Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-17
RAIN WITH THE SNOW,
The Result is S|ushy Streets and
Deep Pools at Crossings.
ROOFS LEAK PIPES BURST
Much Damage 10 Property and Great
Inconvenience 10 People.
THE WEATHER SIGNALS DELAYED.
Indications, However. That '"e
Storm Has Passed Away, ana Ih"t
~ s VIII Leave Gradually
sin Much Suffering Among POOR


sleA, and ice. with mud and slush abound
ing: huge pools Of water everywhere' anu
crossings that are no longer passaOie-
that briefly put. describes the conditions
| prevailing in Richmond yesterday.
| The glamour of the beautiful snow
has passed away. and there Is nothlhs
| n,cturesaue now in the mounds or Dlack-
| ened snow that lire the streets, blocking
the drains and standing responsible Tor
| the colossal sheets OF water that may not
be lightly passed over. In many IN
| stances these sheets of water are covered
| with floating snow, and unwary pedes-
,rians know to their cost that they are
| several yea many. inches deep.
| If there was wretchedness in the storm
If Sunday and Monday, that sensation
has been punctuated with a full stop In
| the miserable aftermath. There was not
q oum-boot TO be bought in all Richmond
Yesterday. SO, at least, said an unhappy
man with saturated shoes, as he returned
YEARLY from the quest. The demand
has been so great that every pair has
| been bought up.
| SLEET IN THE MORNING.
The morning opened with a heavy fan
Of sleet and the mercury low i'm the tube.
The effect Of this was that the streets
and sidewalks We're like glass. and man
and beast travelled under difficulties.
Later the sleet turned TO rain, which fell
steadily and persistently for hours. the
monotonv being varied with slight snow
while this was going on the snow was
J Welding rapidly TO the confined inhu-
ences of warm rain and rising tempera-
| ture and the streets of Richmond re-
| minded one very forcbly-and the pedes-
trian per force. distressngly--of the
canals of Venice. with the picturesque
part left out.
This condition will be very materially
improved to-day, as three gangs OF men,
employed by the Street Department, num-
| herring I'm all 100 men. We're at work all
| night under the direction Of Assistant
| City-Engineer Bolton cutting through
| the snow 10 the culvert openings along
the streets. Besides this. however IN
dividual effort is needed, and the En-
sineer expresses the hope that property
- .is.,,'ssr .ff5o iss,sf7ss f'v@5s >
cleared from The cutters In 'ront OF their
premises This will insure the proper
|
aid In Riding them of the snow.
4 FRESHET Is FEARED.
The condition of the streets turns
ones II hid IN the direction OF the river,
and the fear is generally expressed tnat
n the sudden and rapid thaw continues IL
will lead to a freshet Of great proportions.
The rainfall I'm Lynchburg yesterday
| Registered / 60 inches, and the water AT
| that point was rising, though still far
from the danger-point. The rainfall IN
Richmond was much lighter.
Mitigating features of the outlook Tor
high water are found In the forecast OF
the weatherwise that there VIII De no
more rain at present. and the tempera-
ture remaining stationary VIII hot DE
conducive TO a rapid thaw The river Hes
low in its bed at present, and there is
reason TO believe that under the condi-
| lions indicated above freshet of serious
| proDortions is by no means foresohe
| conclusion.
TEI I,EGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION CUT
OFF.
The information in possession OF the
| T-nited States Weather Bureau mere was
| somewhat meagre last night, Tor the red
| con that Richmond was cut on from the
| North as far as telegraphic commuhica-
! ton was concerned and none OF the wea-
| thor signals sent out nightly from WASH
| ington could be received. communication
| was also cut off between LynchpurB anu
! the North, and messages Tor hlchuIohu
were being sent from the Nor'h pS way
! of Atlanta. ..,..o,,, hae,,
| rba local wires have fortunately Deeh
kent IN good working order, and while
Tho breaks caused during the recent storm
have only been patched Tor the tinie
being. superintendent Thompson say
| everything is running smoothly anu WIZ
| o,,t bitches Of any sort. The weather mas
wrought havoc among all manner ol III,
cbanical and pipe connections ana VIZ
number of houses where pipes haNe Dui ~
g. ,,ery great. The plumbers of the clty
- &c rnnch work as they can possibly
I do i'm the next mohth' anu
| Milling i'm upon them.
DAtAcE TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
rha. s,ou, upon the roofs has done much
| da,,aee TO private property ana pupilc
| t',,ndinps and leaking ceilings are no' the
| tst ~ the evils that have followed IN
| ~, u,ol,e of the storm. In some instances
| tba roofs are threatening 10 give way d
| - thet was realized in the case or
| Coshv,s stables. 1926 east Franklin street.
| This building is quite an old one anu tiie
! damage was not very great. fortundeeiy
| 80. was hnrt and the stock was all
| saved DN remONhl W i-''''.'N''
! Men were employed all day on the CITY
nan and other buildings shovellng snow
| -, tho manifest inconvenience or fOot-
nossengers. but for the safety OF the es-
| tahushment. Private property was dam
| ooad to a very considerable extent, dlSo'
| ~. the flooding of cellars. The loss was
| ,,ain1v along Broad and Main slree's'
where merchants had stored ther HeI-
chandise The water collected on en
streets assumed such a depth In piaces
that ii interfered seriously WIN a,,ao
c,r travel Not only so. but the lrae'lon
| Company was prevented Dy II - OH '',,',,,r
ing out the large and improved $50 ,hs
| which has done SO much ~
| tracks up to this time
sTREET-CARS AND RAlLhoADo',,
| M street-car companies are s'russi'ns
u.,tb might and main To open w -.
,,,t,,rhan lines. and they are in"h',Is
49,, haaovvav on the snow. alueu Ne's
s.nr,auv nv the rain, when iei Ses',i
' 49,, there is yet much Worh 10 Do
80 an tho tracks. and II VIII propapls
w. so,.e dovs yet before all ths Hi''S "''
In operation. ,,.,.rv has It's Broad
IN, ~ ,,,e i'm operation, but the oakwoou-
~ sti ,'-'..'s, branch H. still blocked up ny
Iions ,nough hopes are entertained that
sHo"n ',, na onened up for trainc to-uay'
M pichmond Railway ana Eiectric
,v IL stll unable 10 run lts cars
'o'rp n,',,ou on account OF the snow, ana
10 c,ay-street line Is operating only as
.ne -, as Seventh and Broad streets.
rha Forest Hill line was running az best
a could, but the scneduie was rnesu'ai,