The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-31
THOUSANDS VIEW
FLOODED WHARVES
Line Lester Street Embankment
for Half Mile All
Day Long.
RESUME SHIPPING TO-DAY
Steady Fall of River Will Permit
Brandon to Sail
Tonight

| Ten thousand people during yester-
days daylight hours found their way
10 The submerged neighborhood In
Eichmond's East End and from various
Poihts OF vantage watched the swollen
James slowly withdraw it's nuriy ten
'''cieS from streets and al1eyways aud
Ietire within its banks. At nightfaIl
ohiY series Of cesspools remained in
Larry street and in the alleys adjacent
10 the Seventeenth Street Market 10
teStiiy TO che recent inundation
hul while the low lying market dis
trlct was free from water by nightfall.
oiu Lester Street, the lowlands bound
me Giilies Creek and the warehouses;
ana approaches OF the Old Dominion
steamship Company We're still covered
ny n sheet from three TO eight feet
oeep. Throughout the night there was
continuous fall. however. promising
return 10 normal conditions shortly
after the noon hour o-day.
sabbath Crowd Ont.
me Lester Street embankment, along
winch bowled the street cars TO and
from Fulton. was lined ali day by a
sabbath crowd which stood from -four,
TO eight deep, The gallery stretched
from the submerged dock TO Fulton.
hair mile away. and remained on the
job with the faithfulness that is in
spired by the knowledge that there
was neither rubbering fee nor any
In the afternoon the cmbanlxmcnt Al :
tanned The rank of q style show A
score OF automobiles were drawn nm
at the foot Of Libby Hill Park West
Finders jostled East Finders for view.
Ct the ill-naturcd lanes. exhibiting at
the same time tho spring handiworl of
ta1lors and milliners. At 3 O'clock the
Two human streams--onc headed for
tuiton and tho other on the way back
-resembled the fashion parade week
ago on Franklin Street.
/ The style shou'. brought out the frst
straw hat that mas so far had the hard
MOOD TO appear In the open. II drew
as much attention as the river and
caused maidens from Church Hill to
gasp and gigElc
Crest Early Yesterday Morning.
According TO the records OF the
Weather Bureau Station at Chin borazo
the river attained its greatest height
at j o'clock yesterday morning. when
IT stood seventeen and onc-halc feet
above high tide level. From that hour
until o'clock in the morning the wa
ter remained stationary, and then be-
gan to fall slowly. AZ o'clock in the
afternoon there had been a fall of only
SIX inches, and at o'clock there had
been further drop Of about two feet
observations taken last night showed
that The river level was falling MT an
increasing rate OF speed, tile indica-
lions pointing 10 the arrival OF nor
mai conditions To-Day. AT Columbia
the gauge registered only ten feet last
night, 81 drop Of twenty feet from the
high mark reached at / o'clock yester-
day morning.
The river ought to he within it's
banks by noon morrow" said Dircc-
tor Evans. Of the Weather Bureau, last
night Warming OF the fresl,et WAS
given forty-eight hours in advance,
aud il is unlikely that there has been
.f 4 (,
brandon to Sail Tonight.
The Brandon, which has swung: idlv
~ anchor ever since her arrival Satur-
day morning from Norfolk. will prob
ably he able to unload her freight this
afternoon and make the regular trim
to Norfolk tonight Yesterday .be
lowered high on the crest of the food
twenty feet above tic submerged land
ing stage. Boating parties from tho
mainland padded around hor, cXchang-
ing saiutes with tho coiored cook, who
smoked lazy pipe at the galley door
George NJ Wyatt. general agent of
The old Dominion Steamship Company.
Sdld last night that n force OF men
would he put TO work as soon as CON
oitionS permitted tomorrow to place
The warehouses in condition 10 receive
the Brandon's cargo The Dock Street
warehouse, which Is six feet higher
than the one DIT tho landing stage. was
last night free from water. Mr.. Wyatt
thought that the vessel will be able
TO proceed to Norfolk tonight on
schedule time.
Free Bridge Unhurt.
Tho crest OF the freshet passed with
OUT damage TO the Free Bridge, which
was all night guarded by a force OF
men stationed by City Engineer Boil
Ing Damage to wooden trestle work
was feared from the large amount of
dnftwood that rode down the stream
from the heaGwaters. The wreckage.
however. passed downstream without
harming the structure
Large crowds yesterday watched the
river from the foot of Fourteenth
street. where the new Mayo Bridge
spans the water as far rs the island
The freshet ran easily under tho huge
concrete arches, which appeared stable
and roomy enough to Withstand the
attack of n much greater flood Work
VIII he delayed several days by minor
Injuries 10 false work south of the
island.
Retail Grocers to Meet.
4 rneefinc- If tho Rafai1