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

Flood warnings were issued early
yesterday Tor the james River Valley
BY the United states Weather Bureau,
the Afreshet being expected 10 rcuch IA
height Of fourteen feet above high tide
IT the Richmond wharvcs by noon to-
day. Al midnight the Chesapeake ana
Ohio Railway gauge at Columbia show
ed tHenty-ilvr feet i've inches OF high
water. II rise OF Hficen inches since 10
J., NJ and with Indications Of a further
rise. Within "A half hour after the
steamer Brandon cleared for Norfolk
last night, the Old Dominion wharvcs
were flooded. street car service by
way of Lester street TO Fulton had
been cut on by local frcahct condl-
tiona before noon yesterday. and gen
eral flood warnings have been given
by the police and Weather Bureau to
the whole lower section OF the city
both around the docks and I'm the
neishborhood OF Main street Station.
Hone for Change of Wind.
Es6erienced river men express
hopes that the food VIII pass out
without great damage, and this hone
was grentiy augmented when the
United States Weather Bureau sent
out q forecast from Washington at
midnight indicating fair and muc,i
colder weather for to-day, with brisk
northwest winds. All day yesterday
sonthcriy wind, sometimes of great
velocity. retarded the passage OF the
flood water and caused II to rise
rapidly in the Richmond harbor and
on the flats below the city. but with
tho predicted change in the prevail
Ing wind. the river men hope the
water will pass rapidly by, leaving
little damage In It's wake
For week the river has been fun
Of water. sometimes to its banks, and
the general precipitation of the mast
few days came to a climax yesterday
morning, ana again at midday, when.
In the section about Richmond the
rain fell almost like cloudburst. In
the twenty-four hours preceding 8
o'clock last night the local rainfall
was BIZ inches, the heaviest single
days precipitation since April, 1910.
Local Frcshct Yesterday.
The sudden and extremely heavy
local rains OF yesterday morning
caused very peculiar local conditions
and some damage. even before the
river had begun to show the full ef
fects of the heavy rains toward the
mountains. The southwest section OF
the city. which still awaits tho COM
pletion of Its sewerage system. and
which lies fiat and depressed was a
lake of water. with streets impossible
save In high boots. The two streams
which afford drainage to a large sec
tion surrounding Richmond. and which
take off much sewerage-Shockoe
on a mad tear, ripping their way to
the river with the violence of noun
x tain streams. The aDSient stone arch
bridge which spans old Lester Street
proved an insufficient vent for the tor
rent OF water, and the earth embanlS-,
inent for tho new street Acted as a
dam. water rfsink In Lester Street and
blocking cars even before the river
proper had left Its banks shuttle
service was maintained by the yir-
GINA Railway and Power ComparJ to
the waters edge from noon on. For
the first time in food conditions, Full
ton was independent, however, az tho
cars of the Richmond and Henrico
Railway reach that section by a llfyh
trestle and the service on that line
was not affected by high water. Water
from Ciilbe's Creek Backed over tho
Fulton fats for some distance. even
Works. where some damage was done.
shocIeos Ont OF It's Banks.
# Shockoe Creek rose even moro rap
IDLY. the upper waters OF Bncon's
Quarter Branch coming down tho val
4 ley under tho Barton Heights vinduct
Hike river. and doing some damage
In the yards OF the American Locomo-
tive Company. Tn Shockoe Creek
proper serious conditiong were met in
newly graded alley blending from
Fifteenth to Seventeenth, between
Main AMI Cary Streets. the crock 'boing
spanned by q temporary wooden
bridge, which servsd as an obstruc-
ton to the water. causing 1t to rise
into surrounding buildings.
b Supports of tho bridge were weak
s.l continual on Second page.) -