Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-08

. CLOCK yesterday morning until 3 O'Clock
'hls morning the water fell about SO inch
es. little over 3 iGchcs an hour. Al 3
o clock this morning the water was en-
urely out OF Franklin and Cary streets,
hut was still in Main at Rockets. from
point about opposite the Clyde-ldne OIL
hces, nearly TO Hague street. in Fulton.
The Chesapeake and Ohio got line to
Columbia for a short time about O'CLOCK
Yesterday afternoon. II was soon lost
The operator there reported the water
stlN falling At o'clock IL stood AT ~
feet at Columbia.
SUFFERING AND DAMAGE.
The suffering occasoned by the freshet
was not great Five negro families were
driven from their homes IN New Town,
a colored settlement lying between Gill
lies creek and the Government road.
near Fulton The families had TO move
out Monday. and went into camp on the
hieh ground above the Nork-Rivcr rail-
road. They stayed out Monday night. and
suffered greatly but were taken care Of
by other negroes In the vicinity yester-
dav. The houses were owned by the ne
groes and were submerged TO the chin
ncys. Nearly al their household goods
were destroyed.
The damage done 10y the flood Is not
great. In some cases machinery in manu-
featuring plants has been submerged.
This will cause more or less injury. but
liberal use of oil on metal mechanism Just
prior TO the rise reduced the damage t.
the minimum. The expense incident to
the removal OF goods into safe quarters.
and the absolute suspension Of business
in the submerged districts must be ac-
counted in reckoning the total loss re-
sulting from the flood.
THE SNOW WAS TTNIN DIr(s'TTrn
The snow-storm of yesterday morning
caught the Weather Bureau people nap
ping. 1t was entirely unexpected. Direc-
tor Evans explained yesterday that the
storm had orignated-becn hatched-at
a point somewhere between Knoxville
and Atlanta. a section from which the
bureau has no reports. II was therefore
impossible to predict. The storm ran 20
the Northeast. New York and New Eng
land felt IL yesterday and last night
Snow or rain began falling in the west
orn portion of Virginia Monday night
about 9 O'Clock. BY midnight II was snow
ing over nearly the entire State. The fan
ceased about A. NJ. The average depth
was three inches. 1t was as deep at Rich
mond as at any point i'm Virginia.
The storm from 4 until o'clock was
fearful in it's fury. The wind drove tn
snow iu one continuous binding gust At
times the unlucky pedestrian found II al
most impossible 10 face the blizzard.
Horses hitched TO cabs turned tail To the
storm. in spite Of the efforts OF their
drivers to alirge them on. The worst OF
the storm was over by o'clock. l"' enow
continued falling for some time. Had not
the fall from midnight until o'clock
melted as 10 fell. The u-p,n ..
here would have been considerably great
er
Director Evans stated Yesterday that
il would be fair to-day. but that the tenn
perature would fan several degrees. II Is
hoped this will prevent the rapid melting
of the snow and consequent sw Hing oi
the Water-cOurseS.
The snow-storm affected the fire-alarm
system to 81 considerable extent. seven
wires being down The telephone systems
suffered very little Snow and ice on the
trolley wires gave the motormen trouble
/ I'm the early part Of the day.
No Serious Damage Reported n
Columbia.
COLUMBIA. VA. Mqrch 1.-lSpecia )-Ther
was no serious damage 20 property here by TN
no.d. The people having prepared for II. The
water was 32ls feot high, ana entered the cci
lars OF several dgellings on Main street.