Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-07
DES0LATI0N.
THE SCENE or DESTRUCTION ALONG
STAUNTON RIVER.
River Farms swept Clean--Hard Times
Coming, but cold Virginia Never
Tire"--Land Sale.


Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatrh.l
CoLns Ferry, CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Va.
August 9. 1879.
I must tell You something about what
will long bc spoken oi throughout TINS
Stauutou- River section ns the great frcanot
OF 1882. Nothing like Il nas been seen mere
SINCE the e" hip food ~ lS7l The water
has returned 20 It's banAs to-uay' Dut io5
nearly three dnvs and nights n covered
fms vallev from hili 30 hill like great tur-
bid sea. and vas thirry-hve feet above low
water mark destroying OIL crops growing
or harvested IN thus fertile valley.
The brldpea having been Waahed away
and tine cross-cOuutrv mails stopped we
have not been able 90 near trom uther see
tions az tine STATE. nor can We yer ltA
whether these disasters are general. ~
thev are God help tne pcopie. Nan ana
bess- must suffer Tie rams MP tine conn
try must have heor tromenhous-a cloud
bnrsf perhaps-io. che water came down
with d rush. something akiu 90 lhe Johns
town flood and r0se So rapidly Lnei I'D
many cases those vino hurried 60 move
their shocks o. wneu' and OATS were driven
from tnrir work hv She water rlaing around
thcm. and Ere nifty after having placed q
portion of tine crop ou nisn gfoUhu' W1ef,
Il seemed Go Zoe out Df danger. they looked
back only TO see 70 moving oh Oh the
BOSOM OF Lut rNnAluA hb'tt
DgsOLATr sCr;rE.
Now that th. water has subsidized n -
desoiate scene that meets the eye, en-
braciDc os II does some of the finest plan
fnnous IL the county. suGh as Stanton
Hill. south isle. Wards Neck. tdgeway,
Wpodhuru. where m.es upon Mules ot the
finest corn lie 49, hu- as u heavy roller
had passed over tne crop. tne fodder De-
whipped to spredr. the SOAKED young ears
OF corn sour. utterly worthless. and smell
iug ike brewery. hundreds 0i thousands
of t0Uacco-plants winch few dafs ago
lust ~ top covered the ground are nov
hanging l,mp and dead "n tho mn. ruined
pesf redemption. and the gram fields are
swep, clear oi che shocks OF wheat aud
oats winch So laJoiv stood tmcilf on tAe
ground.
COVERED wITu Mud.
Tho meadows and ciover-helds. Too. are
covered Vltt mud and She fences gone ana
the trees au ni0uc tine river banks are
hung with dripping wheat aud oats. all
tnut ie intt oft ln" Near prospects oi many
well-t.-uo river farmer and ua she
living of hundreds OF renters ano poor
1iccra troopers. inls is tu' condition oi
thiug. trun %, iar up do, river ass -he news
has come. 90 its mouth o. liafhH'Alt ehd
ton stranger DO looks like s-arrau9u but
tne peDpi, ave nu' ctHnnr and H"spoud-
GU 'l ','.'..' .....- ..... ,.r.-.,,.. .,'e,r
th'ls a. -. ~. -,
st',A lot s-'i, "l, ..'.ri ,.i...t n..,, '-
bu~ ','. 49, it,,-,.,,. Ola.
once FOR i1aH'f' SOW i"isr lu ..t ..'.e'
cu. on th' t''"',D "". .,' 10
first crous ot clover uG Df wheat s.UuDie
where gh'' cal auu leFor' ~ mar 31',s
mai '-shl--s q" prepare l'i --''L. nN
J heard these ana eon,l} u.n,. .',o JUS
for bridging lne oiH''u"l 8uas,a..- -l'I
other ao> nnone s'h', I.t ..1,ii
Thought sufet a tiu' ''"' ''~
ginny never s4fea'
LAND SAIL
4 large land sale vac lnnde thiN Were non
far trum mere ID nalAt1 COUNTY il'i-.