Floods in Birmingham Overflow
Streets; Stop Cars; Train Off Track
(Associated Press) BIRMINGHAM, ALA., July
7--The unprecedented rainfall in Birmingham showed no signs of
ceasing tonight. At 7:30 o'clock the weather bureau records here showed
precipitation of 10.75 inches within the previous 48 hours, and
slightly over seven inches of this was in the twenty-four hours ending
tonight.
All railroad
service to the south is in bad shape. Overflows on the Queen and
Crescent, Southern and Louisville and Nashville have caused delays
and in several cases the annulment of trains.
In Birmingham the lowlands
along Valley Creek and Village Creek are flooded and many negro
residents were taken from their houses in boats.
At East Birmingham it was
estimated that Valley Creek was nearly a mile and a half wide.
Shades Creek across the
mountain overflowed making it necessary to cut a spillway at Edgewood
Lake to save the dam.
Tidewater electric cars were unable to run at all
today because of overflowed tracks at various points all the way from
East Lake to Pratt City.
Avondale and Woodlawn also suffered because there
was no car service. On the North Highlands lines the cars had to stop at
the creek, which was several blocks away, and early tonight passengers
were hauled across the overflowed bridge in wagons.
A Seaboard Air Line train
left the track in Avondale and the passengers had to be brought to the
city in taxicabs.
Boyles, a suburb, has been cut off all day.
The only death reported
was that of Jim Coleman who was drowned while riding on an improvised
raft near Ensley.
Birmingham as an inland town resorted to all sorts
of methods to handled (handle?) the floods this afternoon. Fire
companies were called out. Motor boats commanddeered wherever they could
be found and a motor fire truck was sent out with a load of canoes to
assist. Fire engines were pressed into service to pump out basements.
The subway through the station was flooded because of the overtaxed
sewers.
Corn fields
below Bessemer were reported under eight feet of water. Some of the
largest Industrial plants in the district had to shut down.
President Ward of the city
commission prevented the munition plant from shutting down by putting a
large gang of negroes to work building a dike around the plant.
Source: Montgomery Advertiser, July 8, 1916
- Submitted by C. Anthony.
Heavy Wind Damages Trussville About $12,000
Special to The
Advertiser.
Birmingham, Ala.,
Aug. 10--A report reached here from Trussville, in the norther part
of Jefferson County today that heavy wind and rain which
passed over the county yesterday afternoon did much damage. The
stock house to the Trussville blast iron furnace of the Southern Iron
and Steel Company was blown down. This stockhouse two years
ago cost $10,000. Outhouses, fences and corn were blown, the total
damages being estimated between $10,000 and $12,000.
Source: Montgomery Advertiser, August 1, 1912 - Submitted
by C. Anthony.
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