The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-14
JAM ES RIVER
STILL RIS|N c
Crest OF Freshet Expected
Early This Morn
ing
MUCH DAMAGE TO NEW BRIDGE
Water Floods Vharves and
Streets in Wholesale
Section.
MUCH DAMAGE TO NEW BRIDGE

! Lacking nearly two feet of the maxi
mum height reached in the March
frcshets James River. swellcd by rains
throughout the upper watershed swept
over the wharvcs and lower parts Of
Richmond yesterday. Wooden frame
work about the new Mayo Bridge was
washed away. Easements were Hooded,
and some damage was done along the
river front. The water was s.Lll rising
slowly at midnight. having then block
ed travel in Cary street between Six
tcenth and Seventeenth and shown it
self in the culverts beside the Old
Market at seventeenth and Franklin
| streets. The United states Weather
L Bureau issued late last night an oiii-
oial statement predicting Il maximum
height at Richmond of seventeen feet
on the Weather Bureau gauge. to be
reached at daybreak. 1t was pre-
dict"d that the river would remain
stationary for AN hour or more and
then Fan steadily. going withia its
banks tonight or tomorrow morning.
Reports 70 the Weather Bureau show
cd that the frcshct was the result Of
an abnormal rainfall throughout the
Upper James River valley. The fail at
Buchanan registered : inches: at Lynch
burg. 3.i2 inches at Charlottesville.
3.I5. and at Columbia. 2.11. Reports
indicate Il serious freshet in the III
wanna at charlottesville. with much
damage to the wooden mills property.
Failing nj Columbia.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
I gauge at Columbia at II 40 o'clocl;
Hast night showed IL height of 81 feet
lana falling slowly, the maximum there
having been 2S5 yesterday afternoon.
Passengers reaching here Yesterday
morniup on the old Dominion steam
I ship Berkeley were taken off in boats,
ana nothing except hand baggage was
brought ashore. The vessel sailed last
night with passengers for Norfolk
\ without attempting to unload it's cargo
of freight, for the old Dominion sheds
feet OF muddy water. Warnings or
sunday night had given the officers
time to move all perishahlc freight,
50 that the loss was reduced TO
minimum
There was some scurrying Yesterday
morning in the railway yards on both
sides of the river to move cars above
the high water mark for carly in the
day the Chesterfield flats below South
Richmond were flooded. Car service
with Fulton along Lester Street was
blocked, though wnlkwa was opened
hy the city along the cmbankmcnt for
new Lester street and II shuttle SER
vice maintained ny the cars.
bridge Is Injured.
Warehouses along the water front
We're prompt to take warning, and for
the third time this year mO.ed all
goods liable to be injured by water
above the danger line. Probably the
most serious damage at this point has
been to the contractors for the new
bridge Wooden framework for the
concrcte arches between uwo Of the
piers was carried away. and may be
found strcwed along the river banks
as far down as the Cedar Works
wharves. More serious than the money
loss Will be the inevitable delay in the
construction work.
H. NJ. Airport * Son. contra ctors for
= the new city wharf, and Bradley 6
Co, subcontractcrs. lost some material
despite the efforts of gangs Of MN
to weight do'"n all piles ami ma
ch;ncry
owners of motorboats and yachts
We're somewhat uneasy. but no damage
. was reported Several handsome new
crcft recently added 70 the pleasure
fleet on James River. were tow ri far
up creeks on tho Chesterfield shore
10 get out of the rushing water and
the mass of wreckasc coming down
! from above.
Old Bridge In Danger.
Always apprchens!Vc, even in times
Of low water. OF the old Free Bridge.
the temporary wooden framework, I'M
der which is regarded as doubly dan
gcrous in times of high water, the
number of watchmen was doubled and
the Engineers Office maintains care
ful guard TO see that the only pas
'enger thoroughfare between South
Richmond ana the heart OF tho city
is not carried away.
the water front, the monetary loss in
Richmond from the frcshet viii he
small. as, warned by two previous cx-
perienccs this year Wholesale houses
and shippers Were prompt to move out
OF Easements and low levels at the
first note Of warning.