Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, March 03, 1902, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextAtlanta Sotnal. VOL. IV. GREATEST FLOOD OF A GENERATION GOES SWEEPING OVER THE COUNTRY lIGUSTI Kill IN FLOOD THROES REATEST*FRESHET SINCE 1885 IS ON AND TH-. CITY IS FAST FLOODING THIS AF- TERNOON. LUGUSTA. Ga.. March I.—The river !■ gher now than It has been since the eat freshet tn 188 S. taking the people by rpiise. as the rainfall here has not been avy. It was rising steadily all day yes rday, though but few people were aware it. ITesterday some of the mills were com lled to shut down and last night the y was almost in total darkness, because e power house could not be operated by Her. Chis morning people realised that a se nt* freshet was on. At an early hour passed the highest snark reached since B. The gates at the bulk head of swks Gully were closed, but the back iter spread rapidly over the lower por ta of the city. People living In these sections began to see out of their houses where possible, move their household goods to the iper stories and merchants using cellars r storage were busy moving out their At noon the river measured 34 feet at e bridge, being by that gauge then only ree feet below the highwater mark of S. which was called a forty-foot river. It is only the bulkhead put In at Hawks illy and the rising of Broad street which keeping the river from sweeping across e eity. At noon the river is still rising rapidly id M appears as If it will get out on ■oad street. At’ 3 o'clock the water is rising fast, id ft is raining. Reports from up the ver cause fear that the worst is not re. The water is gaining fast on Broad reet. where boats are being used in the •per part, and cellars are filling up. The dyke just below Hawks Gulley has ven way. and all that part of the city Ings street, is a vast lake. Down Jones street the water is rushing tea torrent. The street cars are still running though e water is up to the tracks in some sees. River still rising at 3:15 o’clock. Boats »w navigate on Broad street as far down i the Planter's hotel. An accident at the canal has disabled « upper power house and the city will > in darkness tonight. The sidewalks about the Planter’s hotel ■e covered with flood and the machines i No. 3 engine house on upper Broad reet pre standing hub deep in water. It is doubtful if any of the afternoon a ins will attempt to leave the city. No accidents or loss of life reported. Upper Jones. Reynolds and'Bay streets * under water and the houses flooded 6 ’ I inches. RIDGES IN MACON IN PERIL OF FLOOD MACON. Ga.. March 1 -Ocmulgee river : this point is higher than ever before, iveral houses have been washed away by sing waters and two rallrohd and one agon bridge are in danger. More than 100 people are actually suf ring for want of food add clothing as a suit of the high water. The property es is in the neighborhood of 310.000. The weather bureau says the waters ill begin to recede today and imminent tnger will be over Monday or Tuesday. OTOMAC AND SHENANDOAH ARE FAST RISING TODAY WASHINGTON. March 1.-The Potomac id Shenandoah rivers are still rising ipidly today, according to advices re ived by both the Baltimore and Ohio ill road and the C. A O. Canal ormpany. The worst trouble on the line of the for cr company is in the neighborhood of amberland, where the Potomac, accord « to the company’s advices, had risen 8 et this morning AILROADS PARALYZED THROUGHOUT ALABAMA MONTGOMERY. Ala.. March 1.-All itlroad traffic continues to be Interfered Ith. Only two passenger trains entered le depot last night on time. Trainmen on toe Central who left this oming are of the opinion they will not i able th get past the high water, and iSt the train w|ll be compelled to trans r its passengers and return to Mont >mery. No. 3 on the Louisville and Nashville, re tained here all last night and went out Head of No. 5 this morning. Last night's train from New Orleans tme upon high water near Garland. Hout 34 inches above the track. The train aded in till the fire was extinguished in le furnace. The worst stages of the ris g creeks near Garland are yet tn dome, he Plant system is still tied up. and it is ■ported that the water is over Catotna ■eek trestle. and that it is still on the •*. All Western of Alabama trains late. THENS’ BIG BRIDGE SWEPT AWAY BY FLOOD ATHENS. Ga.. March I.—At noon high tnds. cloudy and threatening. i Broad street bridge across the middle conee river carried away last night. It was a comparatively new structure. Without Precedent Has Been Rainfall. CHATTANOOGA. Tenn. Feb. 28.—Re jrts received here by General Superln ndent Dodson, of the western division the Southern railway, show that heavy iunderstorm« have been prevailing all ong the Southern between Morristown, enn.. and Asheville. N. C.. for the last renty-four hours, with rainfall of about re Inches, creating floods that are al ost unprecedented in the history of that ction. enry County Loses SIO,OOO by Floods. JACKSON. Ga.. Feb. 28,-The loss In. irred to county by yesterday s rain orm in bridges will amount to over ten lousand dollars. SEABOARD TRAINS CRASH TOGETHER NEAR ELBERTON ENGINES AND PULLMAN CARS DE- STROYED IN THE WRECK—SEV ERAL PERSONS HURT BUT NO LIVES LOST. ELBERTON. Ga., March I.—At 5:80 o'clock this morning a head-end collision happened three miles below Elberton on the Seaboard railroad, on the way from Elberton to Oglesby, between an extra special and the regular morning vestibule. It completely demolished both engines and did considerable damage to three Pull man sleepers. Engineer Gary Hall, of the passenger train, was considerably snook up and one leg sprained from jumping from his en gine. Flagman Copehart and Will Jarrett, train hand, also jumped and sustained slight injuries. Ffhgman Murray also received internal injuries, which will probably cause death. Superintendent E. Berkeley sustained a serious scalp wound and internal Injuries which is giving the doctors some alarm. RIVER AT COLUMBUS . IS FALLING TODAY COLUMBUS. Ga., March 1.-The Chat tahoochee at this point has commenced to fall. The water barely reached the flooring in the lower bridge last night and at a late hour began to recede rapidly, falling at the rate of about six inches per hour. / Water mains will be run across the Co lumbus and Western bridge to supply the city with grater for domestic purposes. The floods in Columbus have .about passed the danger gone. At a late hour last night the Chattahoochee began to fall and is steadily going down at tne rate of six inches per hour. The water reached the bottom of the lower bridge, but. without doing any damage, began reced ing. Property owners and manufacturers along the river front drew a long breath when they learned this morning that the water was falling. It is yet too high to estimate any of the loss. Arrangements are said to have been made whereby pedestrians will use the Columbus and Western railroad bridge —f ibt ruuiiirnTh street brffige is re placed. Water mains for the city will also be run across this railroad bridge to sup ply water for domestic purposes, the pres ent pumping system from the river being amply adequate for fire protection. The first train over the Seaboard Air- Line since Wednesday reached the city at 10 o'clock last night COLUMBUS, Ga.. Feb. 28,-The Chatta hoochee river Is higher today than it has been since the memorable flood of 1888. The water Is over all gauges and there is no correct way of telling the exact number of feet above normal, but reckon ing places it about forty-three feet. The great bridge serous the river to Phenix City and Girard, at 14th street, was carried away yesterday afternoon about ( o'clock and for a while the utmost excitement prevailed. Fortunately there was no one on the bridge at the time. Had it occurred an hour later when the fac tory people would have been going home from work, there is no telling how many would have perished. The steel bridge across the creek in Girard is inundated, which compels the people of upper Girard and Phenix City to go to the wooden bridge, about half a mile up the creek. With the exception of this bridge Phenix City is completely isolated. The water pipes to the city were in the Fourteenth street bridge and they were snapped off when the bridge went down. Wutch cut the water off from the city until the submerged main could be press ed into service. * When the bridge collapsed there were several persons standing on Motts Green, looking at it. It had been noticed that one of the piers near the Alabama shore had washed out and while no one expected the structure to fall, everybody was watching with curious syea to see what might happen. Only a little while after the pier went down the bridge began to quiver and with a crash the great monster tumbled to ruins. The Fourteenth street bridge was built in 1865 on the “Lattice Plan’’ and had given good service all the time up to five minutes before It fell. Ifwould have been replaced with a new one of steel this summer. The factories are all stopped on aocount of the high water. Four Big Mills Are Washed Away. JACKSON. Ga., Feb. 38.—News has reached here that Henley's Roller mills. Barrett's mills. Kinard's saw mUls. in this county, were washed away in last night's storm. The Southern railway track near Juli ette is flve feet under water. No mail or trains here today and prob ably will be cut off by railway connection until Sunday. All bridges at Indian Springs were swept away. Bridges and Trestles Swept Away. THOMASTON, Ga., Feb. ».-The high trestle of the Macon and Birmingham railroad across Potato creek, two miles west of Thomaston, was swept away last night. A wagon bridge across what is known as "Ten-Mlle'' creek, a tributary of Po tato creek, gave way and struck the tres tle about its center and demolished the main portion. RIVER AT CINCINNATI REACHES FORTY FEET CINCINNATI. 0.. March I.—The Ohio river reached a stage of 40 feet here this morning but the rise is so slow that no serious trouble is apprehended, although the danger line of 50 feet may be reached tomorrow. The rise does not come from the tributaries at Pittsbuyg. but from the mountains of the Virginias and the high water ts expected to be of short duration. The storms of last night did considerable damage along the Ohio valley, but the weather is exceptionally clear today. ATLANTA, GEORGIA, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 1902. PITTSBUHG, Pl. IMPEHILLED bi ran ALL SUBURBS ARE NOW INUNDAT- ED AND RIVER IS STEADILY CREEPING TOWARDS BUS- • INESS SECTION. PITTSBURG. March I.—Western Penn sylvania is in the grip of the worst flood since the record-breaker of 1884. when the Allegheny river at this point reached a' stage of 33 feet 3 inches and two-thirds of Lower Pittsburg and Allegheny was submerged in from two to ten feet of water, causing millions of dollars' worth of damage. At 9 o'clock this morning the marks showed 30 feet of water and rising at the rate of from 5 to 6 inches an hour. Street car traffic between the two cities has been abandoned. Scores of mills have been forced to close down, and hundreds of families have been compelled to move from their homes. March’s mild entry into the calendar will help the bad conditions. Special details of police surround the flooded districts to guard property and lives. Thousands of working men were idle today and will probably not be able to resume for several days on account of the flopd. The water rose so rapidly that in the American Steel and Wire plant, south side, the workmen had to leave their street clothes in lockers and get out of the mill in their working clothes. The Pitts burg and Lake Erie, Pittsburg, McKees port and Toughiogheny railroads are prac tically closed. The water is up in the train sheds and covers the tracks all along the Mononga hela and Ohio rivers. The exposition grounds. Pittsburg base ball park and penitentiary are surround ed by water, which at 10 o'clock was still rising here and at points above. At least a 33-foot stage is expected here today and predictions are made that it will reach 35 feet unless there is a sudden change in the weather. ■ This would be the highest water ever known and the damage cannot be approx imated. At McKeesport, as a result of the high water in the Monongahela, several de partments of the plant have been closed down as also of the Boston Iron and Steel plants, the Firth Sterling Steel plant and the Monongahela Steel furnaces. All over the Youghlogheny the ice is running rapidly and the waters are over the banks. The whole point is flooded, many of the houses on Water street being submerged to the second floor. TRAINS ANNULLED IN EASTERN TENNESSEE CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., March I.—Re ports received at offices of the western division of the Southern railway today show the high waters in upper East Ten nessee and Central and South Georgia have done much damage. The French Broad river is still rising and no trains have arrived here from Asheville since the rise began. Ship in Distress; Goes Fast Ashore. BALTIMORE, Feb. 28.—A dispatch from Cape Henry, Va.. today says the British steamship Yeoman, from Galveston for Liverpool via Newport News, Is ashore at the point of Cape Henry. The Yeoman picked up the Spanish steamship Friesa at sea, helpless with a broken propeller, and towed her into the Delaware breakwater on Tuesday of this week. After performing this service the cap tain of the Yeoman found himself short of coal and he decided to go to Norfolk to refill his bunkers before proceeding to Liverpool. It was while en route to the former port that his ship grounded at Cape Henry. A dense fog prevailed at the time. Harris County Loses Every Bridge. HAMILTON, Ga., Feb. 28.—The rain that fell here yesterday was unpreceden ted. All past records of high water marks were broken and great damage done to property so far as heard from. Every bridge in the county hae been washed away. The damage to mill and gin properties along Mulberry creek which flows through this county into the Chat tahoochee river was considerable. It will take many thousand dollars to re build the bridges and repair other prop erties besides .ands have been terribly washed and inestimable damage dope farming interest on account of the soil being washed away. Bartow Sheriff Was Near Death. CARTERSVILLE, Ga.. Feb. 29.-Sheriff R. L. Griffin had a narrow escape in the flood yesterday. He went out near Kings ton in his buggy to serve a writ. He at tempted to cross Two Run Creek, at a ford with which he was not acquainted. The creek was badly swollen and the horse got over his depth as soon as he entered the water. Mr. Griffin was forced to jump out into the water, cut the horse loose and held his head out of the water to keep him from drowning. The sheriff is crippled up today and barely able to walk. Local Forecaster Official Bassler, in re view of the condition of the rivers said: “The Ohio river has risen substantially and is now approaching and will exceed the danger lines at all points. At Charles ton, W. Va., the Kanawha is three feet over the danger line and will continue rising today. A crest of 17.3 feet, passed Hinton at 3 a. m. From Point Pleasant to the Kentucky river the stage will pass the danger line. At Cincinnati the river will continue rising today, Sunday and Monday." PHIUDELPHIfI IS 111 GHISP OF FLOOD CITY IS UNDER WATER, STREETS ARE LIKE RIVERS AND ALL WATER SUPPLY IS CUT OFF. ' PHILADELPHIA. . Match I.—What is said to have been the greatest flood that has ever been experienced along the Schuylkill river, certainty the most dis astrous in recent years, tote its way down that stream last night and early this morning and from its sotdree to its mouth —l2O miles—damage that will reach into hundreds of thousands of dollars has been done. Thus far only one life lias been lost in this city. Michael Igol, aged 44 years, was drowned at 7:30 this; morning In the kitchen of his home it the Falls of Schuylkill. The height of the flood Was reached at 6 o'clock this morning When the river, which had expanded to <wice its width, began to slowly recede. The communica tion by telegraph and with the upper part of the river sarly today was cut off and information as to the condi tions in towns situated river banks was meager. The melting of ice an® snow, coupled with heavy rains of the part 24 hours in the eastern section of thg state, was the cause of the rapid rise ItUthe water. The flood was anticipated and as a re sult much property In ths way of manu factured stock and raw material stored in the buildings along the river banks were moved to places of safety. Incalculable damage, however, has hben done along the course of the river in this city. Several hundred sheep tend hogs were caught in the flood in twr pens in the Abattoir yards and drowpbd. The yards are located on the west tank of the river above Market street. When the flood began ts rise above the danger mark early last wgbt, the cattle were removed to a placrf of safety, but before the attendants escJd reach the small stock, all were drqkned. Some of the cattle, too, were most of this stock was saved. Probably the greatest sufferer is the B. & O. Railroad company, whose track runs along the eastern shore for a distance of about three miles. This road has abandoned service over its main line and is sending its through trains via the Junction railroad, which runs along the western shore just out side of the reach of the flood. Its other trains are being sent from the Sixtieth street station in West Philadelphia. The company's waiting rooms in the main de pot, at Twenty-fourth and Crestnut streets, were three feet under water, and in the train shed the water was as high as the windows in the passenger coaches. The superintendent of the division expect ed the flood yesterday afternoon and had every movable article taken to the upper floors of the station. The company's tracks are covered with water from. Fa,r mount Park for a distance of nearly three miles to South Wharton, where.the tracks cross the Schylkill river bridge a short distance below. The Delaware extension of the Pennsyl vania railroad on the west side of tne river, which is used for freight, was ered with muddy water as high as 'the tops of freight cars. The lumber yards in parts of the city were washed clean of their stocks, the flood carrying the lumber down the river in great piles. Thousands of tons of coal and sand in the yards along the river banks were swept down the rl v ® r - The city waterworks, located in Fair mount Park, are under water, compell ing the stoppage of the pumps. In the vi cinity of Arch, Race, Vine and Callowhill streets, north of Market street, and San som, Pine and Lombard streets, south of Market, the water reached above the first floors of many dwellings. • Horses and mules were removed from stables along the river, and kept standing in the streets all night to await the pass ing flood. , . An incident of the terrible night was the burning of a large frame building at Vine street close to the river. The structure was filled with lime which began to slack when the water reached the building and finally set the place on fire. V hen the flames were first seen the water had gone 200 yards, east of the building. The fire department was unable to reach it and the building was consumed to the water’s edge. When daybreak came this morning the scene along the water was one of deso lation, but not one of the dozen schooners which are tied up at the several wharves, received severe damage. Railroad service from this city to points up the Schuylkill valley on the Pennsylvania r'ailroad and the Philadel phia and Reading railroad which was abandoned last night. Is still suspended. Between he»e and Manayunk, a suburb, both roads are in good condition, but north of that point the tracks are under several feet of water in many places. Manayunk suffered greatly from the high water. This district in which there are numerous mills, is a frequent suf ferer from floods, but it never underwent such a night as that just passed. The water reached to the second story win dows and it will take some time before the thills are in running order. This will affect thousands of mill workers. Mobile Isolated and Trains Shut Off. MOBILE. Ala., Feb. 28—Mobile has been completely shut off from Montgomery and points north for the past twenty-four hours by reason of a washout on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, a short distance from Greenville, Ala. Train No. 1 due here yesterday after noon at 4:12 o’clock stalled back of wash out. Track and roadbed badly w’ashed out and officials report trains cannot pass until 7 o'clock tonight. Hundreds of men are at work on the break. Three trains with fast mail from northern points are stalled at Montgomery causing considera ble Inconvenience to this place and New Orleans and big losses to the railroads. * Trains are delayed on Southern between Mobile and Selma by washouts. Fruit schooner Alexander M. Lawrence that went ashore in the storm of yester day with 100,000 cocoanuts and 2,000 pounds of rubber aboard may probably be saved by the tug boats dt work on her. MIBSHILL IS SWEPT OFF EIIDTH FIVE PEOPLE ARE DROWNED AND GREAT DAMAGE IS DONE TO PROPERTY AND LIVE STOCK. T~~~ CHARLOTTE, N. C.. March 2.—Western North Carolina since Thursday night has been in the throes of the worst flood in the history of the state. So far at least seven lives are known to. have been lost, in the raging torrents, into which every river and stream has developed. ' The greatest damage has been done in the vicinity of Asheville. That city is al most entirely isolated from the world, save for one feeble telegraph wire. Trains have all ceased, and none has been run since the heavy downpour of Thursday, when the rivers rose 10 feet in as many hours. The French Broad tonight Is a roaring torrent, on the flood of which wreckage of hoqses is jammed like so much drift wood. At Marshall the/flood of Thursday night was a terrible disaster. There flve lives are known to have been lost, and it is feared that many others have succumbed to the flood. The river, suddenly rising in the night, leaped the great wall of ma sonry; 13 feet in height, which protects the town in the form of a dyke. In the pitch darkness it tore through the long main street of Marshall, working fear ful destruction. The crash of falling buildings and the cries of distress rose above the roar of the flood. Houses were swept from their foundations, toppled over and floated with the torrent. Cars were moved from the tracks and carried on the flood as so much debris. Horses, cows and swine from the village and above it struggled amid household furniture and millions of feet of lumber. The village street disap peared under the rapidly rising water, and the houses built against the moun tain eide ceased to furnish refuge for the populace, which fled before the raging waters. Montgomery is Victim of Storm. MONTGOMERY, Ala., Feb. 28.—Exces sive rains for the last few days has caus ed considerable delay and inconvenience to the railroads entering Montgomery. There have been practically no trains en tering Montgomery froth the south and east tn the past twenty-four hours. Two washouts occurred on' the Louis ville and Nashville yesterday, but were repaired in time for the train to New Or leans to pass over. However, they could get no further than Evergreen, owing to the high water caused by the overflowing of Murder creek. The tracks are under water and traffic is annulled. A train came in from New Orleans last night, but the train due here this morn ing at 6:35 from the same place was tied up at Flomaton. A construction train went to Evergreen yesterday, and it is expected that the through train will be running by tonight, as the waters may recede by that time. No train has come over the Seaboard since yesterday morning. One hundred and fifty feet of track was washed away on this line near Mary’s, and 460 feet of track is under water at Chesson's Swamp. It is hoped traffic will be resumed to night. The Central train left as usual yester day, but could get no further than Pike Road station, near Montgomery. The Plant system has had no train since yes terday. It is expected to have a train by tonight. Wires are also down at some points, and it is difficult to receive information. No damage has been done to property, so far as is known. The Coosa and Alabama rivers, how ever, are on the rise. At Wetumpka the water rose 22 feet in 24 hours, and 15 feet'at the same time at Montgomery. The weather bureau issues warnings that the river may reach 48 feet at We tumpka, 44 feet at Montgomery, and 46 feet at Selma. Fanners have been notified to get live stock on high ground in advance of the flood. Freight Train Goes Into Camp Creek. . TUCKER, Ga., Feb. 28.—Ten cars of fast freight No. 22 fell through the Fleming trestle across Camp creek. The accident occurred about 8 o’clock last night and onh' a few minutes before the passenger trtun from Atlanta was due to cross the same place. The engine of the freight, in charge of Engineer Jones, got safely over with flve cars. No one was hurt. A carload of flour fell in the bed of the stream and is a com plete wreck. FILIPINOS MURDER - MAN FROM WISCONSIN CUMBERLAND, Wla, March I.—A message from Congressman Jenkins confirms the report that John R. Hegg. of this city, was murdered by Filipinos on Bohol island January 21- The body has not yet been found. Hegg was a graduate of the Cumberland schools at state university, and was superintendent of con struction of government roads in the Philip pines. Men Murdered and Bodies Are Found. SAVANNAH, Ga., March I.—Michael Schwink and a clerk employed by him named Jacob Carter were murdered and burned last night at the place of the for mer, 16 miles from Savannah. The coro ner is investigating the matter. BIRTHPLACE OF LINCOLN , TO BE SOLD BY SHERIFF I HODGENVILLE, Ky., March I.—The birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, near Hodgenville, Is advertised at sheriff’s sale for taxes. A few years ago the place promised to be a property upon which the government would spend thousands of dollars, but it was bought by a company of eastern cap- WRECK IN OPELIKA; FREIGHTGfiRSBUHN FREIGHT COLLIDES ON “Y” IN THE CENTER OF TOWN AND BIG LOSS RESULTS. OPELIKA, Ala., March I.—A disastrous wreck occurred here on the Central of Georgia railway last night, right in the heart of the city. As a consequence four cars were burned to ashes, two being loaded with cotton, entailing a loss of about 313,000. A freight train from Birmingham, en route to Columbus, was backing in on a side track at a rapid rate of speed when it struck a train of loaded cars that were on the siding. The caboose on the rear of the freight struck the first car. a coal car, overturning it and the caboose and setting the latter on fire from the stove. The three box cars, two of them loaded with cqtton, were totally consumed, as were the ca boose and coal cars. Track and Bridges Swept Like Chaff. KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 28.—A special to The Sentinel from Bristol says a freight train was wrecked today near Radford. Va„ on the Norfolk and Western railroad in which Brakeman Floyd Preston, col ored, was killed. Near Marlon, Va.. the same road suffer ed a serious washout which has delayed all traffic. Beaver creek at Bristol ts higher than ever known and is flooding parts of that city. The Watauga river between Bristol and Knoxville is as high as it was last May, when the Southern railway steel bridge at Watauga was washed away. There is an absence of heavy drift today and the new bridge is believed to be safe. A special from Elizabethton states that the Watauga and Doe rivers reached their highest this morning at 7 o’clock, when they begun to recede. The Virginia and Southern railway bridges at Elizabethton. Butler and Carden's Bluff were washed away. The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina railroad trackage suffered very heavy damage and lost its bridge at Valley Forge. The last train from Asheville arrived last night at 10 o’clock and made part of the run on a submerged track. All the tele graph and telephone wires are down be tween White Pine Asheville. Work and wrecking trains were sent out last night and this morning. Eastern mails may be sent byway of Atlanta or Cincin nati. Florida’s Capitol Wrecked by Wind. PENSACOLA, Fla., Feb. 28.—The entire south wall of the new south wing to the state capitol at Tallahassee was leveled to the ground last night by a furious gale. It will be rebuilt at once. Damage to steamer Winifred, of New York, which collided with Commandencia wharf in storm yesterday is much greater than first reported. One of the larger timbers in the vessel was snapped in twain by the force of the concussion. The board of survey fixes the damage to the vessel at about SSOO. and to wharf $1.500; the cargo damaged by Are will be taken back to New York and sold there. $50,000 Damage in Lee County. OPELIKA, Ala., Feb. 28.—Several bad washouts are reported on< the Western Railway of Alabama. The train due in Atlanta last night and the trains from Atlanta are tied up at Gabbettvllle. The wires are down between here and Montgomery. No trains have arrived from there and nothing is known as to the condition of the line. The damage in Lee county from yesterday’s rain is about $50,000. 4 1-2 inches of rainfall In 8 hours. # Ocmulgee River Booming Torflent. MACON, Ga., Feb. 28.—Macon received her full share of the rainstorm yesterday and last night, and the weather man says it will continue to fall here. He says the river will go above twenty feet, eighteen feet being the danger line. The waters are already booming, and the indications are that the weather man is right about his estimate. The wind was quite high for a short time yesterday afternoon and umbrellas were dashed to pieces here and there all along the streets. No serious danftige was reported, how ever. Dawson Citizens Refugee to Pits. DAWSON, Ga., Feb. 28.—Last night’s storm did much damage tn this county to fences, barns and negro houses. On Mrs. George Cannon’s place, near Dawson, several houses were destroyed. One negro woman was killed, another fatally injured and others hardly hurt. K. McNeil lost his barn and had one mule killed. Many persons took refuge in storin pits. Eight Houses Blown Away. ATHENS, Ga., Feb. 28.—A telegram from Crawford, Oglethorpe county, this morning brings the news that a cyclone passed near that point last night, doing much damage. On the plantation of Mr. Macon Johnson, of this city, some six or eight tenant houses were blown away. Mr. I. W. Johnson, a brother, and sev eral of the tenants, were hurt. Some of the tenants had arms and legs broken. While the rivers are rising, owing to the plant being flooded, Athens is without water for domestic use. OFFICE OF CENSUS PERMANENT BUREAU WASHINGTON, March I.—The house agreed to the report -on the bill making the census office a permanent bureau. It now goes to the president. italists with the intention of making it a public park. This scheme fell through the cabin in which Lincoln was born was carried to Central Park, in New York city. The place has been uncared for, and has gradually gone down untM its value ts not more than enough to meet the taxes on it. NO. 49. TBIIN CREW FIND DEATH IN FLOOD ; ENGINE, MAIL AND BAGGAGE CAR AND ONE COACH PLUNGE INTO CREEK—FOUR MEN MEET DEATH IN WRECK, GRIFFIN, Ga., Feb. 28.—The southbound southern passenger train which left At ' lanta yesterday afternoon at 4:25 for Co lumbus was wrecked at- Shoal creek about H o'clock last night. Four men were killed and several were badly injured. The killed are: Engineer A. F. Matthews, Qolumbus. Fireman Isaac McDowell, colored, Columbus. Baggage Master J. L. Hill, Colum . bus. Mail Clerk Leo G. Murray, Atlanta, Ail four men were drowned and only the bodies of the fireman and baggagemaster had been recovered from the creek at noon today. The wounded had been removed to Woolsey and it is impossible to learn their names or the extent of their in juries. Conductor Kendall was slightly Injured and Clifton Jones, of Columbus, division freight agent, was badly bruised. ' The accident was caused by the terrific rainfall of yesterday which converted Shoal Creek into a raging torrent, which washed away the bridge, leaving only the stringers. ( If the engineer saw the peril, it was too late to avoid the catastrophe, and as the engine rushed upon the trestle, it gave away, carrying with it the baggage and second class coach. f, The first class coach remained on the track as if by a miracle, and its occupants were uninjured. The second class coach contained the conductor, freight agent and four col ored passengers. It plunged about fifty feet into the turb •wtent waters below. These were the par ties injured: As the car struck it rapidly filled with water and the occupants saved their Ilves by breaking the windows and seek ing safety on top of the coach, which' was not subremged. In that perilous position they remained for over flve hours before help came and a temporary bridge was built by which they could be removed to a place of safety. As soon as they were rescued, they , were placed in the cab of a freight train which was running as second section of the fated train and on which the passen gers were carried to Woodbury for medi cal treatment. Runners were sent to every farm-house in that section, asking for aid. By day light hundreds of people were congregat ed on the banks of the creek, viewing the wreck, but unable to rescue the dead or succor the wounded. The construction train was telegraphed for and began the work of clearing the debris and rebuilding the track, but it will be several days before trains will cross the creek, as about seventy feet of the trestle was washed away. No systematic effort had been made up to noon to recover the bodies of the dead men. The negro fireman was found about 100 feet below the bridge wrapped around a tree. At 12:30 o'clock a man was poking a stick through an opening in the baggage Car and struck something, which, when brought to the surface, proved to be the body of the dead baggagemaster. Later a determined effort will be made to find the body of Engineer Matthews and Mail Clerk Murray. Whether the, first lies buried In the mud of Shoal creek under his engine and the lattec is still in his car will not be known until their life less bodies are found. ANOTHER WRECK VICTIM FOUND DEAD IN CREEK The body of Postal Clerk Leo G. Murray,, of Atlanta, who met his death in the Southern railway wreck at Zetella Thurs day night, was found Saturday at 7:4$ o’clock about 250 yards belox the trestle through which the train fell. All of the missing bodies have now been recovered except the body of Engineer A. j F. Matthews, of which no trace has yet been round. The bodies of Fireman Isaac McDowell, colored, and Baggage Master J. L. Hill, both of Columbus, were recov ered about noon Friday. The Southern railway Saturday aban doned Its line between Atlanta and Macon on account of high water at Jullett and ’■ Dame's ferry below Flovllle and used the General of Georgia tracks. The waters near Macon are reported as being two inches higher than has ever been known before but began falling Saturday morning about 6 o’clock. WEST POINT IS SAFE; RIVER BEGINS TO FALL WEST POINT, Ga., March I.—The river rose gradually till far Into the night, the highest point being reached was 22 feet.: This morning, though, it is falling. At 7:30 it had fallen six inches. Very little damage was done, as the people in the flat had prepared for an' even greater rise. The trains are not running on time yet. They have to come from Montgomery via Birmingham. KANAWHA RIVER SWEEPS HOUSES FROM ITS PATH CHARLESTON, W. V., March 1.-The Kanawha river is over 30 feet high here and Elk and New rivers are very high. The railways have suffered from land slides. At Elmo, a slide carried with it four dwellings. No lives lost. ALL RECORDS MAY BE BROKEN BY FLOOD PARKERSBURG, W. Va., March L—lt is expected that the flood of last April, which covered a large section of Park ersburg. will be equalled by the flood now sweeping the upper Ohio valley. The West Virginia headwaters of the Ohio are fall ing with the exception of the Little Xftna* wha, which la rtetef.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, March 03, 1902, Image 1