Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-16
SIX INCHES OF SNOW.
A HEAVY FALL YESTERDAY MORNING
PRECEDED BY RAIN AND HAL.
Tho street--ar Lines Experience Di6cui-
tv In Running-Ths River High, boz
Falling az Columbia.

A regular blizzard visited Richmond
early yesterday morning-at least 1t was
blizzard If rain. hail. and snow constitute
one Of the climatic freaks-and ragged for
several hours.
Thursday was cloudy from morning till
night, but the weather was as warm as
spring day, and although the cold-wave
flag fioated from the Chamber OF Com
merce, few suspected that its prognostica-
tions would soquickly come true. A gentle
rain began TO fall about o'clock yester-
day morning, and this developed In Few
minutes INTO a heavy down-pour. There
was a violent hail-storm about 2;3O and
this was followed in few minutes by
binding snow.
though the earth was soaking, the
fieecy element clung wherever 1t fell, ana
little by little the silent streets and sur
rounding country became clothed IN a
rarb of white. The flakes were unusually
large. and the downfall was so great that
objects we're scarcely visible at fifty
yards.
SIX INCHES DEEP.
The faky article continued 10 fall with
unabated violence until 7 O'Clock. when
the storm ceased. Careful measurements
on q broad level showed that the snow
was six inches deep in places not exposed
10 drifts, though in some localities IL Was
banked up to much greater depth. Inc
trees throughout the city were Literally
| loaded down with their icy burden ana
! the branches of many of them were snap
| ped by the weight of the element.
The horse cars began 10 run little after
o'clock, and after many struggles sue
ceeded in giving good service later In the
| dav. The snow plows were started on the
| Main street line as soon as possible and
succeeded in clearing the tracks sufficient
| ly to enable the much-needed conveyances
| TO run. the cars on the Clay-street line
encountered many difficulties. ana
although they began TO pass west about y
o'clock il was some hours later before the
| east-bound public could be accommodated.
At no time IN the day was the service
good.
rHE RIVER ON BOOM.
The continued falling weather all this
week has caused the James river to assume
n threatening aspect. and last night at 10
o'clock q large portion of Fulton was sub
merged. The stream at this hour hai
overflowed its banks and extended
from its regular channel TO CON
siderable distance on the noith SIDE
of the Chesapeake and Ohio trestle.
A considerable pirt of this freshet,
however. was caused by the overflow of
/ Gillie's creek. Lester street, in the
neighborhood Of Hague, was several
inches under water, and the electric car,
were unable TO pass, while number OF
| houses. which were situated on low
ground, were flooded with several feet OF
| water.
The wharves OF the Virginia Steamboat
| Company were far out in the stream and
could only be reached by row-boats, while
those Of the Old Dominion Company were
almost as badly situated.
The stream was still rising rapidly when
the representative OF the DISPATCH left the
scene Of the flood last night at late hour.
UP THE VALLEY.
The reports OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company which were received
shortly before midnight showed that the
river was then twenty feet SIX inches higt
at Columbia and falling. At Lynchburf
the water was ten feet six inches above
the usual mark and falling. As the snow:
in the mountains have not yet melted The
great volume of the water will hardly
reach Richmond until some time to-day
None of the tracks of the road are sub
merged and the service of the line Is in nc
way affected.
The heaviest snow along the route o.
the main line was IN the vicinity OF Cor
donsyille. 1t was eight inches deep II
StauntOn.