The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-03
SAVANNAH YET WATER BOUND.
NOT A TRAIN HA : MOVED IN THREE
DAYS EXCEPT SOUTH.

In Rivers and streams to the North
and West-A big Freshet Coming
Down From Augusta - Conditions
Too Much for the Railroads to
Overcome The Loss From All
Sources Probably "A Million Dol
lars.
Instead of improving, the conditions in the
country around Savannah resulting from
the storm are becoming worse. What is
probably a thirty-foot food is coming
down the Savannah river from Augusta
ana above that point
When this enormous volume of water Is
added to the flood now COW
ering the territory within dis
lance of 100 miles of here the finishing
touches will be about put to what gave
promise of being the finest rice crop of
years. The already swollen river viii be
ural,le 10 accommodate the new freshet
mourning in upon it from the Augusta sec
ton. The water now seeking an outlet
through the Savannah river from all the
country up the Central will be forced back
again and the last state promises to be
worse than the first.
This was the outlook last night. Yes
terdav morning it was reported that the
water in the Ogeechee river and the num-
erous small streams flowing into it and
The Savannah river had risen steadily all
Of Thursday night No such condition has
been seen in this section at least within
the last fifty years.
For mile after mile the country is
lake, broken only by the tree
trunks. Along the railroad tracks mocas-
sins. rattle and black snakes are found
where they have taken refuge from the
flood. What has become Of the stock that
roams the woods and swamps cannot be
told until the waters subsde. Many cows
and hogs have been drowned. Others may
have reached high points in the swamps
where they will remain until brought out
or the water runs off sufficiently for them
to make their way out. Thousands will
make food for the buzZards. Roads are
everywhere impossible, either from trees,
water or mire. When points are reached
whore there is no water mules bog up to
their knees in what is almost like quick
sand. Quite a number of bridges over
runs and creeks are gone and travelling is
too dangerous to be attempted, except in
absolute necessity.
The storm and freshet of 1898 are des-
tined to be long remembered. Before the
end Is reached the damage promises to go
far beyond a million dollars. Taking the
losses in the city, where minor portion
of the damage was done, and those sus-
tanned by the rice planters the growers
of sea island cotton, by farmers gener-
ally and by the railroads and shipping,
it will be found that an estimate of $1,000
coo damage will be reasonably within
bounds
Only one railroad is yet open for travel,
oil ~ aerHHl
only clear to the south. In all other d.
rections Savannah is completely shut of
from the world and it must be confessed,
with a fair probability of staying so for
q day or two to come if not longer An
some directions.
1t has been three days to-day since
train entered Savannah over the Central,
the Georgia and Alabama, or the Florida
Central and Peninsuar. 1t has been two
days since a train got in from the North.
From the south alone have the communi-
cations been kept open without break
by way of the Plant System. Six mails
are now due from the West and five from
the North.
Bags of mail matter, intended for local
points on the railroads. are laying at the
postofice Thousands Of pounds Of other
mail matter, destined for Northern points,
have been sent to the depot of the Plant
System and are there waiting for the time
when traffic will be resumed. From all
Florida and Southwest Georgia, as well
as Savannah, mail has poured in on its
way North, only TO find an impossible
barrier in the flood. About three car loads
are waiting at the depot for shipment.
1t was thought yesterday that it would
get out last night, but the idea of send
ing a train through to Charleston had
to be abandoned. If there is not a de-
cided improvement III the outlook this
morning the railroads will be asked to
asA = iQp nj
way of Jesup and Macon or Atlanta. Other
mails are being handled by this round
about way as far as possible. Matter for
Augusta and for points on the upper part
of the Central are being sent over this
route
With rivers rising instead of filling and
with a prospect of washouts growing in
size and seriousness instead of diminish
ing, it is necessary that some such step
be taken to protect the interests of bust
ness men here and elsewhere, as well as
the interests of the general public. An
effort will be made this morning to get a
train out North over the Plant System.
Last nights reports showed that the wa
ter was stil rising at various points to
the north, but il was hoped that all trou-
bles would be surmounted to-day. The
officials of the Florida Central and PENN
sular yesterday expressed no hope of hav-
ing their road open for travel to the
south. They confess that they cannot tell
when they viii get the breaks repaired.
Until that time they viii continue 10 use
the Plant Systems tracks. Master of
Transportation NJ. V. Raley announced
early this morning that the Florida Cen
trail and Pennsular would commence its
regular schedule of passenger trains to
all points north and west via Fairfax and
Columbia at noon to-day.
The Central and the Georgia and Ala
bama are an the same bad fix. Side-wheel
steamers of light draft might use their
roadbeds at some points. but not locomo-
tives. Between here and Wadley, on the
Central it is impossible to run trains
Contending with the existing conditions
and surrounding them appears to be out
of the question. To-day makes practi-
cally four days that the road has not
been in operation between Savannah and
a point 100 miles west. With a freshet
pouring down the Savannah river, with
the Ogeechee still rising, with the Oconee