The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-04-10
GREAT FLOODS.
Floods Everywhere-Great Loss of
Life and Property.

Floods Everywhere-G Loss of
Life and Property.
The heavy rains last week caused the
streams in the Mississippi basin, and in other
parts of the country, to rise out of their banks
and overflow the adjoining territory.
Dispatches last Friday said the Tennessee
river at Chattanooga reached point 81 feet
above low-water mark and large part of the
city was under water, The number of people
driven from their homes is estimated at 5000.
There was no gas and no electric light that
night A man and child were reported
drowned in the morning. Washouts on the
railroads have virtually cut off the city from
outside communication, except by telegraph.
The tributary streams above had began fall
ing.
The floods in the Warren, Coosg and Tai
lapoosa rivers i'll Alabama were subsiding,
but railroad communication at various points
remained cut off. Thousands of horses,
mules, cattle and hogs have been swept away,
and great quantities of corn, cotton seed and
provisions destroyed So far as known, eight
human lives have been lost. A despatch from
Selma reported nine negroes drowned on one
plantation. The city was in darkness.
The loss by the food at Rome, Georgia, is
estimated at 81, 500. 600. Enormous quanti
ties of produce and hundreds, if not thou
sands, of cattle have been lost.
Four inches of snow fell on Friday at Gin
cinnati, and rains fell along the Upper Ohio
Many cellars were flooded, and men were
busy removing goods from threatened points
The mills along the Licking river are closed.
A dispatch from Montgomery, Alabama,
on Saturday said:-Reports continue to show
great loss Of life and property. The situation
Ill al IaI &c 10
Many farmers have lost all their horses, mules,
cows, corn and cotton seed along the Alaba-
ma, Tombigbee, Coosa, Warrior, Tallapoosa,
Cahaba aud Chattahoochee rivers. The river
has fallen about three feet. The railroad men
expect to run trains to Atlanta on Monday
From here to Selma the railroad is badly.
wrecked, and some days will elapse before
the resumption of trains will be attempted.
1t is safe to estimate the loss by this flood to
Alabama at $4,000, 900, and possibly several
hundred lives.
The river has ceased to rise at Selma after
rising two feet higher than at any time within
the recollection of the Oldest inhabitants
The destruction of property has been great
all along the river, and many lives have been
lost. The entire eastern portion of Selma is
under water, including two congresses, the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad
depot and shops, the gas works, Union Iron
Works foundry and about three hundred
dwelling houses. Citizens relief committees
have been organized and have gone rapidly to
work making boats, which are despatched
with provisions in all directions. The steam
er Carrier, in the employ of the citizens, has
brought in about three hundred people, main
ly negroes, picked up from house tops and
tree tops in the overfowed districts. A lire
broke out in the Selma Gas Works to-day,
oc tLa
damage of $500. twill be two weeks be-
fore the city will again have gas.
A Saturdays despatch from Nashville,
Tennessee, says:-The Cumberland is rising
u inches an hour at the head, where very
heavy rain fell last night and to-day. The
river is rising an inch an hour at Nashville,
and at midnight to night was feet inches
above the danger line. An additional rise of
three feet, which will result in great damage,
is predicted. Rain fell during most of the
day here, and there are indications of rain
tomorrow. All the depressions In and
around the city are covered with water, which
is fast submerging houses and necessitatlng
the removal of hundreds of inmates. The
water is within one foot of the stables at the
race course the lower part of which, covered.
Ten miles of the Chattanooga Railroad,
between Bass and Stevenson and Bridgeport
and Chattanooga, are submerged, the flood
being within six inches of the high water
mark of 1875 Through traffic cannot be re-
sumed for week or more. The loss to the
road will be very heavy. Reports from the
head of the Cumberland say that many ware
houses are flooded, and that their contents
are total loss. The river has extended
far and wide and destroyed vast deal OF
property. Two ladies and young man
threatened with death at Clenny's Ferry,
aof
difficulty by Willie Clenny, ftteen-year-oid
boy.
REPORTS on the same day from Cincinnati
and Louisville KY, said the Ohio, Kentucky
and Big Sandy rivers were rising, and much
damage was done to the country along their
banks.
a number of streams in the New England
states overlooked their banks, but the damage
was not very great.
Over the border, in Canada, the Hoods were
destructive also. Advices from Chateauguay
and Huntingdon counties on Saturday de-
scribe the damage done by the floods. At
Athelstan a wide section of the country is
flooded. Thirty feet of the foundation of
Boyd's factory was carried away aud b. q.
Bovce's cattle were drowned in their stable.
At Huntingdon the water spread over Cha
teauguay street. Cellars were flooded and
sidewalks carried away. The river is fully II
feet above the summer level, and fears are
entertained that two bridges will be swept
away. At 0rmstown several outbuildings
were carried away and house was stove IN
by ice Communication, except by ran, Is
cut off, all roads leading into the village being
covered covered bridge and two others
have been carried away. At Bryson the water
is Is feet above the ordinary summer level and
within . feet of the level of the bridge. The
greatest damage is at Chateauguay. Besides
the new bridge, which cost $4,000, and which
was carried off, many houses were totally or
partially destroyed. The total loss will be
$50, 900. At Trout river a saw mill was car
ried bodily away. At Fort Covington, just
over the New York boundary, the terminus
of the Montreal and Champlan Junction Rail.
way, Salmon river overhowed its banks and
moved the trestle bridge out of place. The
storehouse for lime standing close by the
river was destroyed by fire, the water slack
ing the lime and setting fire to the woodwork.
The Canada Atlantic bridge at English river
was injured, the central pier being displaced
and the track hove up, making it dangerous
to use. Except railway bridges, which are
of superior character, hardly bridge along
the Chateauguay river is not injured or en-
tirely destroyed. The worst seems to be over,
as the latest advces say the water is subsiding.
Business Locals.