Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-28
SOUTHERN FLOODS.
Destructive Freshets i'm Virginia
and the CarOIinas.
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 the damage to crops on these streams
was immense In some places the growing
corn was entirely covered by water, and the
low lands for miles inundated. Many
mills and bridges have been washed
away, entailing heavy losses. The Ap-
pomattox River, at Petersburg, Va. over
flowed its banks, and the water extended for
some distance over its wharves. The Roam
oke River was thirty-seven 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 to
the crops was estimated at $4,000
A severe rain storm, accompanied by a
driving wind, prevailed in Washington City
for two hours or more. The storm was
especially severe in the lower part of the city,
and miniature tornado ragged over path
about 200 feet wide, extending from
the Smithsonian Institution to the
Botanical Gardens at the foot of the capitol.
The roofs of the Fish Commission building
and the National Museum were torn off, thu
plants trees and greenhouses in the Botani-
cal Gardens were badly damaged, and
number of private houses in the neighbOr-
hood we're unroofed. The loss will foot up
over $4,000.
Heavy rain also fell in the Carolinas, caus-
ing a freshet in the rivers in Eastern
North Carolina. Great damage resulted
on the lOWland farms along the
Roanoke, Notteleg, Blackwater and other
rivers, the cotton and corn crops
live stock, barns and outhouses, cut lumber,
cord wood, bridges, fences, etc, swept away
by the floods, which have never before been
equally disastrous. The rise i'll the Roanoke
River was thirty seven feet higher than
ever known before, and OverfiOwed the
low country three miles from its
banks, The greatest destruction to the
farmers on the river. Many dwellings
were submerged and swept away with the
barns and OuthOuSes Crops were fifteen feet
under water. Many fine plantations are ut
teriy ruined and it is estimated that the loss
by floods in this region will reach 81, 900, 600.
Equally distressing reports of ruin wrought
by the great freshet come III from almost
every part of South Carolina. lncalculable
damage has been done to the cotton and corn
crops. The corn has become sour and
soaked, and the cotton bOlls were dropping
off the stalks.
The losses to the planters along the Savan-
nah, Congaree, Wateree, Catawba and
other rivers has been very great, and on
many of the largest plantations the deStruc-
ton OF or, pS has been total The rich lands
below Augusta on both sides of the Savannah
were overtiOwed to an unprecedented depth,
and al the cotton and unharveSted corn on
them we're destroyed, while the rice planters
lower down have also the certainty OF the
total destruction OF their crops staring Unenl
in their faces.
The rice harvest had just commenced and
only about two per cent. of the crop had
been secured The flood reached the neigh
borhood of Savannah and necessarily de-
stroyed the last vestige of the rice crop.
The outlook is gloomy and discOuraging. mas
much as until q fortnight before the flood
the crop prospects were all farmer could
desire. Reliable estimates place the losses
as high as fifty per cent. The railroads have
also suffered severely by the destruction OF
bridges and trestling, and by washouGs
and the subsequent suspension of traffic.
Dispatches from Georgia say that an IN
cessant rain storm fell there for three weeks,
one result being irreparable damage to the
cotton crop When the rains began the
fibre was in full bloom, and the
condition was quoted as being up to
the average of last year, which
meant a crop of $50. OO0 bales. Torrents of
rain have poured down, the fall being eSt1-
mated throughout the State at thIrty-one
and a half inches. This immense body OF
water has resulted in OVERLOOKING along the
river Ian ds swapping the bottom lands, ana
utterly running the cotton crop. L ne
heaviest cotton section in the State
is along the watersheds of the Ocmu!-
gee This river was largely out OF Its Ded
For over week the Georgia Central Road
leading out from Augusta was completely
submerged The loss in the yield of cotton
is now estimated by the best authorities at
twenty-seven per cent.
This does not tell the whole loss, however, Tor
the rains have beaten the cotton to the
oronnd and almost the entire crop Will be
Stained The loss of grade will amount to
less than five per cent, SO that the dePrecla-
ton in grade and the loss in yield Will Doth