Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-12
FLOODS NOW RECED|NC
IN SOUTHERN STATES
Dead and Missing Estimated at
Eighty-Five; Property Loss ut
Least S7,OOO.OO0.
MANY DRIVEN FROM HOMES
Half Population OF Selma Dsing Re-
lief Work Among 1000 Families
Made Destitute by Overlooking Of
Alabama and Cahaba Rivers.

Tho Southern floods arc receding
with the passing northward OF tho
tropical hurricane. which struck the
Gulf coast last Wednesday. leaving a
list OF dead and missing OF approx
mately eighty-fve persons, and prop
cr'y damage Of from 100000 to &c.,
1000
Weather Bureau announcement 10
the effect that what remains Of the
disturbance is now over Illinois. leads
TO the belief that the worst has been
told OF the weather conditions which
have gripped the South for the last
six days.
Rains tina, fell steadily for more
than liz hours have ceased throughout
North Carolina, South Carolina, Ten
nessce, Georgia, Mississippi and Ma
bama, and rivers and small streams
that broke over their banks and
flooded thousands Of acres of farm
lands arc subsidinr.
Persons driven from their homes in
tic Chattahooche and OcmuIgce low
lands Of Georgia and returning, and
conditions in the Tennessee River val
lcys arc almost normal
Tho French Broad River. which
ovcrhowcd in Buncombc, Henderson
and Transatlantic Counties. North Caro-
lima. is failing. In Mississippi small
streams swollen by tho continued
downpour. are again Within their
banks.
ALABAMA RIVER
STILL Is RISING
sections. failed to show decided i'm
u
is rising at montgomery and Selma.
and tho latter town IS reported with
out lights. Water covers 4 part OF
North Montgomery. and many negroes
have been forced TO leave their homes.
Four miles north OF Montgomery the
Tallapoosa backwatcrs arc over tho
state farm. and 100 convicts arc ina
rooncd on n small section OF dry land.
The overflow is rcccding from the
streets OF watumpka. whore the coosa
days ago. The Au,auSa creek, which
covered tho streets OF rrattvillc. il AT
a stand.
Half the population Of selma is
doing relief work among tho 2.ooo
families made destitute in that region
by tho picrncwing OF the Alabama and
Cahaba Rivers.
Communication has been rc-cstab-
lishcd with Brewton. Ma. which has
been isolated since last Wednesday,.
Reports say Escambia County literally
was inundated for four days by tho
overflow of the Escambla River. and
crops In tina, section virtually were
ruined. Every piece OF property in
Brcwton was damaged.
Mobile suffered property damage OF
sl,201.o 600 in the hurricane. according
to conservative estimates furnished by
business men there. The loss prin-
cipally was to shipping, merchandise.
telephone and telegraph companies and
railroads No lives were lost in the
city proper.
DAMAGE TO CROpS
SAID TO ne ENORMOUS
Commissioner OF Agriculture Wade,
at Montgomery, to-day estimated that
the damage TO growing crops in Ala
bama on account OF the floods and
windstorms would he not less than
from 100000 10 100000 No esti-
mates have been made from other
states. but Georgia and Mississippi
crops are known TO have suffered Sc
rerely.
The safe arrival at Beloxi to-day of
three schooncrs carrying twelve men
was offset by news from Mobile of the
finding OF several bodies off the Goa st,
and that some small craft have not
been accounted for.
The known death list Throughout the
storm area is approximately thirty
persons. about equally divided between
those drowned in the Gulf and those
killed by lightning or drowning in the
interior of Alabama, Georgia, Missis-
sippi and Tennessee. The missing are
all sailors on ships long overdue nj
Gulf ports and known to have been in
the path of Wednesdays gale.
10