Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-01
Many Buildings Wrecked and SeTeral
Lives Lost.
DEATH AT ALEXANDRIA,
havoc in and Around Old
Frederickebura
DESTRUCTION AT QUAyrICo.
Barns Blown Down, Trees Uprooted.
Fences Swept Away, Residences
Unroofed, and Roads Impaszable
In a Number OF Counties.

thfooa'of bha ftVe.oE AtaRUsHttHso
In a Number OF Counties.
sTAUNToN, VA. September so.--Cspe.
cial. )-Staunton was visited between tla
hours OF 10 and u O'Clock last night ~
tho most disastrous downpour, hood, ana
destruction to lie and property thal has
ever occurred Ia It's eyenttul history. Fine
pressed-brick, stone-trimmed buildings
went down with a crash. other nne brick
and stone structures were badly ia nlagcd.
horses were drowned. and some nyes
were lost. while other persons arc report
cd missing.
Lewis creek comes down from the park
parallel With Churchyille avenue on ths
northern suburbs OF the city, flowing cast
ward until about the middle Of the city
IS reached when IL flows down through
q large agched sewer under Central ave-
nue. southwark nearly 70 Main street.
where 1t defects slightly 10 the right,
and, still pursuing It's Urderground course.
turns to the eastward again after il
crosses Johnson street. parallel with
creek became a raging torrent and tho
water soon began lts work Of destruction.
The water being In too sroat volume to
pass in the tunnel, backed and quickly
swampcd the neighborhood Including
many large gardens A har some o.ck,
stone-trimmed building. owned by y. IL
Wilkes. and located on Central avenue
south Of Main street. was totally wrecked.
the occupants barely escaping. Along the
line of the creek in the southern part of
the city the water rose several feet In a
few seconds.
PLAYGROUND LAKE BURSTS
Northwest OF Staunton ana adjoi1lng Il
IS the Falr-GroUnd lake, which inclufes
nearly the entire space inside OF the half
mile race-track. and It's natural drainage
Is into Lewis creek. What caused the
food was the bursting Of this lake and
the emptylng Of It's waters into the al
ready swollen Lewis creek. II was an
other Johnstown flood on smaller scale.
Edward Burke's loss "a possibly With
tho exception cf that O. ~ j. Miller
e. Brother. the heaviest o. any. IL
was $50 o'clock when Mr. Burke's men
(he keeps a livery siable) discovered
that the water was rising rapidly and
they Immediately began 10 remove the
vehicles b high ground al the horses
! being likewise removed. by the time an
the rolling stock and horses had been re-
| moved to places OF SAFETY the water had
become too deep for a man 10 move
about in "A rapid manner and as n oor-
sequence. $500 worth of harness was de-
! str0yed.
When tho buildings gave way, 8 D.
| &C. cehenour. who ran a suacS-couuter and
ten-pin alley, lost everything as did Mr.
Parent. who owned n harness shop.
which was located IN the same building.
James Hounihan had six fine bpggies
and two road-wagons stored In the sta
bles. all of which he lost.
DIR. ATKINSON HURT
II was during the height OF the food
that Or. y. ~. Atkinson. a weil-known
and popular physician. noting the ih-
creased downfall and hearing the noise
made by the CrOwie building as II fell.
attempted to dess nd the steps which
lead to his residFi ce. not knowing that
they had been swept away BY the food.
aud In doing 50 fell striking his head On
the brick pavement. He remained uncon-
sciOus for over an hour. but was all right
at a late hour last night.
On Pump street the water rose with
amazing rapdity and number OF
negroes would have been drowned had
It not been -Jr The efforts o. Benjamin
Bagby md ~ r. Middle Kauf who res
l cued f0rty-two persons from their varl-
Gus houses along the creek
THE GAs-wORKs CONE.
The gas-works are practically gone. In
the midst Of the ficod. working in water
son ans bis assistants endeavoret 20
draw the hscs sud let the gas csca~e
from the tanks. An explosion foloWe4:
Dir. Woodson gnt helper we're siigolIy
burned and one tank was destroyed
Water covered the whole yard. ana
wheeiDarrows. sfovels. coal. coke, ant
ashes were goOh one lndlstlugulsha blo
mass. Barrels OF tar barrels Of rwhlskeY.
and even one stray barrel OF Rock
Candy Drip" are IN the yard.
Many horses and mules were drowned
IN the city. Al least seven horses were
drowned az Wilson's yards. and I've az
Thonburgs stables These five we're not.
Mr. Thornburg's horses bus those OF
countrymen placed in his stables Pc
sides these there were eleven mules
! drowned
The eiectric-street cars were left
stranded az different points on Main AMI
| Lewis streets. IL "as impossible 20 reach
| the car-house ms the great lake that
| formed on Lewis street was OF sufficient
depth 70 have drowned all passengers and
employees. even supposinS they could pull
| through Il.
| The bridge over Lewis creek 10 the VAL
ley Depot Is gone. So Is the greater part
| OF the street.
| A store and shop next TO the Argus
| Office and a biacksmlth-shop near the
brioge are gone.
/ VISITING THE SCENE
| To-day the streets have been fun Of
| people. ladies' a. well as men. all sotr2
! 20 view tho destruction IN the flooded
| districts. II Is not IN one district, how
! ever. Great holes ara washed cut in
the p2vcmdnt eight or ten feet dep, on
| Augusta. Frederick. and Main streets.
two or three squares away grcm the
flooded district. There u hardly cellar
IN the lower part of the business por-
tson OF tha town that was rot flooded.
Water street Is iupassable. and Cor blocks
the debris OF roofs. merchandise. lumber.
small houses. coal. wood, and an manner
OF wreckage is piled up twenty or thirty
feet high. Large gangs of hands have
| been at work an day Clearing uD but
little seems TO have been accomplished.
The streets have been full OF merchandise
taken from flooded cellars. The Wsatern
| Union telegraph Company. BY the GREET
| est e1ort, has gotten one wire 10 WORK.