Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-29
HEAVY RAIN STORMS
Southern States Visited by
Unprecedented Downpour.
GREAT DAMAGE DONE
RAILROADS ALONG TENNESSEE
RIVER SUFFER.
Big Freshet Expected at Chattanooga
Town of Hartman De-
stroyed.
GREAT DAMAGE DONE

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, March 29-The
storm last night ragged in this city and sec
tion furiOusly for short while. the rain
fall being phenomenal almost amounting
to a clOudburst, accompanied by lightning.
Local electric lines were obstructed in their
operations for few hours, telegraph lines
were blown down and for the space of an
hour there was the greatest anxiety for
life and property. Today there are no evil
dences of the storm in this city, the skies
are clear.
Reports received from stations on the
Tennessee river and tributaries indicate
that at the points above here the rainfall
was heavy enough to justify the prediction
of aefreshet of considerable proportions.
Some of the smaller streams tributary to
the Tennessee are out of their banks and
still rising. The crest of the tide will prob
ably reach here Monday. Railroad wires
along all lines down and the reports
received here today are very meager.
The bridge on the main line of the Nash
Vile, Chattanooga and St. Louis railroad
at Mammoth Ford. between Nashville and
Tullahoma, washed away, and trains
are operating on that road today. There
were also several washouts the road.
Trains which left here for Nashville last
night went far as Tullahoma and turned
back, arriving here this morning.
Tracks Washed Away
1t is given out today that nearly 5000
feet of track in the vicinity of Lafayette,
Ga, on the Chattanooga, Rome and South
ern railway washed away, and that several
hundred feet of the Cincinnati Southern
track near Graysvine, Tenn, suffered a like
fate.
Heavy damage to the town of Murfrees-
boro', Tenn, by cyclone. is reported, but
telephone and telegraph wires are down and
NO direct details have been obtained here.
ffipi11 hI1IIa iTNS = his RI
warning stations on the Tennessee river
show that the rainfall at Clinton was 3.26
inches bringing the river at that point one
foot above danger line. Charleston had a
fall of 2O3 inches and a rise of rs inches
IN the river. On the Southern railway all
trains were delayed on account of land
slides and washouts. General Superntend-
ent Dodson of this division gave out
statement today in which he says the lines
from Chattanooga to Jessup and from
Chattanooga to Bristol are not damaged to
any considerable extent. On the line be-
tween Knoxville and Hartman one trestle
near Dsarmond was moved out of it's line,
but repairs were made by 10 o'clock this
morning. On the Atlanta division there
was a washout near Macon and trains due
from Atlanta are late. All trains were
abandoned on the Birmingham division be-
tween Carrollton, Miss, and Greenville last
night on account of high water over the
tracks. Trains due here from Memphis are
late account of the water over the
tracks between Moscow and Rossville,
Tenn
Town Of Hartman DESTROYED
special to the News from Hartman
Tenn, says:
Hartman was destroyed by the food on
account Of the overflow Of the Emery river
The damage is estimated at a quarter of
million dollars. 1t is reported this morn
ing that two lives were lost and many more
are supposed to have been drowned. 1t is
RI to
at Oakdale and Hartman were washed
away. The tunnel at Junction. on the Gin
cinnau Southern railway, fell in. The
plant of the Vestel Lumber Company was
destroyed. the Hoe and Tool Company was
badly damaged, the planning mill is wrecked
and the tannery suffered heavily The
floating lumber, houses and debris knocked
down part of the bridge and washed it
away. The loss to Hartman is terrible.
Telephone lines are damaged.
Late this morning adViceS began reach
ing this city as to the damage on the Gin
cinnati Southern railroad, which is quite
considerable, especially between this city
and Oakdale- The reports confirm the early
rumors that 400 feet of track at Graysville,
Tenn, is gone, being washed away by the
overflow from Walden's Ridge. Trains are
delayed on the Jacksonville end of the Gin
cinnati. New Orleans and Texas Pacific
railway, and a washout occurred on the
Chattanooga Southern at Gadsden, causing
some delay to traffic. On the Nashville,
tween this city and Nashville the damage
by flood Is inconsequential from a financial
standpoint. but trouble has arisen of a
serious nature on account of the washing
away of one span of the Duck river bridge
and a span of the bridge over Garrison
Fork, between Wartrace and Bell Buckle.
The bridge gangs and pile drivers are now
at these places and the railroad officials
expect to have the line open by tomorrow
afternoon. 1t is learned that along this
line there was considerable destruction of
q nal r1Gd hyy
railroad company.
Storm in Alabama.
GADSDEN, Ala, March 29.-The hardest
rain In years fell last night. Some sections
of the city are under water from two to
four feet deep this morning. The city was
in darkness all night. the power house be-
ing flooded. The damage to crops is very
great.
are reported this morning on the Atlanta
division of the Southern railway near Sill
Yer creek. Great damage was done to
farms by last nights tremendous rainfall.
KNOXVILLE Tenn. March pa spe-
cial 10 the Sentinel from Coal Creek in the
mining district says that town was par
TALLY flooded last night by high waters in
creeks Many people had to leave their
homes, in which water was rising. Three
bridges on the railroad to the coal mines
were damaged so that trains cannot pass
over them Heavy wash6uts occurred in
tho main line on the Knoxville and Ohio
branch of the Southern railway between
Jellico and Coal Creek, delaying all traffic
between Louisville and Knoxville.
COLUMBUS. Ga, March 20-Several
manufacturing establishments were forced
to close down today on account of the
high water In the Chattahoochee river
A washout is reported on the Southern
railway near Oak Mountain Springs.