The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-21
We Asked for Rain and Received a
Full Pledged Flood.
Precipitation Yesterday Amounted
to Three and One-Half Inches.
News from Mississippi Reports
Great Damage to Cotton Crops.
The Tracks OF the Illinois Central Road
Deluged in Several Places-A
Panic in the Telephone
Exchange.

The rain and wind storm Of yesterday
and last night was the severest that has
visited this section in many years.
Rain began falling about o'clock in the
morning and continued to pour in tor
rents until 1890 O'Clock last night, when
the precipitation, as taken by the signal
service, was 445 inches. The streets in
many parts Of the city looked like full
flooded streams, so deep was the water
All the bayous overnowed their
banks and swept away everything
in their path. The Artesian water
company probably suffered the heaviest
loss. The works are situated on the bayou
st the corner OF Fourth and Auction
streets, Chelsea. The stream began SWELL
Ing about IL O'Clock am. and by o'clock
In the afternoon ii had risen to such high
,,agc that the back water ran into the
works, inundating the plant and compell-
Ing the machinery to be shut of. The
damage cannot be estimated at this writ
Ing, but it will be quite large. Until re-
pairs are made the company will furnish
lheir patrons with Wolf river mud.
Besides the foregoing damage, signs and
awnings were blown down in all parts oil
The city.
When il ceased raining the wind
commenced TO blow through pedes-
lrians whskers. For several hours II
blew at the rate of thirty-fve miles an
hour. II then checked somewhat and
Tor sometime aiterward travelled twelve
miles an hour
The Rosa Lee, advertised to leave at
o'clock, did not get away until midnight on
account Of the gale. The other boats put
out extra lines to hold them TO their
moorings.
An APrEAL reporter was, n few days
ago, shown a reply 10 one of Messrs. Por-
Ter x Marcac's crcp-inquiring circulars.
The farmer, in answering the question,
...Do Won need rainY' said Rail, hell;
we need young food! Nothing short OF
that will do Us any good. 7" As II in rccog.
milton OF the farmers forcible style, the
god OF rain turned his charge loose. The
"young' flood has spread itself all over
this section, and unless there is ccssa
ton Of hostilitios, the damage will foot NJ
A dishearlening total. From n passengei
who arrived over the Chesapeake 4 Ohi'
road Yesterday, II WIS learned that the 10
ncsscc and Kentucky are completely nm
der water, and thyca,encd with ruin un
less the water runs off rapidly.
There was a panic among the operation
at the telephone exchange last night, an'
by 10 O'Clock Il became necessary 10 Gu
of connection with every telephone u
town. II appears that the heavy wind
Yesterday caused general crossing o
electric and telephone wires, but NJ
trouble was experienced until after
O'clock p.m., when the current wa
turned on from the electric light works
The operators at the telephone eNchang
bcgnn 20 discover that there was an un
safe amount Of Irritation going on be
tween the wires. First one numbc
would drop and shoot out a whitisl
flame that set the switch.boar
aGrc. No sooner was that wire cut o
than another white flame flashed into th
face OF an unsuspccting operator and ha
scared her TO death. Then Il broke out !
several places ut the same time, and 500
n became epidemic, aud at one time ther
were no less than 2OO connections ablaz
NJ the same time. Manager Hume sent
force Of men 10 the roof 10 cut oil III
dangerous connections, but after workin
an hour aud hall had 10 give Il up an
shut oil every telephone In town. lie e'
poets 20 be able 10 remedy the trouble an
have everything In working order by
o'clock this morning. -,
Mr.. Hume attributes the trouble to u
electric light wires In Center alley, whic
arc put up 10 close 10 the telephone, win
,s almost 10 touch. lie thinks that
order 10 avoid future trouble, and posslb
danger 10 life, there will have To- be a
adjustment Of routes for telephone ~
electric wires. At present there seems
DO no care taken In granting rights Of vi
10 electric wires 10 prevent such conugnl
of location 60 telephone wires a. caus
s.y...NN.