The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-30
C. & 0. IS HARDH|T
BY BIG FRESHETS
Floods Have Crippled Service
Over Almost Entire
System.

age sustained by the Chesapeake and
ohio hallway lines as a result of the
Hood conditions practically over Its
entire system. Water is still over the
tracks in a number of places at the
ONCE OF Chief Engineer f. l. Cabell Il
was stated yesterday that every effort
was being centred on oepnins the main
line. over which trains are now being
operated. though without much regard
to published schedules except on one
or Two favored divisions.
Stevens in Charge.
President George w. Stevens Is
hurrying west to take personal charge
In the Hooded section hardest hit by
tho conditions of the past few days.
He was reported as being at Hunt
ington. West Virginia last night.
where conditions were very serious
yesterday because of the flooding OF
the Ohio and Guyandotte Rivers.
The james River division from Rich
mond to Clifton Forge Is out OF com
mission. Thirty feet OF water in the
gorge at Columbia yesterday put the
river over the railway tracks in a
number OF places. Above Lynchburg
the water has receded sufficiently TO
allow work to begin on repairs a
200-foot wooden trestle noated away
from its place near Lynchburg, and is
being hurriedly rebuilt A number OF
washouts between Lynchburg and Clif-
ton Forge have called for the a.ten-
ton OF section men. II the freshet
passes out OF James River to-day as
anticipated, the railroad company hopes
10 be able TO open It's river division to
traffic by tomorrow night
JIufn Linz SfJn nncr
On the main line conditions in Vir-
g!n!a have not been so serious, as
only minor washout have DELAYED
train service. But Western connec-
lions are as yet, despite the utmost eff
forts OF the officials. guesswork f
b. 1saacs, engineer of maintenance
OF way of the Chesapeake and Ohio
left for the West on the first alarm OF
flood conditions IN Ohio. The Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad of Indiana
the recently acquired arm stretching
from Cincinnati to Chicago. runs right
through the section OF the Middle West
which has suffered most Bridges are
gone, and reports indicate heavy dam
age tc the road and its equipment AS
the storm and food moved steadily
eastward the troubles of the railroad
increased New River and the Great
kanawha are now In flood and the
q. =
ports at the railway offices last night
showed serious conditions at Hunt
!ngton. w. Va, where the Guyan-
dotte emptes into the Ohio, and fur
ther west Mt Catlettsburg, Ky. where
the Big Sandy adds It's flood water
The local train dispatchers Office
only handles trains over divisions leav-
ing Richmond, and had no direct re-
ports of conditions in the West, but
ISI..
trouble at other points along the main
line as far west as Cincinnati are re-
ported.
Through Connections Doubtful.
Trains are being operated from Clif-
ton Forge to Richmond over the main
line and from Richmond TO ola Point.
with scmblance OF schedule, but the
through Pullman cars from the West
get through when they can. Passen-
gers from the West arrived In Rich
mond At midnight Friday, seventeen
hours late, and were glad to get here
at that All railroads operating
through Western trains are selling
tickets subject to flood conditions the
Pennsylvania, Baltimore and Ohio,
Chesapeake and Ohio. and other lines
doing an East and West business guar
anteeing no connections, and not
even promising through car service
IN all cases. me main limo or the
Pennsylvania hns been blocked two
days by wrecked bridges, trains being
detoured over the Big Four. Local
railway officials admit that 1t will be
several days, even with the utmost
energy and cXertion, before a complete
train service can be restored across
that section OF the West which sur
fered most. The James River freshet,
while serious enough To put the entire
river division out OF commission. was
anticipated sufficiently Tar ahead to
make provisions for safety, and the
line can be reopened very soon after
the waters recede
Later, the general officers or the
road will have more complete reports
OF the actual damage on each division.
Wrecking gangs are rushing night
and day to replace track and bridges.
but much OF this work will have to
be done over later, on a more costly
and permanent basis, steel bridges
supplanting within few weeks the
temporary wooden trestes the en-
gineers are now constructing lin or
der TO got the lines open at the earli-
est possible moment.
Warren Z. Taylor, traffic manager
of the Richmond. fredericksburg and
Potomac Railroad, announced yeSter-
day. that his company will ship free
OF charge supplies to the food vic
Tins when sent to chairmen or relief
associations, Mayors OF other civic
authorities.