The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-16
THE FLOOD CLOSE BY
THE PLANTATIONS ON ARGYLE
ISLAND COVERED.

Flood Expected To-Morrow - The
Water Pouring over the Banks, enc
"a Good Many Rice Fields Alread!
Flooded-Planters Working to Save
All OF the Crop They Can-The
Freshet in the Ogeechee.
If there was any doubt of the food in the
Savannah river covering the rice fields on
Argyle Island the doubt was dispelled yes
ierdav afternoon for the river was rising
,apidly, and at o'clock had begun to pour
over the banks on the Potter plantation A
MORNING NEWS reporter went up to tbs
mead of the island yesterday afternoon on
sbe new steamer Maggie Belle and saw the
water when it first began to go over the
bank upon a most promising field of young
rice
At the Vale Royal place, just above the
citv, the water was creeping up into the low
land there, and at o'clock was under the
boilers of the burned lumber mill There
Is every Indication that all that portion Of
the country VIII be foo led, including the
Centlals track to the cotton oil mill. The
lumber stacked near the site Of the burned
mill is not unlikely to give some trouble to
Keep il from being tloated out into the river
and carried of.
ABANDONING SHOCKS IN THE FIELD.
Threshers wore running on Hutchinson
Island, but in one field at the head of the
island the carts seem to have been aoau-
doued in the field and some of the shocks
are still standing Part of the rice has been
stacked on knobs slightly elevated, but 1t
Is the belief of Capt Gibson ana Others that
tie water will damage the stacked rice even
il 10 is not foated Oft II the shocked rice
is not got out Of the fields to-day it will be
too late tomorrow, for the river is nearly
high enough to sweep over the backs Haul
ing was abandoned yesterday owing 10 the
heavy condition of the fields. 1t was as
much as a mule could do to pull an empty
cart.
what island is thatw asked one of the
gentlemen on the boat of Capt. Gibson.
rabbit Island, was the answer.
Amy rabbits on itp
Yes"
"Well, the rabbits had better get off of it
at once
This colloquy took place as the boat
steamed past the little green island, whose
reeds the rising waters Tapped, and over
which the waves from the steamers paddles
rolled.
At Kings Island no rice was planted this
season. The water is beginning to cover
this pretty little green island.
LONESOME TONY"
Potter's mill was In operation, as a column
Of smoke from the mill indicated. IL is
being operated by Mr. Sweat The island
On Potters place, across the river from
Lonesome Tony" is almost entirely hid
den, but it bears no evidence Of having
been planted this year.
There is history connected with
Lonesome I.puy,' said Capt. Gibson as he
came down from the pilot house and joined
the group on the guards, pointing to a
cypress tree near the river bank on the
Gibbons place. 1t is an old and forked tree,
dead nearly half way down from the top
81 suppose1t is at least 100 years old, said
the captain, land was landmark fifty
yerr, ago for ths tlatboatmen of that day.
] do not know how it derived its name with
out it is because it is the only tree of its
kind for miles. 1t Is said IL is full of honey,
the Accommodations of years, but Mr. Glib
IONS will not permit it to be cut down."
ALL WILL be FLOODED.
The river men on the boat familiar with
Savannah freshets spoke dolefully OF the
prospects. "If the water goes over the
freshet dam on Argyle Island all the rice
viii be flooded" II is not thought by them,
however, that it will remain on the rice
longer than four days, and. if it does not
cover 1t, hopes are entertained of saving
some of II. Rice IN blossom or in mi TX,
though, cannot survive inundation. Tho
plant must breathe" said one gentleman,
land if it is covered entirely for any great
length of time, the life is smothered ont
of it.n
"What rise is thisg" Capt. Gibson was
asked
'This is the 2s-feet rise" he replied land
the 80 feet rise will be here Monday morn
ing, or some time during the day. There
appears TO be much larger proportion of
young rice up the river 1t is looking tine,
aud planters had built high hopes Of an
increase in tie quantity and quality of the
rice, but the events of the next two or three
days Siil have dissipateI their expectations.
ThUuS 1nds upon thousands of rice birds
were fl ing over and settling on the fields,
and negroes were hidden III The bitches with
guns, shooting them as the birds passed by.
They mad letter eat hearty said one of
the passengers, ''tor their supply will be cut
off for the next week"
RICE RoTrING ON BROAD RIVER.
Capt. Charles CurtF, with che schooner
James Bell, landed at the foot OF Lincoln
Street yesterday without a cargo. Mr.
Claghorn, who is planting on Broad river,
sent word that if the schooner would come
ove- to his place she would be given a full
cargo, but the captain found on
arrival there that no cargo was
awaiting him. Mr.. Claghorn, it
Seems, cut his rice, but the heavy rains on
Broad river prevented him from gathering
it out Of the field, and it sprouted and
rutted. There are no reports of floods
there, the damage thus far being from wet
weather, which did not permit continuing
the harvest until it was too late.
WATER EVERYWHERE.
The freshet SO far has done bnt little
damage in Efingham county, though it is
said the full force Of it has not yet been
felt. Reports from the Little Ogeechee
say the water is high and rising and fears
are entertained that the Elklns landing
bridge which affords many citizens of Bull
Loeb county short outlet 10 the railroad
will be swept away The bridge was built
two years ago by the citizens OF the two
counties by private subscription and a
donation from the Central. If washed
away, its loss will be seriously felt in two
counties.
Reports along the Georgia side go to show
that all the swamps, creeks, sluiceways and
bayOus are full Of water, condition that
did not exist during the freshet of last year
II is owing 60 this feet that
when the water crosses the couu-
try and discharges a surplus in the
Ogeeehee 1t will do greater damage below
the point OF Juncture than the local freshst
in that river. Last year tho Savannah was
OILY 33 feet high, while this year the freshet
is 81 feet inches, aud by some claimed TO
be 80 feet. Such an additional volume of
water carpot fail to cover wider area and