Mountain advocate., 1913-04-04
CUMBERLAND
ON RAMPAGE
Waters Reach Highest
Stage in This Vicinity
Since 1902.
Considerable prOpertv Loss
and ~ convenience felt
in BorbOurviiIe and
Surrounding
Territory.

Owing to the heavy rainfall and
and subsequent high waters OF its
& ibuta aries last week the Lumber
land River went on a rampage and
pverfowed its banks from the head.
waters in Bell and Harlan Conn Z.
ties through Knox and Whitley
counties.
Wednesday occasional showers
fell during the day and about SIX
O'Clock that evening one OF the
heaviest rainfalls occurred that has
fallen in this vicinity tor years
About noon Thursday the Cumber
land began to rise at an alarming
rate and by eight o'clock that even
ing had reached stage as high a.
the food stage last wear. Friday
morning dawned upon the highest
waters witnessed in Barbourville
since the year 1902.
The street car track was covered
and the track washed out in places
until it was impossible to get to
the depot except in boats The
back.water was running over the
track At the point where Depot Street
intersects with Knox and College
Streets, and all the section in the
neighborhood of the Brick Plant
was submerged and the water was
standing in some of the houses above
the windows. At this time Ear.
bourville was completely surrounded
by water and it was possible to
encircle the city in a boat starting
in at the depot and going around
by the brick yard and into the back
water OF Richland Creek and back
down that stream into the river
again at the depot
No lives were lost in this sec; ion
that can he learned of though the
property loss is considerable. All
those who lived in the lower por-
ton of the town were either com
PEELED to move out or their house
hold goods were soaked bv the
muddy waters tor more than TWEEN
tv-four hours The Blrbnurville
Brick x Tile Company are heavy
loosers by this food a. they were
preparing with a few DAYS TO begin
operations again. The high waters
will force them to be DELAYED in get
ting ready 10 manufacture brick for
several DAYS, so much water being
left in the clay.pits that It will taks
several days to pump this out. be.
sides the injury TO the machinery
/ and equipment.
The water surroun ling the home
OF Louis Faulkner reached such "A
height that he constructed a TEN
porary side walk running frpm the
bridge to his window and made
egress and egress in this manner
Abou; noon Friday the waters
began TO recede and by Sunday had
practically ass umed their normal
position and people from out OF
town were once more able to come
and 90 about their business Bust
ness wa practica lily at a standstil
during the food as few people were
to he seen in town and consequently
there was a falling OFF of the trade
with the local merchants. The
FARMERS also suffer from the loss
from the fact that this is the season
for putting out crops and the heavy
rains soaked the ground so that it
required several DAYS TO dry out
sufficiently 20 resume work.
0nly once before have the wat er,
reached the stage as at the recent
Hood. that during the high waters
of 1884. Some damage was done
by the heavy winds also. ehimneys,
houses. barns, and iencss were
spread out and trees were uprooted
by it's eapers.