Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-24
BIG RISE IN RIVER.
TIE STREAM ONCE NONE OUT OF
ITS BANKS.
STEAMBOAT WHARYES SUBMERGED.
The Water Spread Over Main street
and Into Rockets Old Field and
for Miles Over Chesterfield Low
Iands-DamRgc Done hut Slight.

James river is once more DeyOnd ltS
banks and the erstwhile sluggish stream
is encroaching on territory which has Been
pre-empted long since for other purposes
than a water course.
The water Is still rising, and is not ex-
pected to reach it's maximum height until
o'clock this morning. when, 1T Is esti-
mated. that II will be feet higher than
1t was several weeks ago. and uncomfort-
ably near where IT was about eight years
ago, when so much damage was done to
property on Main street adjacent TO
Shockoe creek.
The water is already backing up In the
creek there. and cellars on Main, Cary,
and Franklin streets are being flooded. 1t
is hardly probable, though, that the creek
will be forced over Main street The river
is already flowing across Lester street
dover Main. and at midnight was several
feet deep over the street-car track oppo-
site the Lower gas-works. II Is estimated
that IL will measure 8 feet in depth there
by this morning.
BEEN RISING SINCE MONDAY.
The river began to show signs Of
rise early Monday, and II gradually
sweIed until at noon yesterday II left
its banks and began to flow over the
steamboat wharves, across lower Main
street. into Rockets old field, and 10
spread for miles over the Chesterfield
lowlands. It was not until o'clock
that the water became Of sufficient depth
on the street TO interfere with street-car
traffic. and then passengers for Fulton
were transferred 10 car on the other
side of the overflow.
This city was kept advised of the state
Of the river higher up, and the reports
received at the Chesapeake and Ohio
Offices at midnight showed that the
stream reached its highest at Columbia
at f. NJ. when it registered twenty
seven feet above common tide. 1t began
to fall there later, and at 9 o'clock regis
tered 26 7-l0 feet. and at that time IT
was falling slowly. With past expe-
rience as a criterion. and these facts as
a basis. the estimate that the water
would reach its highest this morning was
made by knowing ones.
ALL THE WHARVES INUNDATED.
The steamboat wharves here were all
inundated shortly after the noon hour
yesterday, and by dark the sheds or
the Clyde-Line Old Dominion, virginia
Navigation Company, and Bay-Line
were several feet under water, and the
Virginia Company's wharf, which Is
lower than the others, was almost OUT
Of sight The Winyah. of the Old Do
minion Line, and the Shinnecock, of the
Bay Line were stopped at City Point
but the Pocahontas a lighter craft,
made the voyage through to this city, and
about $50 o'clock landed her passengers
and cargo in the upper story Of the Clyde
Line wharf whence they were got
ten to land by means of floating gang
ways She will sail, as usual, TINS morn
ing at o'clock.
In anticipation OF a big freshet the
tugs and barges Of the Richmond CEDAR
Works, which are usuallye kept on the
north bank of the river, were removed
70 the south bank early i'm the morning
They ,were I'm danger Of being swept
from their moorings by the high-water.
THE DAMAGE WAS SLIGHT
The river beyond inconveniencing the
steamboat companies and the street rah-
way passengers, really did put niue Jam
age as the freight stored in the sheds
and on the wharves Of the companies was
moved TO a safe place long before the
water began to encroach on the wharves.
The merchants whose places OF business
are along the line of Shockoe creek moved
all their goods from their cellars TO more
elevated places. The big field south OF the
Lower gas-works and fronting on Lester
street was transformed into lake BED
with several feet Of water, early In the
afternoon. The property of the city, how
ever. was not encroached upon' and no
damage was sustained to the out-ouild-
ings of the pant.
FALLING ABOVE COLUMBIA.
At last accounts the river was falling
all above Columbia, except at LynchDurs'
where 1t had been falling, where IL began
10 rise again. though slowly. This rise was
occasioned by another slight fall Of rain
beyond Lynchburg, but this is not eN-
pected to do any damage here, as the
bulk of the. high water will have passed
off before the second rise reaches here.