Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-14
THE JAMES Is HIGH.
THE WATER RISES STEADILY, BUT A
FlOOD Is NOT ANTICIPATED.
Fulton People yacate--Twcive Feet Above
Common Tide--Narrow Escape from
Drowniug-Up the Valley.
The noble James is angry-indeed very

Inc nODlc JhIneS IN du"ry-iuueeu very
angry.
The great Virginia stream is higher than
Il has been since the fall OF 1889. in which
year there were several big freshets and
one real food.
Though there will be considerable incon-
venience. and perhaps slight damage by
reason of the high water, there is nothing
TO indicate that we will have flood of at
oil serious proportions.
The people residing OF doing business in
those parts of the city that are subject to
inundation were quite anxious yesterday.
They would have been even more 80 but
for the full and reliable reports in the
D1sPAToH showing the condition of the
river at II o'clock the night before at CO.
lumbia, Lynchburg, and other important
points. The paper was eagerly sought for
and to many the information that it con-
tanned was of great value.
About half-past 10 in tho forenoon bull
letin was placed on tho DISPATCH board
| showing the state OF the river at both
| Lynchburg and Columbia. The figures
were reassuring, as they represented the
waters to be coming up very gradually.
Hundreds clustered around the board, and
the deepest interest was manifested.
The water confined TO rise here all
through Thursday night. and by 8 O'Clock
yesterday morning it began 70 run into
Rockets or lower Main street near where
GIllies creek passes under it and the in
habitants of the district within the reach
of floods began TO move out. Up TO
| o'clock in the afternoon, however, none of
the houses had been encroached upon, al
though the cellars of such as had them
were pretty well flooded.
COULDN'T GET ACROSS.
At the latter hour the street. which is
quite level, was submerged for several
| hundred yards and the street cars only ran
| to the edge of it. much TO the discomfort
Of those living beyond. who either had 10
walk a long way around or pay to ride
over in a boat. Craft of all kinds that
| could be manipulated with oar or paddle
were out in force. the oovs and girls
| In many instances the older folks, too
| having a glorious time boat-ridlng in the
street.
MET HIN AFTER ALL.
The DISPATCH reporter who visited the
watery precincts just before night had
made similar trips on like occasions, ana
| had never before failed TO meet the man
who was having n remarkable experience.
| But this time the scribe's heart was sad,
| for the old familiar character was appa-
rentlv not there But the enewspaper-mans
| fears were without foundation, as after
events proved. for moment or two after;
wards he singled out man III the crowd
whose bearing intimated knowledge. Ap-
preaching him the reporter tlmldiy
queried: -, A.,
water is coming on?"i
"Yes, sir" promptly came the response,
| lit is rising faster than ever known be-
| fore"
And then the newspaper-man went his
way with peaceful mind.
wHARvRs FLOODED.
At the corner of Main and Ash streets
| the Richmond Cedar Works people were at
work removing their woodenwsre from
their storehouse to their factory, which Is
above the high-water line. The James
River steamboat wharf was inundated as
was also the Old Dominion, the water
coming about half way TO the street In the
ward at the latter place.
SbOckoe creek was next inspected at
| Main and Cary streets and lacked from SIX
| to eight feet of reaching those thorOugh-
| fares The water extended some dlstancc
1 M the nliovS toWHTNS lllctHth oiN ~ WI
| teenth streets. between Main and cary
MAYo's ISLAND.
Then the DISPATCH man took IN Mayos
| bridge and island. The water was running
| down in an immense volume, and being
| about eleven feet higher than usual. hid
| every yestipe of rock, the rOughness OF the
surface being the only indication that the
| channel was obstructed. Some little drltt-
wood was coming down, but as the water
was at least ten feet below the bridge this
| boded no danger.
The upper part OF the island except tnat
| norton inst in the rear of the dollhouse,
| was flooded, az was also about half of the
| lower section. But for the obtrudlpg
| trees the river seemed to extend from
| Richmond to Manchester. The stream was
! of a turbid hue, and gave warning OF what
| water thinkers might soon expect TO draw
| from their hydrants.
At dark the impression was that the
| water would rise very little higher, as ad-
vices from up the river indicated stand
| with clear weather all along the line.
BRICK-YARD DAMAGED.
Tho brick.vard of Messrs. Mann q Forbs
in Fulton was badly damaged. BY some
means draining outlet became stopped
nm and the force Of the water burst il all
| 10 pieces washing the adjacent ground
| badly and damaging trestling and ma
| chinery. The wall of the englne;;h0use
| was also injured. Nr. Mann thinks the loss
| of his firm will be 1000
| No damage or delay was apprehended at
the ras-works at dark last evening, the
water being many feet below the danger
| line.
Narrow Escape from Drowning.
Messrs. McCarty Thornton and K. f.
| Noryell of this city, went out hunting
| Thursday. They travelled in a buggy.
and on their way home they attempted
70 cross the brook several miles from
| Richmond, at what is known as
Crenshaw's Crossing" This Is danger
ons place. as the bank is quite steep
| thOueh the water is, as rule, not deep.
| The late rains had swelled the creek to un-
usual proportions, and when the young
men drove in they found themselves, horse
and vehicle, being carried down by the
| current. The buggy was soon overturned
and the occupants thrown into the water.
HORSE DROWNED AND BUGGY BROKEN.
The horse became entangled in the har-
ness and was drowned. The vehicle was
broken to pieces by the force OF the cur
| rent. 49,, l., A. =
| e,reom some distance to where large tree
had fallen across the creek. BY means or
this they pulled themselves out OF the
/ water. -. A.. $4,000