The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-04
THE MIGHTY FLOOD
FACE OF THE EARTH COVERED WITH
WATER ABOUT WILMINGTON
No Such Freshet Ever Known Here.
The Cape Fear and North East Flow
ing Observation-Disclosures Island Under
Water and the Bridges In Danger.
Railroad Track Washed Away-No
Trains Arrived Last Night.

The record bdeaking freshet that oc-
in the Cape Fear river at Fay
%'etteville, where the river reached a
height of SIS feet. s inches above low
water, exceeding any rise in the mem
DRY Of mar. has been showing itself in
the Cape Fear at Wilmington for the
past three days. Their has been a
rise here of about three feet and when
the tide comes up the water has been
nearly level with the wharves along
most of h entire harbor 'front.'. At
and Grace street docks the
water came over the wharyes and out
into the foot of the street a short dis
lance. On the opposite sid of the
river the water did get on a level with
the wharves that contained large num-
bers of barrels of rosin.
The back water has been such
that Brunswick river has over
flowed it's banks, submerging the
lgreater portion of Eagles island
Opposite the city. Yesterday the caus-
way between Market street ferry and
Brunswick river bridge was under wa
ter. the only dry spot being under the
shed on h western side of the Market
street ferry From the end of the shed
to Brunswick river the causeway was
under from two to four feet of water.
Mr.. A. B. Cook, superintendent Of the
ferry, who drove over it with his cart
yesterday evening late, says the water
ran into his cart. The bridge over Ali
gator creek. which crosses the
lcauseway, vas afloat and he fears that
it is gone this morning. The bridge
over Redmond creek, the largest stream
which crosses the cauSeway, was also
in great danger, as there was a great
Quantity of driftwood bearing down
upon it. Mr.. Cook even fears for the
safety of Brunswick river bridge, as it
was impossible to keep it cleared Of
ldriftwood. The new tenders were
wrecked by h flood yesterday and he
says he will be surprised if the bridge
lis there this morning. Since Monday
he has kept a large force of hands LAY
and night at the Redmond creek and
Brunswick river bridges to shove away
the drifting logs. but last night the
flood got SO high the men could not be
kept at work. Up to noon yesterday
the bridges and causeway were passa-
BILE. but last night Superintendent
Cook placed light signals at Bruins
wick river bridge, warning the public
that crossing was dangerous if not i'm
possible. He says the rice crops on the
island and also on the west bank of
brunswick river are under water and
will probably be destroyed
TRACK WASHED AWAY.
iDONc III city DcyOIlu OllI ClCi
there is a wide waste of waters. From
the swollen Cape Fear the water has
backed over the low grounds and from
Navassa to the Powers and Gibbs
lguano factory there is a solid sheet Of
water. h waters Of the Cape Fear
have met those of the North Gas river
and the track of the Atlantic and Yad-
kin branch of h Atlantic Cast Line
for a half mile has been under water,
in some places to a depth of three feet.
When the tide fell yesterday morning
in the North East river a current swept
across the tracks and washed away
200 feet of the railroad. A train was
sent over with a big crew of hands to
repair the damage. but it was impoS-
Isibie to make the repairs in time for
the train to leave yesterday morning
for Fayetteville. The washed rae was
blocked up so trains could pass and at
3 p. m. a train left for Fayetteville, but
a more serious waShout had occurred
lat Fishing creek. several miles from
the city. The train returned to the
city last night at 9:45 o'clock, it being
impossible to go on. The train from
Fayetteville, consequently. was annull-
led as there was no means Of trans
lfering the passengers over the wide
waste of waters.
NO TRAINS ON THE WILMINGTON
AND WELDON.
Last night no train arrived here from
the north yer the Wilmington & We'll
don railroad. This was owing to d
Iwashout between the Neuse river and
IGoldsboro. Thirty feet of trestle was
washed away at a point where the
|swolen waters broke through a bend in
in the river and swept across the fields
to the river at the opposite bend
The Messengers Goldsboro cores
pondent ~telegraphed as follows last
might:
"Goldsboro, n. c., May 29.-No %
Isouthbound Atlantic Ciast Linz passen-
get and mail is tied up here and Sec
tion 1 n 2 of No. 2, the northbound
strawberry freight, is at a standstill Z
miles south of the city owing to the
washout of two benches of the culvert
lat the 1857 waterway. The wires have
been tapped n a telegraph station
Established at the scene of the wash
out. In the absence of a pile driver the
railroad company cannot repair the