The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
SELMA FEELS
 FLOODS TOUCH
(Continued from Page One.

roads were operated out of Selma to the west this afternoon on scheduie time. But while these trains went out this afternoon 1t is not thought that they will be able to return 10 Selma tomorrow morning. further rise of a few inches of the Cahaba river, which is expected during the night, will make it impossible for the Louisville & Nashville to operate Into Selma the train from Myrtlewood or for the Southern Railway to operate into Selma the trains from Mooiie. Meridian and Akron.
 Anxiety in Selma.
 A telegram which Weather Observer Chaffee at Montgomery this morning sent to Weather Observer Brislin here and which was that the Alabama would go to the ffty-seven foot stage and would possibly exceed tho flood stage of the river in 1886. caused con- siderable anxiety today. The warning of the high water expected was trans mitted to the territory south of Selma so as to give the people living In the danger zone time to move out.
 That the warnings of the high wa ter to be expected which is being heed ed by the country people was very mo- ticeable today by the small number of country people and negroes from the country who came to Selma. Usually the city is crowded on Saturdays with country negroes and white farmers. but today very few farmers and coun- try negroes could be seen on the streets. Those who were here from the country across the river reported that both white and negroes wero moving out or preparing to move out of the way of the rising waters which are expected to submerge the country for many miles across the river from this city.
 If the Alabama river continues to rise until the ffty-seven foot stage is | reached the entire eastern part of Sel- ma will be several feet under water In 1886, when the flood was so great the waters of the river backed up to Sylvan street. the estern line of the business section of the city and where | the Louisville & Nashville depot is | now located. The western part of the city suffered very little during the April flood in 1886. but if the flood is as great this year as 1t was twenty three years ago that part of the city | will suffer much more. | Just across Valley creek fin the west ern part of the city is now located the Estelle cotton mills and around this mill there are a large number of houses which are now occupied by the people who formerly worked in this mill The waters of Valley creek were within a short distance of these houses this aft ernoon and the rise of few feet more of the creek will cause the occupants to move out and the swift current of the creek will no doubt wash away a great many of these homes and will also go a great amount of damage to the Estelle cotton mill.
 River Bridge Crowded.
 The bridge across the Alabama river was crowded all during today by hun dreds who spent sometime upon 1t watching the swift flowing waters of the rapidly rising river as they passed beneath the bridge. When the rain of the day stopped for few minutes large number of women and children also left their homes and went to the bridge to watch the river for a few minutes.
 The heavy and continuous rains of the past few days have also caused great inconvenience to citizens. For two blocks Broad street is almost i'm passable on account of mud. Down these two blocks there have been dug deep ditches for the laying of the new water and the large sewer pipe. This work was just about half completed when the heavy rains started and the work had to be stopped. Since then the rains have been the cause of parts or the stret where the water and sewer pipes are to be laid to cave In and the big ditches holds much water and the dirt which was thrown out of them makes the street almost impossible.
 While considerable rain has fallen in Selma during the past week, the rain fall Is not as great as many citizens think 1t was. Last Monday there was a slight rainfall here and since then until o'clock this morning the rain fall for the week figured sos inches and with the rain which fell today 1t will probably measure ten inches by Sunday morning.