The age-herald., 1902-03-01
Lives and Property Swept Away
 By the Floods
ALI TRAINS HANDICAPPED
Washouts On Many of Roads Have Completely Suspended Traffic-Sec- ond Bridge May Be Washed
 Away at Columbus, Ga.

Atlanta. February 2S.-Not in any experienced damage so widespread by a storm as that which on yesterday spread over a section of country embracing Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Flor ida. As far as known seven lives were lost and several persons injured. The damage is enormous. the railroads being particularly heavy sufferers.
 Four lives were lost in a wreck near Griffin, Ga, which was caused by wash outs. The other dead were negroes whose cabins were blown away by the storm. The rains raised the water to flood height in the Chattahoochee, Alabama, Ocmul- gee, Savannah and the Oconee. but late this afternoon the stages in all of them were stationary except at Columbus where the Chattahoochee was rising slow ly. Columbus suffered severely. One bridge was washed away and another Is expected to go at any moment.
 The city of Athens, Ga, is in total dark ness tonight with two rivers sending volumes of water through some parts of the town. The North and Middle Oconee rivers passed the high water mark there early this morning but tonight were sta- tionary The power plant of the Athens Electric Street Railway Company was submerged to a depth of six feet. At the Princeton factory the river rushed
 
 to the machinery.
 Water Works Machinery Ruined.
 The water works plant was inundated and the machinery ruined. The water supply of the city was shut off. Both gas and electric plants were obliged to close down. The bridges are in danger.
 Washouts are reported on all railroads coming into Atlanta tonight. The loss to the railroads is enormous and they are handling their passenger trains with the greatest difficulty. No train has reached this city on the Seaboard Air Line for several days.
 The first train over the Southern from Washington since 10 o'clock last night pulled into the Atlanta depot at ocolck tonight This branch of the Southern Is handicapped by a washout near Toccoa ninety miles from Atlanta. In order to reach Atlanta the train was sent from Toccoa to Elberton, Ga, over It's own line thence to Athens over the Seaboard. A foreign road was used for 75 miles and Lula, Ga, was reached. Here the train again took It's usual route into Atlanta covering a trackage of 250 miles.
 All Trains Held Up.
 No train has arrived from New Orleans for 24 hours. A washout on the Atlanta and West Point near Charlottesville, Ala, has caused all trains to be held up there. President Wickersham of the West Point rolute has been at the washout with a crew of men since 1 o'clock this morn ing and expects to get a train through tonight The water Is falling very slowly.
 The Southern system to Chattanooga and Birmingham is maintaining it's usual schedules and all trains on the Nash yiIle Chattanooga and St. Louis, the Georgia Railroad and Central of Georgia are on time. The Southern Is using the track of the last named raod for it's At lanta- Macon business.
 The Seaboard Air Lines bridge over the Savannah river at Calhoun Falls was carried away tonight by the high water. The Atlanta and West Point brought
 
 Il o'clock over its own tracks. This road. however, Is sending it's Montgomery trains over the Southern by way of Birmingham. ANOTHER BRIDGE AT
 COLUMBUS MAY GO.
 Columbus Ga, February 2S.-The Chat tahoochee river at this point is st,ll rag ing, but the rise is now very slow. It has overfiowed its banks in many places in the city and the water is up in the yards of residences and in the floors of work shops. In the stock and handle factory of the Southern Flow Company's plant the water is fully a foot deep. The Mus cogee Ice Works are completely sur rounded Both these have suspended op- erations. A rise of another foot will put the water in the shops of the Columbus Iron Works.
 The Seaboard Air Line track on Bay street has been undermined by the wa ters and a great portion of it has caved in. The owners of warehouses on Bay street have erected br eakwa ters to their doors and battered them down firmly to keep put the water.
 Constant fear is entertained for the lower wagon bridge, which is the only one left across the Alabama. At II o'clock tonight the water is within few inches of the flooring. and it's. safety Is jeopardized If the river should happen to take a jump up tonight, which Is gen. orally expected 1t is doubtful if morning will find the bridge there. It is a modern structure planked upon the sides and covered over the top with shingles, and It's destruction would mean the loss of the Mobile and Girard Railroad bridge, just half a block below. The railroad au- thorities keep their bridge weighted down with cars of coal across the entire length.
 Creek Bridges Washed Away.
 Reports from the vicinity around say all the bridges on the creeks are washed away. Every bridge on Bull creek in the county is either gone or damaged.
 The Mobile end Gil ard Railroad track is under water to a depth of three or four feet on the Bickerstaff place, six miles below here, for distance of nearly a mile.
 The first train over the Seaboard Air Line in two days arrived at 10 o'clock to- night.
 The submerged main of the water com pany refused to work and the pumps from the river were put to work. Under this arrangement the city is as we'll pro- tected from fire as at any time. In an in- terview today the president of the Co., lumbus Fire Insurance Exchange said