Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-08-13

HEAVY RAINS AND DAMAGE.-Ihe
heavy rains of yesterday and last night
have resulted in no little damage in
this vicinity. The downpour late in
the afternoon was almost unprecedent-
ed in this city, and for time many oil
the streets were literally flooded, while
the sewers roared and strained under
the heavy volume Of water which pass
ed through them The Wilkes street
tunnel became raging canal during
the rain. At times, so heavy were the
showers, it was impossible to see more
than half square away, the rain de.
scending so iuriously in sheets and the
wind driving it in every direction. The
streets, which during the late drought
had become foul, and which it was
thought had no little to do with produc-
ing scarlet fever in the city, obtained q
good washing After dark The rain kept
falling, and the streets became compal =
a.ively deserted. There is still cur
rent in the river and much drift wood,
&C., is passing down, although the tido
has not so far been dangerously high.
In the rural sections it is feared consid-
cradle damage has been done growing
crops, while railway entertainments
have been weakened A washout on
the Washington, Alexandria and Mt
Vernon Electric road, ut the crossing of
Four. mile Run, is the most serious. At
least oDe-quarier OF an embankment
1900 feet long was completely washed
away and inundated. a few minutes
before the waShout came train
passed over the spot, but Superin-
tendent Colvin, fearing that there
might be q disaster, alighted from
the train and walked back to make q
closer examination, and upon reaching
the point discovered that it was sink
ing away, and even while he stood
looking at it the track gave way and
he narrowly escaped being carried
with it himself He hasteGcd TO the
next station and gave the alarm, and
trains from both dire ctions were flag
ged. But for the fact of his timely dis
covery serious accident might have
happened. Traffic on the road will be
interrupted for a few days although
lage body of men were put TO work
early this morning to repair the dam
age. Trains will run rs usual, how
ever, on the Arlington division aud
from Washington to Fourmile Ran
and intermediate stations, and from
this city as far as the first station below
the washout, and also TO Mount Yer
non from this city, but there is no
way in which passengers can cross the
washout. The Pennsylvania Railroad
will ruu cars every hour between
Washington and Alexandria until the
electric road is again in condition. Be
ginning at 6 o'clock in the morning.
trains will leave Alexandra ct inter
walls of one hour until II a. hight, and
beginning at $50 o'clock, trains will
leave the Sixth street Dept, Wash
ington, for Alexandria every hour
on the half until ll30 at
night. There are several other wash
oul along the line OF the electric road
which were repaired. The tracks jus
north of the Four milerun power house
are covered with earth, large en-
bankment on the west side OF the road
having beeu washed down. About 200
feet of train on the Washington-South
ern Railway, including a long trestle,
is washed uut near Burgundy" about
rw) miles south of this city. Psssen,
gers were transferred and this morning
trains were run over the Southern road
until the damage was repaired. This
evening trains were running as usual.
There were two washouts on the
Washington and Ohio road between
Alexandria Junction and East Falls
Church. Passengers were transferred
and some inconvenience was expert
euced in the running Of trains. The
damage, however, was soon repaired,
and trains were running this evenir G
as usual.