The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-16

ened and tho alloy was closed to
traffic by order OF the City Engineer.
rms occurred before noon. When the
river had not left its banks, and was
caused by local freshet water OF tho
creek. not by the back water OF tho
river.
Old Dominion is Flooded.
All day long men worked clearing
nc sheds of tho Old Dominion Stoam-
snip Company, such freight as was re-
Geive1 being taken directly aboard the
brandon. The vessel sailed on time at
Z O'Clock. with but an inch or two
between the swirling water and the
wharf flooring. BY 1890 p NJ. there
was two inches of water in tho Old
dominion sheds, but everything had
,ncn been moved to IL place of safety.
The water was then rising steudily ut
the rate of seven inches an hour tho
reports at o'clock from Columbia
showing twenty-five feet, and rising.
All along the water front prepare
tons arc being made for rise OF
from thirteen to fourteen feet
by noon to-day, and II number OF
merchants had gangs of men ut work
late into the night moving pcrishable
goods to the upper stories. Even
stores on Main Street in the nciEhbur-
hoou OF the Main Street Station clcnred
their cellars and moved their stocks of
GOODS from the lower shelves In the
fear that the water might rise to tho
level OF the store floors. Experienced
river mon calculate twenty-six feet
at Columbia as sufficient to cause n
rise In Main Street in front of Chcsl-
peakc and Ohio Station, though wind
ana other conditions cause many yaria-
lions. 1t has been some years since
INC water reached such height, and
government engineers believe that tao
widening of tho Dutch Gap Canal ana
olher river improvements facilitating
the exit of flood water Will prevent The
recurrence of great floods such as That
or 1877. when boats were used In Main
stree. Tor transfer OF passengers.
barge belonging to Lee Stage
was torn from It's moorings ut the foot
OF Nicholson Street last night and
hurled with some violence agains, the
Richmond CSedar Works wharf. al
which several barges were tied. 1t
was impossible TO say what damage
had been done
In the earlier stages Of the frcshot
yesterday afternoon some material
pied along the river front by the con
tractors for the new city wharf was
swept away, but the loss Is reported
slight There was also a slight loss ~
frame work and scanolding about tn.
new concrete bridge over Gillie's
Creek for new Lester Street. Fears
DC occasioncd to the false work on tho
new Mayo Bridge. bu; on account II
/ freezing weather little work has bee,
cone for some time. Some material
stack ed OF Mayos Island may b. cnr
ried away. y large force of worl<n.,
were engaged last night In moving
cement aud other goods that would he
damaged by water above the reach OF
probable danger. The bridge enet
TO material on the island than to coy
/ struction work in the river
Free bridge in Danger
siilsh water Goes not affec; the Free
brldgc 10 so great an extent as tho
; lower bridges. but great fears nrc
expressed for its safety, and it is quito
possible that II may be closed to traiii,,
.o-uay the temporary woodan
( trcstlc work under the weaker spans
, show any sign of giving way.
AZ the electric power stations. the
pump house and various manufacture
ing plants located along the river. ex
traordlnarE precautions are beinI,
taken, the special bulletin from IN.
weather Bureau issued yesterday
morning having given warning OF n
rise OF not less than ten feet. while IN,
nun warnings Indicated a rise.
mere by this afternoon OF fourteen or
more feet above high tide In the Rlch-
| mond -harbor
captain George VI. Wyatt. agent of
fhe Old Dominion Steamship COMPANY
aaid last night that as general aver
age Richmond would receive from
20 60 per cent. Of the rise nj Colum.
nia. In other words, rise OF twenty
iVe FEET there means a rise OF from
fourteen to fifteen feet here. the aver
age time for the crest of the frcsh.,
to reach here from Columbia hnin.
twelve hours.
Warning Increased.
Section Director Evans ar "a.
United States Weather bureau no,i-
fia The Times Dispatch enrIv ms
morning that on account OF later al
VICES from the upper river. tho n,od
warnings issued early in the night rn,
eleven to twelve feet were incrcn sed
from thirteen 10 fourteen feet. and
lae rNar at that time was still rising
at the points from which reports ,vero
made. Mr.. Evans thought ina, ~
crest OF the food would reach bnro
between and i2 o'clock TO-DAY ,nI
expressed the hope that. with rnvo,.-
apic winds, the water would not rIsc
In Main street. even though If vii, n,I
the cellars on both sides of the strc,t
cover the wharvcs. and suspend trani,
in the lower sections of the civ ,rbc
1870 "ttc requested to warn those
nVing in the vicinity of the Old Mar
NJ 70 "atcn Tor rising water. ana to
| move goods in preparation for a four.
teen foot rise
RninfaI1 Unusual.
| Mr.. Evans said that "A rainfall of
I III inches in twenty four hours mo.,
of it falling In a few hours. was oi,ito
unusual. there having been no s,,c,,
| iall In or around Richmond since
APRIL 1910 As hopeful sign. Nv,
I Evans pointed out that the rainfall
I" ,ne west was not so heavy as in
4 having been LIS inches, the Iynch-
burg report LIS Srchrs and the Buch-
| anan report LIS inches.
HOT GROUND IN PANAMA.
Washiu ston. March 15-.rbo 10,
| anna Canal Commission ofTIoess ne