Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-08
RESULT or TIE HEAVY RAINS.
No Rise in the Rivcr-Damagc tn
Streets and PROPERTY.


There is no danger as yet Of the heavy
rains of the past several days causing
tho James to overflow its banks and en-
croach upon lower Main street and other
sections OF the city in its immediate
neighborhood. The Chesapeake and Ohio
road last night had received no reports
from any Of the stations on It's James
River Branch, stating that the waters
were rising. and they anticipate no
trouble upon that score. The water at
Mayo's bridge was not higher than usual
at midnight
The rains seem to have been pretty
general, and the bad weather has not
been confined 10 this locality by any
means. Mr. Evans, OF the Virginia
Weather Bureau, received a telegram
from the department in Washington yes
terday afternoon, saying:
THE storm is centred on the East
Gulf coast, and will probably move across
the South Atlantic states tonight, and
may cause heavy rains and high winds In
Georgia the Carollnas, Southern Virginia,
Tennessee, and East Alabama. The
rivers are likely to rise rapidly"
A STREET CAVES IN.
The heavy downpour Of the last few
days has proved too much for the ca
pacity Of the culyert and the nature
Of tho soil on Fourth street between
Jackson and Duval and both the street
and property fronting thereon have
suffered serious damage. The middle OF
this square Is considerably depressed, and
IL was here that the water did its most
Injurious work. Almost the entire street
has sunk some ten feet. the east side OF
what was formerly the Fourth-Street
Baptist church has been entirely under
mined and the lower floors of several
dwellings have suffered. one house has
been vacated.
A large cuvert located ia this section
and at a considerable distance below the
street seems not TO have been In good
condition or 20 have been insufficient to
carry Off the great volume or water.
During the storm OF Friday last there
was an overflow that threatened serious
results and paved the way for the dam
age that subsequent rains effected.
when Mondays storm broke city hands
were engaged repairing the street, but
I'm an Incredibly short time the street had
assumed the appearance of an artificial
lake and the neighboring houses pre-
scented scenes OF activity usually incident
TO fires The workmen, finding that they
would no longer do anything at the Gull
vert. turned their attention TO helping
the occupants OF several OF the houses
on the east side OF the street who were
removing their furniture 20 the second
floors.
The precautlon was not an unnecessary
one, for before the storm was over Nos.
72l, T25. and 727 had between two end
three feet OF water on their ground floors,
and between three and five feet In their
hack-yards. In some instances the fences
were for a time completely covered. and
woodsheds and outhouses were partially
submerged.
THE STREET CAVES IN.
Back OF the property affected by this
trouble is a deep rovine which has been
used as a dump. and been nearly filed.
This made matters worse. and added 10
the difficulty in getting the surplus water
off.
When the food was at IT'S height the
street and some Of the surrounding pro-
perty caved In, and some OF the build
ings are i'm an apparently insecure condi-
ton as a result
The main cavern occurred Immediately
I'm front OF the old Fourth-Street Baptist
chapel and around the culvert The hole
extends from the curb, and Il about thirty
feet long and about ten 10 fifteen feet
deep. The cutters for some distance on
either side are also badly out Of shape.
The caye-in extended under the chapel
building, and its foundation along tho
north side and east end has nearly all
given away. leaving the frame structure
I'm such a lettering condition that IL will
probably have TO be torn down.
The house No. rs. which Is at the end
OF a double tenement north Of the chapel.
has also settled about SIX inches. and
its occupants moved out yesterday
Colonel Cutshaw and an assistant
viewed the caye-in yesterday. and men