The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-15
Family of Three Ne groes Swept Away LARGE INDUSTRIES SHUT
 DOWN BY WATER The Churches in Anniston Are Inundated. Dillingham; Street Bridge At Columbus Is Saved and the Chattahoohee is Reced ding Much Dam-
 age is Done at Gads- dea,and River eide -N,
 

Selma. ,,March 14--(Speciai )-The raging w4ters of the Alabama River claimed her first victims in Central Alabama during the present flood. if the report which was received here this morning proves true.
 The report of the first deaths of the hood came from the Kings Bend neigh borhood. nine miles south of Selma, and was to the effect that during Saturday night negro family had met their death in the raging waters. The fam- fly Ia said to have consisted of man < and his wife and chuld but their names are not given.
 It was stated that the back waters from the river during Saturday-rose to within few inches of the house which they occupied but that last night the man concluded that he could safely spend one more night in the house. Du- ring last night the waters of the river backed up several feet and washed the house occupied by the family away, and all three were drowned.
 During iast night, the Alabama River continued to rise very fast. taking into consideration the vast area of territory which the river-i Is now covering The rise last night and through today has averaged about an inch an hour ana this morning large section of the lowlands south of Selma was under water.
 Inc TeaOtng or the government gauee on the county bridge by Weath- CT Observer Brislin yesterday even ing at o'clock. showed that the river had reached the 4e.3 stage At noon today the official reading showed that the river had reached the 4S.5 stage. showing a rise during the eighteen hours of 2.2 feet This rise in the river continued all during the aftsraoon and by tomorrow morning it is expected that the river will be over . mile wide opposite this city.
 The two creeks on the east and west side of the city continued tosrise steadily all during last night and to. day Beach Creek and the Alabama River are backing up steadily into the eastern part Of the city and tomorrow much of that territory will be under water.
 Industries Are Threatened.
 The manufacturing plants in the eastern part of the city were the scene Of much activity during last night and today and at the majority of these places Q number of people worked all during the night and all through to- day From these plants and warehouses there were being moved all of the per ishable goods that could be carried away and other preparations were be- ing made for the great flood which has been predicted.
 With the reports received here of the continuous heavy rains over the great watershed of the Alabama River. the majority of the people in the vicinity of Selma are of the opinion that the great flood In this section of April. 1886, will be paralleled and some are even of the belief that 1t will be sur passed. But while many do not be- lfeve u 1t the waters of the river will go very much higher. everyone Is pre- paring for a rise in the river of many feet.
 It is probable that by tomorrow night Selma will be dark for with a rise of a few more feet the waters of the Alabama river will flow into and submerge the plant of the Selma Light l ing Company in the eastern part of the city. This afternoon the backwaters of the river lacked but five feet of flowing into this plant. and as much of the important machinery of the plant Is in A cellar the lighting company will | be put out of commission as soon as the water begins to flow into this eel Jar. Plants Are Abandoned.
 The plant of the Standard oil Con- pany in the southeastern part of the city. is submerged and has been aban- doned by the officials of that company.
 A rise of a few pore inches in the river will also put out of business the union slaughter house In the eastern U the owners of the slaughter house will suffer as the delicate machinery of the establishment is in a cellar and the overflow would ruin this machinery and cause a loss to the owners of several thousand dollars.
 The plant of the Schuh- Miller and the Grasselli Chemical Company in the southeastern part of the city have al- ready been damaged to a great extent by the overflow. As the waters rise these two concerns will suffer greater losses.
 Reports received here this morning from the territory west of Selma con- tinue to be of a discouraging nature. The creeks and the Cahaba river. west of Selma, rose rapidly during last night, and while all of the trains over the Southern Railway and the Louis ville and Nashville from the west ar rived here almost upon schedule time this morning it Is not expected that they will be able to get through to- morrow morning If they go out on their regular trips this afternoon.
 The Cahaba river ten miles west of Selma, lacked about rtse of an inch in covering the railroad bridges this morning when the west bound trains came to Selma This afternoon at o'clock, a special train over the South ern from Mobile with a party of off, cials of the road, who were bound for Birmingham. barely got across the river At that time the water of the river was just covering the steel rails across the bridge.
 Lumber is Removed
 4 nunlbef of wagons were kept busy all today by the County hauling a quantity of lumber from the south side of the river over the bridge Into Sell ma. This lumber had been purchased by the County for the purpose of put ting a new flooring into-the bridge and for fear that the swollen river would float this lumher away and cause the County a considerable loss the lumber was brought across the bridge today.
 Although rain fell here all day 1t did not keep thousands of citizens from going to the county bridge and watch inE the river and speeulating-upon the probable rise. At all hours during thel