Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-08
WORK OF THE WATERS
LOWER MAIN STREET MERCHANTS
SUSTAIN HEAVY LOSSES.
The Heavy Rain of saturday Eve
ming Flooded Their Cellars and
Damaged Their stock tn the Ex-
tent of Several Thousand Dollars.

The inundation OF lower Main street
Saturday night by the turbulent waters,
as they sought for an outlet in other
channels than those afforded by the de-
fective sewerage system I'm that locality
caused thousands of dollars loss to the
merchants in that section. The volume Of
water came down the streets too sud
denly for the people TO remove their
goods from the cellars, in which most Of
the merchants in that section carry a
portion of their stocks, and everything
that was stored under the ground was
submerged. The water In most Of the
stores even rose 10 a height OF from six
inches to two feet on the first floors.
The portion Of Main street on which the
waters wrought such havoc extends from
Fifteenth TO Seventeenth. A Dispatch
man, who visited that section yesterday.
did not find the residents in the best Of
humor, and on all sides were heard
threats of suing the city.
THERE WAS WILD CONFUSION.
The merchants on that thoroughfare,
however. while they sustained the
heaviest losses, were not the only ones
affected by the great downpour OF rain.
The water converted the Old Market into
a small-sized river. and the hucksters
sustained heavy damages. The storm
came Just at the time when the Saturday
night marketing was at its height, and
the widest confusion reigned among pur-
chasers and dealers. Stalls We're swept
away and vegetables Of all kinds went
floating down the streets.
A small boy came near Joining the tur-
nips and cabbages in their departure.
and was in a fair way Of being carried
down a sewer when a stout hucksier
grabbed him as he swept by and rescued
him from a watery grave.
Everywhere in the portion Of the city
Immediately surrounding the Old Market,
the effects of the washout could be seen
yesterday. Sunken pavements were be-
ing repaired and cellars cleaned out, while
on all sides lay the debris which told OF
the work of the waters.
SOME OF THE LOSERS.
Probably the heaviest loss was sus-
tanned by Baldwin & Brown, hardware
dealers. who had 5000 worth OF stock
submerged. most aof which was in nails,
oils. and turpentine. Among the other
losers in the section were Clements IL
Son. 1892 east Main. SlCO; Samuel Jacobs,
1925 east Main, 5000; II. Hirshberg, 1881,
$3.50 to 81 600: Jacob Levitt, 1888 $25; w. A.
Cheatwood, 1916 east Main, $3.50; NJ. Hersh-
berg. next door, 500. Christian Thon,
Seventeenth and Main, $3.50 DR.. W. IL.
Scott, corner Seventeenth and Franklin.
was one of the heavier losers, his store
and cellar. filled with drugs. being flooded
three or four feet deep. Estimated dam
age, 5000. r. Kastleberg & Son, Frank
lin street. 5000 w. Leidy, No. 1903 east
Franklin, $50.
Lower Main street was not the only
section Of the city that suffered from the
storm.
on church Hill and shockoc Hill cell
lars were flooded and streets were torn
up.
The damage TO the sewer system OF
the city Will be considerable.
At Twenty-sCventh and o streets
great deal Of damage was done TO cell
lars
At Main and Monroe streets the
street was filled with debris and eel
lars were submerged.
There was an overflow az Main and
Madison streets and much property was
Damaged. Mr. W. H. Graham has al
ready brought suit against the city for
injury done to his property by the over
flow several weeks ago and other suits
are likely now 10 follow.
IL is understood that the merchants
who sustained losses by the inundation
will meet tomorrow night to decide what
steps to take. 1t is understood, however.
that the damages resulting from the
storm were not as heavy as was first sup
posed. and will not reach anything like
the figures published on Sunday morning.
Mr.. Jack" Bolten, one Of the Assistant
CITY engineers, was engaged with large
force Of hands fixing up streets and
sewers all day Sunday. Many articles OF
HOUSEHOLD goods were fished out OF
Shockoe creek Sunday, among them
bedstead, a wardrobe, and even live