Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-15
ALLS MEMORABLE FRESzET OF 1771 IN JAMES RIVE
OGLZES VIRGINIA SIGNERS OF INDEPENDENCE DECLARA7O

floors ~ the warehouses. but this
rose high az the i"ists. whereby n
larg" quantity az tobacco was float
ed ont. 400 h"Kshrad> from Falmouth
or The lower warehouses. and 300
fr"m D!>"n's. the upper inspection.
Much rnlt aud other goods lost /.
several N"Ss,ls driven from their
anchors. deal OF NHiuahl" lund
washed away. incrcdihI, quantities
~ trees aud frncin. come down h,
river: only one lite lost that had
h""n then come I" the knowledge OF
We have mo- accounts from Pow
t"winack hut from It's c"mmunica-
t"ns with the rivers at the luuou :
taius. there - no probability ~ thar
having escaped TINS almost general
calamity.
II r"u the whul". II is.h.li"vcd that
history scarcely affords AN uStanc"
Of equal dnmar" being don" to any
country. il tn" destruction az lands.
loss 81 property. etc, hc included.
"A wauRish hlad" at Richmond. ""
nick had bored a hul" through III"
ar" told said il WAS his opinion oIl
mountains and let in the South Sea
upon them.
p"dsi"y's Annual Register for tn.
year. lIIi, fourth edition. London.
y
dreadful account "f the "v"ril"w ina;
"f ia" kappIhann"ck Hiy"r in that
province. owing Ia the great and In
r"S>.,Ht rains. which begun ON The
9Th of May last aud continued with
cut Int-rnISsi"n tlIl ia" sin "f .irn".
IN" water poured in such torrent :
from TIA" mountains as to- carry all
h"f"r" IL. which caused tn. river To
swell twenty nv" feet high"r than
ever was known by IN. oldest MAJ,
living An IN" warehouses; On hoth
sides tn" HarpahHun"ck were "utir"-
~ fuli az water. ANA at the dincrcn,
warehouses IN Yarmouth aud Nor.
folk towns in Virginia upwards or
1000 hoEsh"ahs of tobacco were car
RED away Ivy tn" rav!iity OF thu,
stream and entirely lost"
Destruction nf Life.
So great was tho destruction ~
life and property that tho pr.sidcu,
81 III" Council ON TIA" 18th day uf
Juno issued a Experimentation Tor tn.
meeting az tho General Assembly ON
an" llth Of Luly To TAX" under CON
Sidcration tn" diSir"SsTul situation az
tn" sufferers by m. late most .xtra-
ordinary fr"shcs." ON which las, men
toned day AN act for TIA" relief "
the sufferers hy IN" loss "f tobacco
damaged or burnt I'm several ware
houses was passed. aud now taxes
imposed Tor producing tn" sum OF
$4,000. Tn" damag". however. other
than that tn i"ha,y" IN IN" pihiic
Warehouses WAS wholly unprovid".l
Tor. the Assembly. no dUuht feeling
mat tn" colony Was unequal to such
a hurth"n. Twenty-Five of tn" mos;
DISTINGUISHED and r'prcscututiN. mon
"f tn" COLONY wor" constituted n
commission To ascertain In" LOSS OF
i"ha""" at TIA" public warehouses;
Tho sam" act prov idcd tor tn" 70
m"\al "f HNri's. Shucku" and i.'aI-
mouth warehouses /" higher ground.
That hi" was on "f IN" cY.atcsr
"E'ntS which has occurred sine" the
""'"riznii"n a. Virginia may H." SAFE
~ assumed. t"uohiur. as il does. all
ia" great Interests "f society. NE.
health. wealth. agr.cultjirr com
h"i"'. civilization IL is a ract in
VA" geography, geology aud statistics
"f virginia. yet noli,. -: our historians
"r annii>ts mention it, Although an
even, "f but about luu years Old. IL
s""mS that but for the Nirrmi,
i"""i'" az l1.l. u v"lunl" now near
~ extinct. tn" incidents Of tn" Hood
~ tn" James and other rivers in thai,
year would hr luSi to history. and
Yet IN" Locality and security Of
canals. railroads, bridges. mills. and
"il"r agents In th' progress "C states
hay" "a direct connection with this
N'nt. IN" -Four early historians Of
h' I" ii" NOT reach TINS period. and th-
tht'" Subsequent historians Burke
H"wiS"u. ANA 'Hmpbcn al" not even
a!iud" {" this event. Rurk" makes
mention "ull Of ia" act Of Assembly
tcontinu'd on Eighth raErD