damage has
been done further down the river. Selma
was cut off from tha outer world by destruc-
tion of railroad bridges and tracks, and a
vast area OF farming country tributary to it
was under water The Coosa river at GadS.
den was the highest ever known. Railroad
traffic and mail service we're paralyzed nearly
all over the State
The James river at Richmond, Va, rose
steadily, and nearly all that part of the city
known as Rockets, occupied mainly by poor
families, was submerged to depth of from
eight to ten feet Numerous families were
driven from their homes and had to seek
shelter elsewhere