Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-03

The waters of the Potomac rose yesterday
higher than ever known before by the Oldest
fnhabitant. All day parts Of the city were sub
merged Toward evening the waters began to
recede. and this morning the city had resumed
something of it, usual aspect, the streets that
were flooded yesterday being covered with ooze
and drift. When the sun rose upon Washington
yesterday morning it brought TO light city par
italy submerged. The streets and reservations
on the lower levels in the center of the city and
al! the wharves and streets along the river front
were under water while the Potomac, turbid
and swollen and stretching far over its banks,
was rushing ON. bearing on its surface the
debris that told of the destruction wrought
along its course. The waters continued to rise
Saturday night, and by midnight the levels in
the center Of the city south of Pennsylvania
avenue began to overflow. Meanwhile, along
the river banks the scenes were grand and fright
full. Throngs of people were gathered at every
point, some engaged in the work Of saving
property, others looking upon the exciting
scene. The spectators were rewarded by many
thrilling sights. Early in the evening the
AnalOstan boat house was swept from its
foundations and carried down the torrent with
all its contents going finally to ruin against the
Long bridge. A schooner that was torn from
its anchorage in the Georgetown channel went
whirling down the stream, its bell tolling as it
swept along helplessly on its perilous voyage.
1t stranded near the monument. The wreckage
borne on the swift current was hurled and
heaped against the causeway and draw Of the
Long bridge. South of the bridge the wharves
and streets were flooded. The Eastern branch
spread far out beyond its accustomed bounds,
flooding the lower part of the hayward, over
flowing the Anacostia bridge. the causeway of
which was washed away, and inundating houses
on the low grounds. The arsenal point was
partly under water and part of the barracks
was cut off from the rest by a new branch of
the Potomac, which took its course across the
grounds.
A SUBMERGED CITY.
Sunday morning the streets we're early
thronged with people, who gathered in the
center of the city to see the unusual sight of
a city partly under water. Pennsylvania ave-
nue. was flooded from I'd street to 9TH street
west, and also in the neighborhood Of 9th street.
All the streets leading south from the Avenue,
between the Botanical Gardens and the Treas
ury were canals. The Easements and lower
floors Of houses were under water. The mar
ket-house stood in the center of a great lake.
The waters rose up nearly to the top step of
the Baltimore and Potomac depot. and the
trucks OF the RAILROAD cars about the station
were under water. On some parts of Pennsyl-
yanla avenue the water rose nearly to the floor
OF the street cars, which continued to run.
Nenturesome persons IN carriages and wagons
drove through water hub deep and shared the
thoroughfare with wading bows. men on RATS
and gondolas improvised from boards which
their owners poled along. Boats also appeared
on the streets.
STREET CARS STOPPED.
The water was deep on It'll street from
Pennsylvania avenue to point 200 or 300 yards
south of the market-house that the cars could
not go through. The water was foot above
the floor of the cars Enterprising owners of
buses, with high bodies. established tempo
rary transportation lines, and did good bust
ness ferrying or fording persons over at 10
cents ahead. There were many anus
ing scenes about the streets. Along
the river front, wherever there were
dry approaches. throngs Of spectators
were gathered. The great point of interest
was the Aqueduct bridge. All the dav the
streets leading to the bridge were crowded
with vehicles and pedestrians. The cars on
the Metropolitan and Washington and George
town lines were crowded with passengers.
every available inch of space being occupied,
the Washington people on their way to see the
grand view of surging waters presented from
the Free bridge and the Georgetown people to
witness the lively scenes along PENNSYLVANIA
avenue and south of that thoroughfare The
Free bridge lined with people, who
watched with eager interest the raging food
that poured ceaselessly beneath the structure
inundating wharyes and islands and eddying
and swlrllng against the steep hillside streets
leading up from the river 'front.' Hundreds
continued their journey farther up to witness
the grand sights at the Chain bridge and the
Little Falls. where the river rushed with a
mighty roar IN its pent-up channel, overflow
Ing the bridge and sweeping great trees and
wrecks of barns and houses along in its re-
sistless flood
RUIN TO PROPERTY on THE wHARvEs.
The scene along the river front in George
town was exciting. Coal wharves and lumber
yards were submerged, and vast quantities of
coal and lumber were swept away and lost
The waters ragged over the reclaimed fats and
old lncaIculable damage to the work. Owners
OF property along the the river front watched
An1iously for signs Of falling in the waters At
noon they were cheered by news from Harper's
Ferry that the waters there were falling
rapidly.
STRANGE SUNDAY SCENES IN GEORGETOWN.
The church bells called in vain Sunday morn
ing to great multitude Of people. Lots of
them broke the Sabbath without giving any
thought TO the breach. They consoled them
selves, II consolation was necessary with the
knowledge of the fact that there would be a
large number OF Sundays during the present
year when the churches would not be called
upon to struggle with a counter attraction of
such magnitude as the greatest flood that has
ever visited this section since the days of very
LOAS ago. hHtn tue SAT- seas rOared around and
tossed their foam over the rocks in the Poto-
mae above Georgetown. now known as The
Three Sisters. The k-street bridge over Rock
creek was central point. and although the
north roadway OF the structure was in n de-
cidedly ricketty condition and was barricaded
10 prevent traffic, the eager. curious public
strolled across the bridge aud loitered on its
creaky, collslOn-strained timbers West of the
bridge Water street was truly water street
Boats and RATS and planks foated over the SUBJ
merged cobble-stones carrying passengers and
Pleasure-seekers OF all ages, sexes. degrees aud
Gnts.
THE HEAVIEST RAISFALL-
During the twenty-four hours of Friday
VI inches Of rain fell at Harrisburg. an un-
Precedented quantity for the middle Atlantic
region. In Washington the rain gauge
measured $40 inches for the day. thus bring
ing the rainfall for May up to about II. rs in
ches, or about SIS inches over the average.
ON THE RIVER FRONT.