The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-06-04
HEAVY RAIN STORM
Johnson City Visited by
Great Flood.
GREAT DAMAGE DONE
Buildings Flooded, Bridges
and Fences Disappear
Rapidly.

About half past one o'clock last Fri
day afternoon it began raining in John
son City aud the water fell in sheets
for more than an hour, in fact it was
impossible to see across the street the
falling water was so Opaque. 1t was
discovered q little later that the heav-
lest rain had fallen about three miles
west of the city. Up there the rain
was mixed with hail and some of the
hail stones were as large as turkey eggs
and they fell with such violence that
many windows were broken ard path
several hundred yards wide was made
through many farms and all vegetation
destroyed. Acres of wheat was beaten
to the groued and had to be cut for
feed, corn was destroyed aud much
damage done to growing crops. The
rain also fell in torrents and a little
later the accumulated water began to
show in Brush creek and it rose rapid
ly and was soon out of its banks in the
city. 1t continued to rise and from
four to five o'clock the water ragged and
widened until the creek resembled
the Mississippi river in quiet mood.
Nothing like it has never been known
in Johnson City, although some OF the
older citizens think that back in the
sixties o similar flood occurred. At the
SouthernIdepot the water was foot
high over the track and was up in the
trees in Loves grove. Bridges, build
ings and timbers were hurried to de-
struction. Trees were uprooted in the
grove and washed away. A building
belonging to Geo. O'Brien ON West
Main street was washed down the creek
several feet and deposited on another
mans lot. The bridges over the creek
on Bowman street, in Loves grove,
West Market street, at the Watauga
Tannery and at the G. q. & O. shops
were washed out. The bridge on Roam
street was badly damaged and block
of side walk destroyed. The Southern
main line through the city was sub.
merged foot from the Standard Oak
plant to the Tannery. All residences
close to the creek were from four to six
feet in the water and many household
articles were wash away or badly dam
aged.
Many chickens were lost. Freight
cars on the siding above the depot were
standing in water up to their floors and
the current was so swift the baIlss
and road bed was partly washed ou
and telegraph poles wash up and wirel
broken. The new track of the G. G.
o. above the city had about half thu
fills washed out for several hundred
yards. The Standard Oak Lumber
Co. had foot of water in its warehouse
and the new buildings had water up t,
their floors, logs were hoated away ant
the belts, pulleys, shafting, ETC., unde
the buildings were covered with muc
and great damage was done, much fin
ished .stock was also ruined. TIL
Watauga Electric plant got cellar full
of water and had to shut down from
to II o'clock on account of wet belts
NJ. Gump's wholesale grocery stor
lost powder magazine and had sever
al feet of water in the cellar anon
barrels of vinegar and other goods.
The warehouse of Fl. W. Pardue an,
T. E. Hurst on the Southern road wer
submerged and much flour, chop an
barrels of sugar dampened. The Al
lington hotel was surrounded by waite
and the Planters had the porch cover
ed. Buffalo street from the depot to tn
Square carried two feet of water an
barrels and ties foated from aroun
the express Office out over the track
, Almost 500 empty barrels belonging t
the Standard Oil Co., passed out to tn
open sea. The Southern main line an
Embreeville branch had several was
outs and was damaged about So, 900 bu
trains were not delayed.