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"For the greater portion of last
week, nothing was talked about but the flood and hundreds of our
citizens, of all ages, sexes and colors, crowded along the river bank
to behold the turbid waters dash impetuously forward, carrying
everything away by their irresistible power, bidding a sullen defiance
to the weak efforts to prevent them from accomplishing their
destructive purpose."
Great Freshet Heavy Damage of
Property - Deluge of Water Unparalleled in the History of the
Country
Never in the history of the country has
such a deluge of waters covered the land as did here during the past
week. The rain fell in torrents,at short intervals, for four days and
nights, which, together with the melting snow from the adjacent
mountains, has swollen the different streams of waters throughout the
whole country to such an extent as has never previously been known.
The Holston at this point is higher than had ever been known by the
oldest inhabitants, being, from the most reliable information we have
been able to find, about seven or eight feet higher than It was in
the great freshet of March,1731.
The losses to the people throughout
East Tennessee by the flood are very heavy. Messrs. L J. and C.
W. Coker have sustained a very heavy loss, consisting of
machinery and lumber. Their extensive establishment near Parks'
ferry, on the Holston, which was almost new, was carried away,
consisting of a saw mill and grist mill. They also lost at the same
place about six hundred thousand foot of lumber.
The steam saw
mill of O. W. Park was almost entirely swept away, and their
valuable machinery destroyed.
The valuable machinery at the mouth of
first creek the property of S. T. Atkin, which has been run by
Mensrs. Gasper & Davis, as a sash, blind and door factory, was
carried away, entailing a heavy loss on the owners, and one of much
importance, to the entire community, it being the only establishment
of the kind in the city.
The old red warehouse which stood on
the bank of the Holston here, was carried away, and sailed
majestically down tbe river, no doubt the largest "craft"
that has ever gone down the waters of the Holston. The bridge over
the Holston at this place, built by the military aurthorities, and
since purchased by the county, after standing up nobly against the
waves for full twelve hours longer than was excepted by its most
sanguine friends, was finally compelled to yield to the
irresistible power of the maddened billows, and gave way to the
sorrow of the entire community.
The Main street bridge over first
creek, at McClanahan's mill, was almost entirely destroyed. The
Cumberland street bridge, over the same creek, was kept to it place
by the energy of Judge Jones, but is very much damaged. Numerous
dwelling house , were carried away, and many other seriously damaged.
The news from the surrounding country,
though at the present writing (Monday morning) very indefinite and
uncertain, is of the most distressing character. It is said that not
a single mill of any kind is left standing on Little river, while
dwelling houses, barns, out-houses, and property of every description
on the river, is entirely destroyed. French Broad river, it is said,
has been fifteen feet higher than has ever before been known by the
oldest inhabitant.
The Knoxville and Kentucky Railroad
has been seriously damaged by heavy slides, but will, we presume, be
in running order soon. No train have been running for several days on
the East Tennessee and Virginia, and East Tennessee and Georgia
roads, but at present we are unable to say to what extent they have
been damaged, other than tbe loss or Strawberry Plains
bridge, mentioned above.
From Charleston.
The Hiwassee covered
the greater portion of this village, and was within twenty-three
inches of the Railroad bridge at that place.
From the railroads we are happy to
say that, though this road has been seriously damaged the energetic
officers of the road have made arrangements whereby travel will soon
be resumed over it.
The steamer "Mary Bird'' has been
employed to convey passengers from McMillians Station to Strawberry
Plains, and in a few days the traveling public can pass over the
road with comparatively
little delay.
The East Tennessee and
Georgia Railroad, whose officers know no such word as fail, will also
at once have arrangements whereby the mail and passenger will be
passed over the road as usual to Dalton, Ga. The damage to their road
is heavy, but no bridges have been taken away. ...
From Kingston.
Judge Hall and others
came up on Monday morning from Kingston, where they had been
attending Circuit Court, last week, and they bring the same story of
destruction that we are bearing from almost every direction. A
portion of the village hat been taken away, and other portions very
much damaged, while the loss of grain, fencing, and every kind of
moveable property is unparalleled.
From Concord.
We have It from the most
reliable authority, that the loss of grain, stock, and improvements
in the neighborhood or Concord, will amount to at least one hundred
thousand dollars. Farmers, who a few days ago had their thousands of
bushels of corn, have not a bushel left.
Source: The Union flag. (Jonesborough,
Tenn.), 22 March 1867.
Chronicling America: Historic American
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Link
From Chattanooga.
The water, we understand, in
Chattanooga, was ten feet deep in Market Street and to the second
floor in the Crutchfield House. This. If true, places the greater
portion of the city under water. The East Tennessee and Georgia
Railroad bridge over Chickamauga creek is gone. Ont the Nashville
and Chattanooga road, we learn the Bridgeport bridge over the
Tennessee is gone. The trestle bridge over Running Water is also
gone. (
Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. (Knoxville, Tenn.), 13 March
1867)
Link
More information:
Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. (Knoxville,
Tenn.), 13 March 1867. Chronicling America: Historic American
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Link
