The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-16
FLOOD WATERS
 TO SUBSIDE River Crisis Has Been
 Passed. NEVER REACHED g FEET Reports from Wetumpka Showed a
 Fall Yesterday. Che Water Marks of the Present Flood VIII Be Used by Merchants to Note Danger Line of Future

The crisis in the Alabama river sit- uation has passed. Beginning yester- day afternoon the great sheet or wa ter more than i've miles across, stood at & stage of about fifty-two feet. To- night the flood will begin subsiding with the same majestic slowness with which 1t has arisen.
 While not the centre of population in Montgomery yesterday, the smiling skies drew a large percentage of the curious and unbelievers to the root of Commerce street, to inspect the of- fcial gauge and to see the wide stretch of waters, reluctantly give up the con Quered territory of Elmore county. ana other land almost within Its muddy grasp.
 It will be many days before this is done. but with the crest of the flood beyond Montgomery, and almost be- yond Selma, the fair skies general over the watersheds of the Coosa, Talla- poosa and Alabama will soon see the thousands of inundated farm lands across the stream from Commerce street dry and covered with wreckage. torn from farm lands further up the steam.
 Water that has backed up into the guNeys in North Montgomery, will empty itself into the receding stream
  road district may move again into their homes. Industries that have been threatened by the waters. may end their labors in combating ruin. They will mark the places where the water touches highest on their property. and will know what stages which will in future floods be liable to put them out of business.
 Notice of the stationary waters has mt hyyf hn with the statement that no further rise is expeced from the present rain fall and condition of affairs of the streams, tributary to the Alabama A fall has begun at Wetumpka where a stage of fifty-two feet was reached. A fall will therefore almost immediately be registered at Montgomery.
 At Selma the river continued to rise slowly up to late hour last night, and the crest of the fiooj will prob ably pass that point tonight or We'd nesday morning, when 1t forecasted that stage of fifty three or fifty four feet will be recorded.
 Near Danger Line.
 rise of several more Inches In Montgomery. would hardly be felt by any serious results. while gossip on the streets yesterday afternoon stated that a rise in the river at Selma would effect disastrous results. It was re- ported that the light and gas plants of the Central City would be put out of business. and as far as artificial light was concerned. the city would be forced to depend upon oil lamps
 On account of the excellence of the weather bureau river service, there has been very little loss of cattle and stock in the lowlands along the Ala barna and tributaries. With the excep- tion of the five lives lost during tho middle of last week, there have been no human life lost.
 Parties were out yesterday morning and afternoon. as they have been for the past week. searching for the bodies drowned On the i'll fated hunting party last Wednesday. No reports of the finding of the bodies has been made, and it will probably be several days before the flood waters recede suffi. ciently to make a. search of the trees. which just show their topmost branch es above the turbid waters on the El- more County side.
 The official report of the Weather Bureau placed the high stage of the