Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-01
MOVING THEIR GOODS.
Business Men Of the Lower Part OF the City
Taking lime by the Forslock.

The stream IS algeldv high, the water Is
rising rapidly. aud the prospect Is that the
food VIII be q such proportions az to remind
our rcovic of thc memorable one Of 1877, In
which several spans OF Mayos bridge were
washed away.
The recent rains have been unusually ire-
queut ana -copious throughout the state,
especially in the eastern portion and the
Jamcs-Riycr VALLEY, and as consequence
there Is rot q stream. either large or small. in
the Commonwealth that is not now greatly
loyond - usual bounds.
The month Of May just closed will leave
much 10 mark its history IN the way OF heavy
rains. violent storms, and high water.
Already crest damage has been done, and
there .. ground for the fear that there will
be moro.
RAINY WEATHER.
Til. hiss indeed been a rSiny week, and IN
exceedingly stormy one Tor the season OF the
yesr.
The heavy fall of water began Sunday
uicht about 10 O'Clock and in a few hours
tbc Garth was deluged. This was fol
lowed with showers during Monday and
heavy and almost continuous rains since
shortly aner noon Thursday.
At times within The last iory.oigbt hours
Tie dOwnpour has been so great 81 10 almost
smouni 10 a waier.spout Thursday pighi
and sevcrsl times Yesterday the clouds
seemed 10 draw back their curtains and
uour forth the wsteTv elements in such
volume is 10 render pedesuianism almost
Impossible. Umbrellas were at discount
80 ihe binding wind snd rain.
The rainfall from Thursday az noon 10 6
7. u. Yesterday was .. % inches--eXCeeding-
ly heavv for thirtv hours. OF this quantity
I.41 inches fell after - VI. yesterday. At
east an inch more must have fallen last
night.
Tnc aggregate fall OF water during the last
three months has exceeded That OF cor
responding period at any time within eigh.
teen years Toy % inches.
IT'S ExTEST.
As stated above. the rains have been very
general throughout irgiuia. though heavier
on the eastern slope Of the Allegheny noun.
iainS.
All along the route Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio railway from Newport News to Clifton
laoIcc and from Richmond 10 the western
terminus Of the Richmond and Allegheny
road water fell yesterday IN just such sbun.
dance So iu this section.
10 is not the lew inches Of water that has !
hcen sbOwered down on the earth in the last !
few days, though, that slCne causes the |
trouble. This and the accom- panying storms |
are Of course what has affected the telegraph !
wires and entirely dcranged the whole sys.
TEN, but with the streams il is different. The
great increase of their volume is largely due
90 the saturated condition Of the earth,
which has teen soaking in water almost con-
siauuy for the past three months.
THE RIVER.
The waters Of the noble James have been
muddy for nearly a week, and there has |
Ifen a steady rise for the past three days. |
q 1T. arstag al
our people begin to realize that there was |
anv dsnger from iIgshet or food. sud |
denly about this time. however, the light !
dsWned upon them, aud those located in sec |
lions liable 70 be affected soon began TO In !
qure into the matter, and finding that the !
rum0rs were well founded they set 10 work |
20 remove such things ss were movable and |
would be injured by water
At2 o'clock Yesterday afternoon the water |
% clifton Forge was reported to he - feet |
above the usual waier-mark, al Balcony Falls /
I3l feet. 40 LynchbuTg u feet, and at CO.
l0mhia % feet. \ water-spOut was reported |
ou The Lexington branch OF the Richmond /
and Allegheny road, butno particulars were
learned.
NEAGEE INFOR8ATION.
A Dispatch reporter called at the Chesa-
psake aud Ohio Offices in PAGES Block be- |
tween and O'Clock Yesterday afternoon !
and the officials Of both this road and The |
Richmond and Allegheny were very cour. |
te0us, but their Information WAS mea-
gre. TIE wires we're down on both roads,
ana the only communication TO be had |
was via sowe one ot the routes OF the West
ecn mon CompanY.
5 telegram sent from Clifton Forge at $40
Z. NJ. stated that the wster was only four
teen ieeI shove common stage. but another
received not long after this one, though per-
haps from not altogether az well-iniOrmed
q source. said it WAS fifteen teet aud rising
rapidly. and that the banks on either side OF
the railroad bridge were badly washed,
though the bridge was sill standing and
seemed tim.
TWENTY FEET AND RISING.
4 special telegram from Lynchburg, re-
ceiyed 81 the Dispatch olice at 6:35. said
.'James river l. twenty feet above usual
level aud is rising rapidly at this hour,
O'CLOCK
wAsHOCTs on RAILROADS.
Every railroad running into Richmond,
with The possible exec ption OF the Rlch-
mond and Petersburg aud The Yofk'RUer
Division Of the Richmond snd Danvllle sys-
TEN. was more or les effected.
On the hichmOnd snd AlleRhanY about
twenty-five miles west OF this city there is
wssd0ut about two hundred feet long, 10
which The track, telegraph poles, wires, and |
everything h gone. Whether there Is any
other trouble between here and Lynch
burg caaFo! yet be aseeTtained. This
trouble, il j. thought. was occasioned by
the overflow q water from the old
canal, which became fun and ran over.
There j. no stream crossing the track
ar passiDg under II 81 this point, aud the
above is the only way in which the wash0ut
can be- accounted for. such occurrences
have been frequently prevented in the past
by cutting the north bank OF the canal where
tlerc are drains, aud thus relieving The
pressure and keeping tue water on The track.
On The Chesapeake aud Ohio between Cob
ham and GOrdOnsyille, where the track
passes through sWampy place, crossing
and TecIOssiDS a sBall stream. portion OF !
lhe track has been washed out. The DAM
age 70 IL thought. will not be serious here
unless there is a continuous ri'e. which VIII
hardly be the case II toe rain ceases. The
tfans that are running on this road now
make the trip over the Virginia Midlsnd.
There Is another wsshOut al Gaia water.
near Clifton Forge, but the extent OF The
damage there is not yet known 10 the rail- ,
road officials here. With these exceptions
thls system has perhaps escaped trouble,
though there il no positive assurance 10 this /,
eject.
There was wsshout on the Richmond,
Ir' detieksburg and Potomac road near ,
Rchand's station. which is not far IRON
fredericksburg, but is extent was not
known when Dispatch man visited he
BlTd.sTeo. station about : O'Clock yester- {
DAY evening. II is thought probable that I
,one miil-dsm may hsye broken above tbe 8
noe Of The railroad At this point Rno caused .
The track to give way, as no otaer cause can 0
be gwen. fBe Potomac nyer IN ON tDe 4
lower side Of the track. but there Is no great
booy of water On the upper side.
MAILS DELAYED.
The employers u the Rlchmond post
Office were very much bothered yesterday 2
afternoon over ihe delay 10 the mails.
Tie Chesapeake ana Ohio train Cue early
~ the day had not yet arrived, nor was there '
any sdHiee ~ 10 when II would.
Inc afternoon express on the Richmond