The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-02
SAVANNAH IN A SEA OF WATER.
COUNTRY FLOODED FOR FIFTY
MILES IN ALL DIRECTIONS,

Conditions Ever known in This
Section.
Savannah is an oasis in great waste
OF mud and water, an island In lake 100
miles In diameter. Cut off from direct
railroad communication in any direction
save to the South. II mas been deprived of
its principal mails for two days, with a
fair prospect of receiving none except the
comparatively unimportant one from the
South, before tomorrow, and perhaps not
even then.
In no storm that Savannah has had
has there been a greater volume of
water preciptated than in that of Tues
! day and Wednesday. From every point
within thirty or more miles of the city
comes news of rainfalls of from five to
seven inches or more. The people in the
country, between here and Hardeville, be-
lieve that the downpour there was greater
even than seven inches. the water there
simply failing in one vast sheet.
Coming on top Of the numerous rains of
the preceding three weeks, there could
be but the one result. The entire country
is flooded. In any direction outside of
the city limits water is met, ranging
in depth from a few inches to FIVE and
six feet according to the lay of the land.
II is water, water, water everywhere. AT
some points fences are out of sight and
roads have become ponds which threaten
the life of the traveller unless he can
| swim. For mile after mile railroad beds
/ are not to be seen, an avalanche of wa
| ter having poured down upon them and
! buried them from sight. Business of all
kinds is practically suspended in the great
territory which felt the effects of the
| storm. Farmers are staying within doors,
travel over the highways is suspended,
and in the little villages there is nothing
10 induce the people to leave the comforts
of home for the swamp that stretches off
to unknown distances before them. Many
houses have been flooded stock is suffer
ing from the invasion of barns and stables
by the flood, and to make the situation
worse The waters show no signs as yet of
reced!ng, but seem to be getting higher as
the vast column of rain from the interior
! pours down toward the coast
With good weather from now on and
| there is no guarantee that there will OF
be further rain at any hour the country
/ viii not be drained off for several days to
come. With more rain, it may be a week
or fortnight before it resumes anything
like it's normal condition. And after that
it is to be feared that the conditions viii
be such as to make a season of much
sickness ahead.
Yesterday Capt. Gaudry, Mr.. Floyd Mr.
| Gould and one or two others residing at
Pineora, twenty-eight miles from the city,
made their way in over the Louisville
road. 1t was a drive through water al
most the entire distance, at some points
the horses swimming for, a considerable
distance, and at others walking for miles
with the water up to their knees. When
ever high piece of ground was reached
ii was found mire, bank of liquid mud
Negro huts along the road were flooded
and the people in them had been driven
out In many instances. Frequently moth
ing could be seen of the Central Railroad
tracks, the water having covered them,
although several feet from the surface Of
the surrounding country. 1t took over
seven hours to reach the city, and they
have no desire to repeat the trip.
From Vaudeville, twenty-three miles
from Savannah, there is a similar story
of a water-covered country. Between
there and Savannah mother earth has
been buried temporarily Beyond
Vaudeville the situation is just as bad.
and at some points doubtless worse. About
seven mics from tneFe the rant SySLem
is struggling with a break in it's roadbed.
| Whether it is few hundred feet or a
few miles long is not abso-
lutely known The water is
moving over the roadbed with sufficient
force and in sufficient depth to prevent
any repairs being made that will stay.
| This is thirty miles from Savannah, and
the reports indicate that the
situation is but little better,
50 far as the general country is concerned.
for almost that distance further to the
north. Somewhere uD in this wilderness
of dampness train No. s. which was due
in Savannah Wednesday night Is under
stood to be waiting for the water to roll
by. Train No. %, coming up from the
South, had a better experience. 1t got
in Savannah early yesterday afternoon
from Jacksonville and remained here. Its
passengers, including several invaded SOL
diers no doubt congratulated themselves
that fortune was kind enough to hold them
up here, rather than in the woods or at
some obscure town without food supplies
! South of here there had been no trouble
with the Plant System up to midnight
last night, and there is a strong probability
that it win escape trouble between here
and Jacksonville, although there is con-
siderable high water.
The Florida Central and PeninsuIar is
using the Plant Systems tracks from
Jesup to Savannah still, bringing its pas
sengers from the South into this city in
that way. 1t has been Impossible to repair
the break and there is a hardly chance
of it's track being ready for use before
tomorrow, at the earliest. North of Sa-
Vannah the Florida Central and Peninsu-
lar as suffering badly. Exactly how many
wasEouts there are is not known, and win
not be until the water recedes. Train
No. q is standing at Estill, with a wash
out on either side of it. At Denmark
train No. IS is effectually stalled in a
similar fashion. Between Savannah
and the Savannah river are
two bad breaks. Quite a number
of passengers came in from the South
over this road yesterday bound for points
north Of here. The officials of the Florida
Central and Peninsular made arrange
ments to send them North via the Plant
Systems tracks to Jesup, and then up
over tho Southern to Macon. Some are
| understood TO have awaited themselves OF
this way of reaching their destinations
! 1,rsf