The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-01
DETAILS OF RAIN STORM.
Worst the Southeastern Gulf Sla,es
Have Experienced for Years.
SEVEN LIVES LOST AND SEVERAL HuET
Railroad Service Is Badly Crippled by a
Great Many Bridges Having Been
Swept Away

Atlanta, Ga, February 2s.-Not In many
years have the Southeastern Gulf States
experienced damage so widespread by II
storm as that which on yesterday spread
over section of country embracing Geor.
gia, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. AS
far as known seven lives were lost and sew
eral persons injured. The damage is enoI-
heavy sufferers.
-Four lives were lost IN a wreck near Grit
lin, which was caused by a washout. the
o.-ur dead were negroes whose cabins were
blown away by the storm.
The rains raised the water 10 food height
In the Chattahoocucc, Alabama Ocmulgee,
Savannah aud the Oconees, but late tonight
the stage In all of them was stationary cX
cept at Columbus, Ga, where the Chatta
hUochee was rising slowly. Columbus sut-
fcreu severely. one bridge was washed
away and another is expected TO 90 at any
moment.
The city of Athens, Ga, is in total dark
ness tonight, with two rivers sending vol
umes of water through some parts of the
town. The North ana Middle Ocouee rivers
passed the high water mark there early
this morning, but tonight were stationary.
The power plant Of the Athens Electric
street halfway company was SODnefECu~ 10
a depth of six feet
At the Princeton factory the river rushed
through the building. doing great damage
to the machinery The water works plant
was inundated aud the machinery ruined
The water supply Of the city was shut
of All the bridgcs-Clty, county and rail
road--are in danger but none has been
carried away
No train has passed there on the sea
hoard from tLc north for Atlanta in twenty
four hours.
washouts are reported on all railroads
coming into Atlanta except two. The loss
to the railroads is enormous and they arc
handling their passenger traffic only with
the greatest difficulty. No train on the
Scaboard Air Line reached this city since
Thursday morning until 5;l5 this after
noon.
All trains on this road are turned back
at Athens. Ga, using the Southern's tracks
into Atlanta.
The first train over the Southern from
Washington since 10 o'clock last night
pulled into the Atlanta depot at O'Clock
tonight. This branch OF the southern rs
handicapped by a washout near Toccoa,
ninety miles from Atlanta. In order To
reach Atlanta this train was sent from
Toccoa to Elbertou, Ga, over its own line,
thence 10 Athens over the Seaboard. A
foreign road was used for seventy five miles
and Lula. Ga, was reached. Here the train
again took its usual route into Atlanta,
covering trackaEe of 80 miles.
No train has arrived from New Orleans
for tWenty-fOm hours a washout on the
Atlanta aud West Point near Charlottesville
Ala, has caused all trains TO be held up
there. President Wickersham of the West
Point route has been at the waShout with
crew of men since o'clock this morn
ing and expects to get a train through to
night. The water Is falling very slowly.
The Southern system to Chattanooga and
Birmingham is maintaining it's usual schcd
ules and all trains on the Nashville, CHAT
tonooga and st. Louis, the Georgia railroad
and the Central of Georgia are on time
The Southern is using the track of the last
named road for its Atlanta Macon business
The Seahoard lines bridge over the Sa
away tonight by the water The Atlanta
and West Point brought train into At
lanta from Montgomery at IL o'clock to
night