The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1916-07-13
SKIES CLEAR UP AND OLD
SOL COMES OUT FROM
BEHIND CLOUDS.
STORMS BACKBONE
FINALLY BROKEN
Damage to Crops and Roads
Severe-Many Families are
Forced to Move.

The Tombigbee rose 6 inches
during the twelve-hour period
ending at 6 o'clock last night,
and at that hour was on a stand.
The total rise was 81 feet and
the total precipitation was 10.65
inches.
After having been for five days
obscured by clouds which poured
forth almost ceaseless showers the
skies cleared up yesterday, and the
storm which has brought so much
damage not only in the territory inn
mediately contiguon- to Columbus
but throughout Mississippi and
Alabama and portions of Georgia
SENS to have at last spent it fury.
The storm came up gradually and
disappeared in the same manner.
The wind and rain made their initial
appearance last Wednesday night
and old Boreas was the first to
show signs of weariness, the wind
having practically ceased by Monday
while the rain continued at least
twenty-four hours longer, the last
shower having descended late Tues
day night.
The damage resulting from the
storm in the several states through
which it passed will run well into
the millions, and while no buildings
were blown down in this immediate
section nor did any loss Of life oc-
cur, tae damage to agnic ltu1 al i
crops and to roads and bridges will
reach considerable sum. The
county during the past eighteen
months expended nearly half mil
lion dollars in improving her roads,
and nearly every public highway in
the county has been more or less
damaged, everyone of them except
the Military and Aberdeen roads
having been rendered impossible by
washouts.
The Tuscaloosa and Pickensville
roads suffered more than other
local highways. The Tuscaloosa road
was constructed several years ago
under the supervision of govern
ment expert and was considered
model highway. 1t was not however,
strong enough to withstand the on
slaught made upon it by the mad
dened waters, and, after having
been transformed into muddy
slush, washed away, leaving nothing
but series of holes and gulleys to
mark its once majestic sweep, The
Pickensville road, which was sur
faced with novaculite, suffered
practically the same fate, and Sec
tons of the Airline road were COM
pletely submerged, its condition
utterly impossible.
Columbus is situated between two
streams, the Tombigbee river form
,ig its western boundary, while the
Luxapalila skirts its eastern corpora
ton line. Both of these streams have
been well out of their banks, and
the people living within the con-
confines of the inundated territory
were forcd to seek higher ground.
Mr.. C.. r. Shackleford who operates
dairy not far from the Tombigbee,
found it necessary to remove his
cattle to the old Myrtle Terrace in
the southeastern suburbs of the city,
while many people living in Burns
bottom were forced to move to safer
places.
All the railroads in this section
have been heavy sufferers from the
flood. Not a single train left CO.
lumbus for Birmingham over the
Southern for nearly week, the
first east bound train to take its
departure since July having pulled
out Monday afternoon. 1t was re-
ported Monday ahAt both the South
ern Railway bridge at Waverly and
the bkdge on which trains over The
Mobile and Ohio cross the Luxapa-
lila few miles southeast of the
city were in danger, but these strue-
lures have so far withstood the on
slaught of the waters, and are now
believed to be safe.
John Alexander, a negro amnicol-
ist, had narrow escape Tuesday
morning, when small boat in which
he was seated capsized near the
county bridge, which spans the Tom
bigbee river at the foot of Main
street. He chung to the boat, how.
ever, and succeeded in reaching 9
clump Of trees, from which place he
was later taken by rescuers to q
place of safety.