The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-15


 resisted the downpours of many springs their impregnable front before the heavy downpours of rain which have been falling in this district for the past three days, and several of those which did not spring leaks were either flooded or else encircled by the waters so as to prevent the worshipers from entering them.
 In the Baraca class room of Parker Memorial Baptist church 1t was case of the OK in the ditch" He fell in and he fell in deep, and was not rescued until in the evening. The room is sft- uated in the basement, and as a result of the heavy rains it was flooded ankle deep. Sunday morning services were held at the home of. the teacher, and it was there that the question of the proyerbial OK came up. Water was standing ankle deep in the room, beau- tiful pink water, due to the fading car pet, which was being ruined. The chairs and piano were partially sub merged, and the rain was still falling. The OK was plainly in the ditch, and to prevent his drowning. the members of the class volunteered to pull him out and they did.
 It was an unusual sight to see about a score or plOuS-lOOhlHB yOuHk Illoi, attired in working clothes, with their pants rolled high or with rubber boots around their legs, laboring assiduously on Sunday afternoon, and 1t a-rain- in! The piano was raised to an ele- vated platform, the chairs and benches were piled high, the carpet was taken up and then a suction pump was brought into play. Most of the water was pumped from the room, and to pre- vent 1t being refilled from the base ment of the church proper an embank- ment was built of dampened ashes.
 This is but one instance of many, services having been abandoned in many places. This would have been necessary at the Jewish synagogue. for the little edifce presented the appear ance of Venetian chapel all day Sun day. And the churches were not the only buildings to suffer. Residences have been flooded in the same way water being from two to five feet deep in the cellars at the homes of Dr. K. L. Bowcock, A. R. Bell Leon Ullman, S. M. Caudle, Scott Roberts and others. Furnaces have been put out of commits sion the temperature has fallen and tn ose who have been entirely dependent upon this means of heating their homes have either had to suffer or swim for their coal.
 In almost every direction the South ern railroad the Seab oard and the An nston Electric and Gas company have had gangs at work repairing damaged tracks. The Louisville and Nashville tracks in this district were not con siderably damaged but the gangs have been on inspection tours neverth eless.
 The rains were less severe Sunday, and the employees of the kilby Locomo- tive and Machine works and the Annis- ton corda se plant will likely be able to resume work. It Is also probable that those residents of Ward five who N ere driven from their homes will be hia to return hy tomorrow evening.
 Choccolocco creek has receded some- wI.st. but hotwiih standing this fact there were scores of persons who went to Oxford lake. where it overhowed Its banks forming a solid sheet Of water Saturday afternoon. bridge was washed away on the car line between Anniston and the lake, and it was nec- essary to transfer passengers from one car to another at that place. News From Riverside Is to the erect that the river there has also receded, but the loss was enormous by reason of the overflow Satur1ay.
 There have been several amusing fea- tures to the flood. In one of the chief residence sections of the city the wa ter was exceptionally high, and in great pool all Lat vas seen on one vacant lot was a plank sticking out of the water with the label. For Sale," written thereon.
 The total precipitation here was about six inches, and the loss and fn- convenience avs the greatest In years.