Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-06
FLOOD SUFFERERS TO
HOLD CITY RESPONSIBLE
Damage Claims to BE Filed Shortly
Will Aggregate Fully
100000
ASSOCIATION is FORMED
City Advised Years Ago to Begin
Widening of Shockoe Creek at Its
Mouth, but Funds Were Diverted
to Bacon's Quarter Branch.


to Bacon's Quarter Branch.
The city of Richmond will be asked
to settle claims for damage done to
real estate and merchandise by tho
two recent overflows of Shockoe Creek.
aGErcgating about 100000
Property owners, firms and indi-
'iduals engaged in business in the in
undated district held conference yes
terday afternoon in the office of w. A.
Cheatwood. one of the heaviest losers.
and decided to form a Mutual Protec-
tive Association. the object Of which
is to take proper and legal steps to-
ward securing indemnity from the city
There were between twenty-five and
thirty damage claimants at the confer
cnce. Because of tho absence OF a
number Of others whose losses are con-
siderable. 1t was decided to defer the
matter of cffecting organization until
this afternoon, when membership OF
about half hundred will probably BIO
enrolled
1t is understood that the claims for
indemnity will be based on the conten-
tion thnt proper precaution wns not
taken for tho protection of tho houses
and merchandise of citizens and tax
payers within the flood zone; that the
danger was recognized by the City
Council years ago and the precarious
situation known to the Engineering
Department and the Building Inspec-
tors office for many years, and that
the devastation wrought along tho
shores of the creek could have been
averted had the city government given
proper attention to conditions re-
pcatcdly pointed out by individual
property owners and on the floors OF
the two branches of Council.
The question of procedure was dis
cussed at some length in the confer
ence by Mr. Chcatwood c. Mundin,
George w. Brown and representatives
or Swift e. Co. meat packers; tho
william II. Scott estate and other In
| terests. The damage claimants, i, is
understood, prefer to avoid litigation
II satisfactory settlement can be OBJ
tanned from the City Council 1t was
decided, however. to engage legal
counsel to present the claims Of the
sufferers. Action in that direction will
be taken to-day after organization has
been effected and officers elected
No intelligent estimate of the damage
done could be formed at the conference
yesterday. the claimants present being
only property owners and business men
whose losses are heavy 1t was stated
that more than 100 other citizens who
suffered by the overflow due to the
two rain and windStorms will have In
demnity claims to submit and it is
likely that all Of these will Join tho
association and bear a pro rata share
OF the expense to be incurred in tho
] effort to obtain n settlement from the
| city.
| The assembling OF evidence TO be
onered by the claimants was begun last
, wednesday, when photographer was
Hemployed. who took pictures of the
havoc wrought a: many different points
| within the inundated area. Among
| these exhibits is one showing the in
terror OF the plant of Swift & Co.
where ten carloads OF meats were
damaged by water; views of the ruins
of collapsed brick walls. flooded base
ments. stocks Of merchandise DESTROYED
or partly destroyed by water. and
premises along the shores OF the creek
that were left under water when the
| Hood in the creek rcccded.
WILL HOLD CITY
RESPONSIBLE For DAMAGE
1t is the purpose of the association
OF claimants to hold the city RESPONSE
BILE for all the damage caused bv tho
backing up OF the water Of the creek.
which they allege could have been
averted IL the bed OF the stream had
been widencd from Grace Street to the
| mouth of the creek and a turning sluica
constructed at the mouth. as suggested
some years ago by City Engineer Boil
ing. The claimants allege that not only
was the danger known to the City
Council for years. but the remedy for
conditions long the cause of complaint
had been prescribed and were neg
| lected
1t is stated to be a fact capable of
being proved that when the first small
appropriation was made some years
ago for the walling in of Shockoe
Creek the City Engineers office recon-
mended beginning the work at the
river and working up the creek as
| FUNDS were provided. At the instance
of interested property owners. however
| the Street Committee OF that period
diverted the fund to walling in a small
section of Bacon's Quarter Branch. in
! the northwestern section Of the city
Since then several small sections OF
Fncon's Quarter Branch have been
; walled in. but little or nothing has
been done on Shockoe Creek proper In
many years.
|