Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-17
SPECIAL TRAINS SENT
TO FLOODED DISTRICT
Southern Railway Rushes Men aud
Material Into Western
Carolina.
n. ~ W. RAILWAY Is HARD hit
Water in New River Rises WitI1-Un.
prcrcdcntcd Swiftness, and Chesa-
reake and Ohio Main Line May BE
Blocked by New River.

| with large section of it's lines bad .
! ly crippled and trafTlc tied up on
| three divisions of its system i'm the
| south the Southern Railway rushed
'hrec special trains out of Richmond
yesterday with a large force OF work
men and materials to assist tho re-
pair forces from other cities that have
! been assembled throughout the west
ern part of North Carolina and n Dor
ton Of South Carolina, where uany
railroad structures were carried away
Yesterday by the raging floods OF the
mountain streams. Repair work was
started last night. and will be com
pletcd as quickly AS possible, working
night and day.
fourth train. with men and cu,;n-
lncnt. was dispatched late last nigh,
from West Point and another ,riII
follow this morning. Officials said
early this morning that many tele-
graph wires were down in the sec
ton. and that as yet only yar,,e rc-
ports OF the damage had rif,cd
through They wero unable to saw
now long tho traffic would be blocked
Rcports reaching Richmond shortly
after midnight were to the effect thai
the Norfolk and Western Railway had
neen badly crippled by the foods i'm
VEST virginia. and the Chesapeake
ana ONO was In immediate danger of
having its tracks closed. The floods
IN West Virginis. while not causing as
large loss OF life, according TO re-
ports last night. were as severe AS
those In North Carolina.
SUPERINTENDENT SIMPSON
GOES TO NORTH CAROLINA
H. r: Simpson. general superintcn-
dent of the Southern Railway for tho
Richmond division. embracing vir-
g'nia and North Carolina. left Rich
nj
and was in North Carolina yesterday.
lie was expected to direct the reuair
work. The chief dispatcher OF the di-
vision said last night that he had ONLY
received vague reports from the iso-
lated section as telegraph service had
been almost suspended
II was stated at the headuuarters of
the road, in this city,. that bridges on
the Spartanburg and Ashevillc, Ashe-
VIE and Salisbury and the AshcviiIc
and MorristoHn divisions had been
carried away by the food More than
10" repairmcn from Richmond were
rushed TO the scene. and these will be
placed at work. on their arrival, in re-
building tho bridges and tracks Tenn
porary work Will nc completed in "A
few hours, II was believed last night,
and train service resumed, although il
rs expected TO require some time be-
fore the lines can he placed IN good
condition.
CHESAPEAKE AND ONO
LINE Is IN DANGER
Al midnight tho Chesapeake and
Ohio tracks had not been covered by
the water, but special trains and many
workmcn were being held in readiness
for any emergency that might arise.
The general offices Of the road were
advised that IL wa. raining hard at
Hinton, w. Va. at II o'clock and the
New River was continuing TO rise
AT 1850 o'clock tho New River had
reached thirteen and one half feet.
which is within six inches OF the flood
stage. and was continuing to climb at
the rate Of six inches an hour. Tho
river had reached sixteen feet at the
Narrows, and rise OF thirty feet Was
expected at Radford. where tho con-
Meeting link OF three divisions OF the
Norfolk and Western Railway was
swept away early last night. With a
rise of thirty feet at Radford II was
anticipated that tho river would reach
nineteen feet at Hinton. five feet above
hood stage, and covering the tracks
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
Reports from the New River section
Of West Virginia last night were that
the river had never been known 10
rise as rapidly as it did yesterday. The
Chesapeake and Ohio was unable TO
move trains west Of Thurmond, but
with no further rise Of the river. OIL
cI;ils anticipated no serious trouble