West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-09-27
SOUTHERN FLOODS.
Destructive Freshets I'm Yirginia
and the Carolinas.
Crops, Buildings and Railroad Prop
erty Swept Away.

The Appomattox and Nottaway Rivers In
Virginia were higher during The recent
freshet than they have been for ten years.
and tho damags 10 crops on these strssm.
was immsnse In some placV. the growing
| corn was entirely covered by water, aud ths
low lands for miles inundated. Many
mills aud bridges have been washed
away, sntaiiing heavy losses TIE Ap-
gomaisox River, at Psssrbsrx. Va, over
flowed its banks, and the water extended for
CONS distance over ia wharves. The Roam
oke River was thrty-sev feet over high
water mark, flooding Northampton and
Halifax counties, and doing immense dam
age. Many houses have been washed away
and many cattle drowned The damage 90
the crops was estimated at 500, 600
severe rain storm, accompanied by q
driving wind prevailed IN Washington City
especially severe IN the lower part OF tho clay,
and miniature tornado ragged over q path
about 200 feet wide, extending from
lhe Smithsonian institution 20 tho
The roofs OF the Fish Commission building
and the National Museum weru torn on, the
plants, trees and greenhouses In the Botani-
cal Gardens were badly damaged, and
plumber OF private houses IN the nstghbor-
hood wore unroofed. Tho losa will foot up
over e4O,0Oo
Heavy rain also fell IN The Carollnas. cans
ing . frcshet Ia the rivers I'm Eastern
North car0lne. Great isEsAge resulted
Roanoke, Notteleg BlAchwAtsr and other
rivers, the cotton aud corn crops
being submerged and destroyed. end
live stock, barns and Outhousoa, cue lumber.
by the floods, which have nayer before been
equally diaastroua Tho rioe In tho Roanoke
River was thirty seven feet higher then
ever known before, and pvsrbowed Tho
% county Ts.y rr.sss sss a.ssss..s ss Is0 70 .Ss
farmers was on the river. Many dwsliinEs
barns and outhouses. CroI4 were afseen feet
terly ruined, aud it & sstim4lsd that tbe lous
by floods ln this region will reach u 900. .0On
Equally Distressing rcport Of ruin wrought
by the great freshet como In from almost
every part OF South Ceronpa. Incaleuseble
damage has been done TO the cotton and corn
cropa The corn has become SOUR and
soaked, and the cotton bolls were dropping
of the stalks
The lossos 70 the planters along the s~van.
nah, Congareo, Wateree, CatawbA and
other rivers has been very great, aud on
many Of tho largest plantations the destFuc-
ton OF crops has been total. The rich lands
below Augusta on both sides OF The Bavannah
were overhowed 70 an unprecedented depth,
and all the cotton and uuharvestsd corn on
them were destroyed. while the rice planters
lower down have also the certainty Of the
total destruction OF their crops staring them
In their facoR
The rice harvest had just commenced ami
only about two por cent OF the crop had
! been secured. Tho food reached the neigh
borhood Of Savannah and necessarily de-
stroyod the last vestigo Of tho rice crop.
| The outlook Ia gloomy and di6couraging ,inas-
much ss until fortnight before the food
j the crop prospects werg hll farmer could
desire. Reliable estimates piace tbe losses
~ high a. fifty per cent. The railroads have
also suffered severely by the destruction o.
and the subsequent suspension OF traffic.
| Dispatches from Georgia say that an IN.
eessant rain storm fell there for three weeks,
one result being irreparabIs damage 70 TIE
cotton crop. When the rains began the
| nbre was In full bloom, and tho
condition was quoted as being up 10
the average Of last year, which
meant . crop Of 1000 bales. Torrents -
rain have poured down the fall being eati-
mated throughout the State at thirty -ovio
end q half Inches. Thla lnmense body Of
water has resulted In overhowing along the
river lands, swamplng tbs bottom lands, ap4
utterly running the cotton crop. Ths
heaviest cotton soction ia the State
| IL along che watersheds Of the Ocmul-
gee. This river wAa largely out OF 10 bed.
| For over a week the Georgia Central Road
/ leading out from Augusta was completely
submerged. The los In she yield OF cotton
~ now estimated by the best authorities "a
twenty. seven per oeDt.
This does nos tell the whole los, however, ,foz
the rains have beaten the cotton - ths
| ground, and almost the sntirs crop will BE-
stained The loss Of grade will amount -
less than Ave per cent 30 that ths depPecba-
sion " grade and the loss IN yisld win botil
foot up thirty per cent 81 The crop