Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-08
GOODS In JEOPARDY.
SUDDEN RISE OF THE RIVER
TAKES wHARFMEN UNAwAREs.
THE WARNINGS ALL MISCARRIED.
Precautions Taken by the weather
y.u proxed of no AvaiI-The
Erood Registers sixteen Fcet-The
Present Outlook.

The rand rise OF the James river vi
Friday night. and the holding over loi
20, hours OF three kilograms addressed
TO the United States Weather Bureau
narrowly escaped bringing disaster ana
loss TO the transportation companies
whose warehouses stand on the river
front.
The discretion and vigilance OF the
night watchmen alone averted the eaiam-
lty. and, in the case Of the Virginia Navi-
CATION Company, saved 1000 barrels OF
sugar from immersion.
The rainfall in Richmond late Friday
evening only registered three quarters
NJ an inch. and there seemed little reason
TO believe that it had been heavier else
where A few minutes after . o'clock
kilograms were received mere addressed
TO the bureau from Columbia ana points
above. They conveyed the information
that the rainfall up the river had Deeh
exceptionally heavy. and thar IN SOME
places as much as three and hair inches
was registered.
WARNING FROM COLUMBIA.
From Coumbia-and the pulse Of the
river is there-came the warning that the
James was rising rapidly, with every pros
pect Of a big food. The warnings were
not delivered until $40 o'clock yesterday
morning and at that time the waters were
twelve feet above the loW-"ater maj ~
and were still rising.
Fortunately, the night Waterman OF the
Virginia Navigation Company notlceu inc
rapid rise of the river, and Delhg dppIe-
bensive of a food, undertook, upon his
own responsibility, the removal or all the
Goods slowed away in the lower ware
bouee There were / 900 barrels of sugar
there. and the task was not a hght one.
All the perishable freight was removed
from the above wharf, as well as from
the OLD Dominion, and the goods now III
the bottom warehouses, which are al
under water. will not be seriously injured
and will entail little loss.
PRECAUTIONS AVAILED MOI HING.
Mr.. f. A. Evans, who is in charge OF the
bureau. said last night that in order TO
meet such emergencies instructions had
been given the telegraph office that all
dispatches after the weather Office Is
closed should be delivered 70 his assis-
tant. on east Franklin street. lie had
he said, called the telegraph office up by
telephone about 10 o'clock, and asked If
answered in the negative. He has written
10 Superintendent Tree Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, for an expla-
nation Of the miscarriage of these pEecau-
tions. and will embody all the facts to-
eether with his letter to Mr.. Tree and
the reply thereto I'm a circular 70 be sent
to the transportation companies. who look
TO the bureau for protection against such
sudden surprises.
CONDITIONS AND OUTLOOK.
The river rose to height Of sixteen
feet above low water mark at 8 O'Clock
last night, and began to subside about
midnight.
The greatest height reached at Columbia
was 2l feet and at Scottsville ii feet Last
night at 8 o'clock the murky tide had be-
gan to go down al these places.
The river. swollen far beyond its banks
down here, was met at midnight by flood
tide and high water" The notch mark
ing the highest water during this freshet
was then about u o'clock.
Notwithstanding the sudden rise In the
river, little damage has been done, so far
as can be learned. AS related above.
large quantity Of merchandise on the
wharves Of the Virginia Navigation Com
pany was saved. In like manner, by the
vigilance and foresight Of the Waterman
at the Old Dominion and Clyde Line
steamship Wharves. much loss was avoid
ed at this freight-house.
ShOckOe creek has also backed to con-
siderable degree. At o'clock yesterday
afternoon a muddy, Shiny, and liquid pres
ence manifested itself in the cellars along
the banks Of the historic creek. At mid
night the water had reached IL feet or
more. But losses were slight, so far as
reported, as the rise was not unexpected
and perishables were removed.
Early in the afternoon the James began
TO creep into Main street in Fulton, and
kept on creeping until the cars could not
get through. They stopped running
through at $40 o'clock, and Fulton was
reached by a boat and a transfer coupon.
The street is flooded from Twenty-eighth
street for about 200 yards and the great
est depth is a foot and a half.
The water would have been higher yes
terday. Mr.. Evans thinks, had 1t not been
for the frost in the early hours of the
morning. which checked the drainage TO
some extent.
CLEAR AND COLDER.
The weather In Richmond to-day will
be clear and colder with brisk westerly
winds. developing in force. This weather
viii continue until Monday which is the
limit of time for which the weather.
wise undertake TO predict.
The conditions prevailing yesterday in
different parts Of the country, are given
in the official weather bulletin, as follows:
"The barometer pressure Is highest In
the Central Gulf States, and the Lower
ard Middle Mississippi Valley, and lowest
on the New England coast. The storm
area which passed over this section yes
terday was accompanied by heavy rains
In all OF the Atlantic-Coast States. The
temperature has fallen in the Central
valleys. Southern States. South Atlantic,
Middle Atlantic. and New England States
Precipitation has been general during
the past twenty-four hours east of the
Mississippi river.
"The weather is mostly clear in all dis
tricts, except at points along the Atlantic
coast where Ii is cloudy"