The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-25
THE TIMES HOTEL COLUMN.
interesting Chat Heard at the
Different Hotels.
;. j. Norton, of Columbus, Miss Who
Passed Through the City on Monday
Night, Tell, What He Saw of the
Flood-The Whole Country Seemed to
be Anoat-Another Visitor Thinks
Americans are Cursed With Elections.

p. j. Norton, OF Columbus, Miss, was in the
city yesterday for a few hours, and was met In
the corridors of the Ponce de Leon Hotel. In
conversation Mr.. Norton said: ~ was on the
late night train that passed through Roanoke
Monday. For some hours before midnight the
air was so hot and oppressive that notwithstand.
ing the motion OF the train, I could not sleep. l
went upon the rear platform of the Pullman
IN search of air, and noticed a heavy cloud and
fast tightening in this direction. A while before
we reached Salem 1t began to rain, but the fall
was slow and steady, and was very much sur
priscd at the spectacle that saw on reaching
hoanoke The whole country seemed to be
siioat, and rs the train churncd through the wa.
yer that everywhere covered tho track, 1t Inn
pressed me with the fact that, under the circum-
stances, a boat would have heen a more approprI.
ate means OF travel. / do not think that the
cloud burst extended three miles west as we
emerged from the water soor after we left the
city. The city has, OF course suffered more or
less, but have been in some OF the stores where
II Is said the heaviest damages were sustained
and 1t appears to me that the loss is greatly over
estimated. 1t is natural for men under such cir
enmstances to ovcrcstimate their losses They
at the conclusion that they are so SPOILED as To he
worthless, whereas the injury in most cases will
fT mo. at ts more than twe.ty per cent at most
papers place the loss at S75,0r0. Now do not In
the least doubt but that fully that many goods
were damaged, but when you take into consider
alton what have Just said you will sec that II IN
moi probable that the damages done altogether
will approximatea fifth of that amount. In towns
along the Mississippi river have seen stacks of
merchandise entirely submerged for day or
more and yet the loss from thar was by no means
TOTAL speaking OF Hoods along this river reminds
me OF a scene in which played part aud which
! snail never forget. Several years ago party
In which was >yoang doctor of Nashville Tenn.
went out from Natchcz on Il hunting expedition
We campcd about three miles and n half from the
river III the edge OF al uncultivated field In tho
center Of which stood an old untcntanted log
cabin, During the second night OF onr cncamp,
M mt 1t began to rain as it only can rain In this
region. The tents were soon of no protection 10
us ana the water came in half leg deep We
gathered up what furniture we could carry and
made our way to the log house The rain soon
ceased but the water continued to rise.
"By II o'clock 1t had covered the floor waist
ge,ep, ana 10 Keep dry we went up into The loft.
Things began to look serious. Our wagon we
conld see, by the light of the moon, which had
come out from behind the clouds, floating around
among the trees, and our horses that we had
turned aloose, we could hear ncighinc from nm
eminencc in the woods to the east or us Every
moment we expected to see signs OF the Hood
abating, but not so. 1t continued to rise until
and we were compelled to tear way to the roof
o. the house for safety; Then gave up all hope
water, boiling, scathng and roaring through the
tops OF the trces. Great drifts OF trees and logs
came floating across the fields like giant RATE.
The clubhouse shook and trcmblcd, and every
moment expected 1t to 20 Still the water
came higher, and we made calculation how long
and found that one hour and half was the Tine
4! young doctor from Nashville had talked but
r Little and d. at last he said, Gentlemen to
rent is setting through yonder omen.
ing which, the road follows to the foot Kills
the aid of this floating timber we can reach hiyh
ground. for one am going to try it, i knew
the the utter hopclessness of tho undertaking and
mad attempt. Finally large log floatcd near the
house and before VIC could prevent IL he sprang
into the water and swan to It. We watched him
afUht 4 In Iii,
the.log l realized that he would never reach
ana; nut our position was really critical An
A farmer living in the foot hills whose stock In
high water usually took refuge on the high
GROUND where our horses went, came with
nelghoor TO see II II was covered They saw one
OF our horses with the stake rope on drowned and
hitched among the bonghs OF the trees, and
SHOWING know whcrc THIS camping ground was, rowcd
over there to see il any traces conld be found OF
the owner OF tbe horse They took us in the boat
and we followed down the opening hoping to
days alter when the water had dried on we re-
summed 1t, securing the country for miles bat his
DC. was never recovered. The circumstances of
was what is called an old river bed.
which is n slough through the bend of
the river, and 1t is probable that his body was
drifted into this and thence into the river proper
This was the last Camp hunt that ever went
1t Brings to my mind that awful night and the
death of Snyder"
At the Hotel Roanoke yesterday gentleman
was discussing with friend the subject OF cleo
lions, and said: "lf any people on earth were
ever cursed with elections ii is we Americans
From one years end to another we can hear moth
Ing else. The President is scarcely Installed be-
forth fore the campaign is begun again. The Con
he goes to mend his fences md cxpatate to his
admiring constituency how he is saving the
country. IL seems 10 be natural for us to take to
politics. and II is no hard matter TO get eommu-
NIFTY worked up to interest in anything that is
pontical, whether 1t be the election OF n Justice
OF the pence'or II President. From this business
interests OF every kind suffer, so much 80 that II
is getting to be n recognized fact that but little
need be expected In business circles every fourth
year. This is all wrong and there Is but one way
to remedy the evil, and that is to make the terms
OF office longer"