The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-15
CURRENT OF STREAM
 DOES NOT REACH CITY
Jumps Across the Neck at Begin
 ming of the Horseshoe.
Most Serious Damage Reported in Thia Vicinity wasr Destruction of . Bridge Crossing the Cntoma Greek South of Mont
 sossery.

Like bright ray of sunshine. from ciouded sky. comes the report that the Alabama river. at the crest of its flood. will hardly be over ffty-two feet. The waters of the river continue to rise. but very slowly. The city of ontgomery has been spared much damage, because of the fortunate course taken. by the torrent of water. which is being sent south ward from the northern section | of the State. Jumping across the nar- row strip of land at the neck of the horseshoe, about i've miles from the city. the current ts carrying everything before it, but in Montgomery and along that portion of the river. which is flooded inside the bend, but little dam age is being done. the waters through out that section being little more than a back water from the flood above. The most serious damage reported in this vicinity was the destruction of bridge crossing the Catoma creek, south of Montgomery.
 Sunday was a most dismal day for Montgomerians. The report that the lighting facilities, and possibly the water supply would be shut off be- cause of the high water. had spread considerable alarm among the inhabi- tants The day was one featured by rain from early morning until dark and the condition seemed to be ripe for a flood which would rival that of 1886.
 The force of the local weather bu- reau kept in close touch with the river situation and before noon yesterday the reassuring report was made that the flood would not pass the nfty-thrse foot stage and that in all probability nfty-two feet would be the limit The men of the bureau were on duty con- stantly. getting but little sleep since the flood waters first made Athe stream dangerous. Other than the victims of the boating accident. opposite Mont gomery and the unfortunate indIvidraI who was swept over the Tallassee darn. no loss of life was reported in this i'm mediate territory and this was due, in the main. to the warnings sent out by the bureau several days ago.
 WARNINGS PREVENTED A
 SERIOUS PROPERTY LOSS.
 Property loss. too, mas been but slight, due to the timely warnings which have. given the people time to fortify against damage. During the early hours of Saturday, the river con tinued to rise steadily. at all points and the prospects for a repetition of the flood of 1888. seemed for sometime to be inevitable. The river continued to rise at the rate of about two Inches an hour here and during the greater portion of yesterday, the people In the threatened districts were moving out . their household effects.
 AS soon as the reports justified the action, Section Director Chaffee of the Weather Bureau, began to inform those interested, that the top of the rise had been nearly reached and that ffty-two feot and at the most 1fty-three feet. would be the maximum stage of the rise.
 At Rome, Ga., the river reached thir- ty-one feet and five Inches, after which it remained stationary. with a ten- dency to fail. At Mlllstead.S the river was falling slowly all of yesterday. At Gadsden, and all the points below there the river continued to rise slowly all of yesterday, up to a late hour last night, but not more than at the rate of about onettenth of foot per hour.
 At this rate. the previously estimated stages for Wetumpka Montgomery and Selma, will not be reached. Mir. Chaf- fee issued a special forecast to the effect that at the then rate of rise. the river would not exceed hfty-three feet In the same forecast, 1t was stated that the rise would not exceed hfty-three feet at Wetumpka and hfty-four feet at Selma
 RIVER GAUGE READING
 MADE DURING SUNDAY.
 The following table shows the river movement during yesterday:
 River gauge reading for March. 14, 1909. in feet and tenths. at a. m. 12 m.. 2 p. m, p. m, and p. m: