Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-15
The Rivers and the Forests.


The Rivers and the Forests.
The great freshets Of this year are, as
former ones have been. attributed IN large
measure 10 the destruction of the forests,
which once covered most Of this country,
and through the dense foliage OF which
the rains had to beat their way to the
ground and thence through beds OF leaves
and thick underground tricklo TO the
creeks and rivers. :,
No doubt the loss of those vast wooded
districts has had good deal TO do with
the great risos every fall and spring; but IL
IA n fact that we had disastrous floods IN
the long ago. Tho absence OF accurate
records of the past, however, makes IL
difficult TO compare those Of the present
with those of the years gone by. i,
There is a monument on Turkey isiano
plantation on Jamesriyer erectedto marx
treshet which occurred over century ago.
and il il now stands at point which the
waters of the James reached, ii notes one
of the most memorable foundations since
the deluge. But, inssmuch as II now
serves as grave-stone also, 1t IS very
probable that it has been removed IRON
the spot where it was originally set.
In those days Richmond suffered much
from rises in the river. The chief tobacco
warehouse of the town then stood near
where the upper gas-works are now 10
Gated. but the unruliness of the James anu
Sbockoe creek subjected the owners ana
storers TO great losses, and Thereafter the
warehouses were built upon high hills
SUBMITS above the reach OF the highest
foods ever known here.
II was this reason, in large measure, that
determined the choice OF such SITES as
those of Rockets warehouse, across
Main street from Libby Hill; Byrds ware
house where the Exchange Hotel now Is {;
shockoe warehouse which is still in pros
porous existence, and the public ware
house, which was torn down TO make room
for the Byrd-Street station.
The sagacity and forethought OF the
builders of those days were born of expert
ence.
II was only within thirty years past that
the space between the canal and the river
and Fourteenth street and Shockoe creek
was walled in, graded, and utl-
lied "a warehouse site. The
fresbets of 1870 and 1877 showed
that il could not be used for this purpose
without danger, and the Danville Railroad
Company's freight-houses now occupy
most of the ground.
On the Richmond side of the river from
the Tredegar down to Rockets the shore
has been greatly filed in. At one time the
waters of the river rose nearly to the outer
line of what is now Dock street-what was
then low, msrshy ground or sand-oars'
This narrowing of its bed will to some ex-
tent account for the raging moods into
which the James gets. for the like process
has been carried on, though to a less ex-
tent. on the Manchester shore. mus
where formerly the stream could spread
ont it is now confined to narrow channel
bounded by high entertainments.
From time to time suggestions have been
made as TO how Rockets may be saved
from the incursions of the river, but they
all involve so much cost that it is idle to
talk about them now. Meanwhile certain
streets IN that neighborhood which for one
hundred years or more were thorough
fares for business connected with the ship
ming interest are now but little used be-
cause of tho ANNOYANCE and danger OF ever
recurring overfows.
This establishes the fact that as to this
pArticular locality at least the height &c
which the river now frequently rises Is
greater than formerly, or else that the
old-time residents did not allow them
selves to be scared by few feet OF water
| in their streets and houses.
We are powerless TO stay the floods which
come roaring down from the mountain
| and from the hills and fields of Piedmon
Virginia, but the Geographic facilities o
the present day render them comparative
| w harmless. Formerly we could get M
precise information as 10 what to expect
Now. knowing the rise above the ordinary
level at Columbia, Scottsville, and Lynch
burg, &C., we can calculate what 1t will b.
here at Richmond in gwen time.
| Bv the way, many of our up-countr.
| friends sneak of the river being above
or below ordinary tide"-meanin
level
When the word tide" is used in refer
ence to q river it ought to have its techni
cal Specification. The tide is not felt abov
Richmond. and hence we think it would b
better TO say that at Columbia, Scots
VILE, Lynchburg, &c, theriver is "aboye
or "below the ordinary level" not tide.
There would then be no misleading of tn
reader. as is the case where tide is used on
of its true sense.