The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-09
THE RIVER
RUSHES OUT
ITS BANKS
Swollen by Heavy Rains
it OverfloWs.
LAST EVENING
THE TIDE TURNED
Fifteen Feet Was Then the
Record Upon the Gauge H ere
HEAVY RAINFALL
ALL OVER THE STATE
Not Great Amount Of Damage Done
but Great Inconvenience Caused.
Fulton, as Usual, Cut Off from
Other Portions of the
City Struck by
Lightning.
Fifteen Feet Was Then the
Record Upon the Gauge H ere
HEAVY RAINFALL
ALL OVER THE STATE.

Swollen by the heavy downpour OF
Sunday. James River crept up and up
yesterday. until some 10 feet of water
was sweeping by Richmond last night
In a ruddy swirl. The gurgle OF the
stream was hoarse with the mud it car.
ried, and when it began to fall it sank
heavily, as II borne down by its own
weight.
When, after. a days steady rise. the
tide began to turn and a decline to set
in, the 15-foot mark on the gauge or a
point very close thereto was reached,
The wharves We're under water and
street car traffic in the East End was
completely at a standstsll Fulton streets
were out o. Risis.t s.t1 a roundabout
route over Williamsburg Avenue was the
only one passable. Apart from the great
Inconvenience entailed, but slight dam
age was done however, though here and
there a thing or two was washed away.
RAINFALL GENERAL.
Throughout the entire State the rain
OF Saturday night and Sunday morning
were heavy. and In some sections. such
as Richmond, the downpour was terrific.
It appeared to be Richmond's share OF
the wholesale cloud opening that is
working havoc in different sections OF
the land. Between intermittent rays Of
sunlight that edged through banks OF
cloud, rain fell. and fell in torrents. and
lightning flashed withal. Thunder roared
gently in the distance.
AS a result OF the downpour the James
began soon to gather force. Before noon
on Sunday the rise was apparent. Steam
boat companies in anticipation OF the
trouble they knew was on the way, at
once set men to work removing freight
and getting everything portable ana
f1oatable out of harms way. Barges and
schooners were hustled away to places
of safety, and none too soon. for general
flood warnings came later from Wash
ington for James River and all the rivers
of South Carolina Four inches OF rain
was reported from Gordonsville. IL inches
from Columbia and a good BIZ or u mere.
while unofficial statements fixed the
downfall at Buchanan, above Lynch
burg, at inches.
nv sunday night the river at Columbia
was twenty -eight feet high. and the water
was rushing on toward Richmond 1t
began to rise rapidly here and at s A.,
M registered 1878 feet on the Weather
bureau Gauge. BY the time 1t had begun
to fall at Columbia and mad alreaay
dr6pped to about "a feet. 1t sank through
ont the day and about $3.50 last night was
1919 feet and still going down. The rise
here continued throughout the day. At
al.45 p. nj. IT was 1877 feet, and at $3.50 in
the evening 14.3 feet and rising at the
rate of about a tenth OF foot an hour.
BY 10 o'clock at night tho food here be-
gan to subside, dropping back inch by
inch. The top of the muddy streak which
marked the upward trend Of the stream
was then hard on to Is feet
FULTON SUBMERGED.
Not a great amount of actual tangible
damage was done by the flood. Reports
Of washouts and wrecks along the route
Of the Chesapeake and Ohio We're denied.
So far as Is known there wassno trouble
along the line. Here and there stuff was
washed away. but not In any great
amount. The litts yacht the "Jarrer,"
owned by Mr., Frank Cosby was carried
from her moorings on the Chesterfield
side. and was wedged between some
Cedar Works barges but she Is safe. The
new tug ..Anita," Captain James Cline,
came In Saturday afternoon and set to
work Sunday looking after the dredging
plant of J. Clement Shaffer, the govern
ment contractor on James River.
Fulton, ot course. came IN FOR the heavy
end of the food. During the hest part of
the day portion OF the place was sub
merged. Streat car traffic was completely
blocked end the streets, even to pedes-
TRANS were .mpassable. The route around
Williamsburg Avenue was almost the
only available one, The steamship COM
panies We're. Of course. subjected to great
Inconvenience. The Old dominion steamer
stopped at Newport News and Richmond
Passengers came up by rail The wharves
We're cou,plstely washed out
Some tims to-day the water will get
back into IT'S normal condition, 1t Is. per-
haps the u,uddiest that ever was seen
in Richmond and for drinking purposes
1t was something fwful. There will prob
ably be nothing TO check Its fall The
skies frightened up somewha: later yes
terday afternoon, and clear weather was
predicted for Richmond and the State at
large for to-day.
OTHER DAMAGE.
The storm which caused the food made
itsclf fel, in other directions as we'll
While crops did not suffer particularly
hereabouts, some damage was done to
streets and roads. Henrico Creek arose
10 the occasion and demolished few
bridges The ill'fatedS streets OF Fair
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