| From the Richmond Dispatch |
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| October 11, 1861 |
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| Lynchburg, Va., Oct. 10th, 1861 |
| We were visited by another heavy fall of
rain during the early part of this week, which caused a considerable
flood in the James river at this point, though I have heard of no
serious damage along this river or canal. The same cannot be said,
however, as regards the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad, as the bed
of that road has been much damaged in many places, (some of which have
been repaired) besides which several bridges have again been washed
away over Peak creek, in Pulaski county. The railroad crosses this
serpentine mountain stream, if I am correctly informed, about
twenty-eight times, and at one of these crossings the earth washed
from the tressel work on Monday night last; and while the
eastern-bound freight train was passing over on Tuesday the tressel
work gave way and precipitated the locomotive
and eight or ten cars, loaded with sugar, coffee, and other valuable
stores, into the creek, some ten or twelve feet deep, which was at
that time swollen by the rains which had fallen to the dimensions of a
river. Fortunately, the engineer and other train hands escaped a
watery grave. The loss in valuable stores, however, will be
considerable. Every exertion is being made to get the road passable
for the trains, and it is hoped, in view of the great importance of
this line being kept open, that the structure over this troublesome
creek will be rebuilt in such a manner as to be proof against the
periodical freshets which it seems are inevitable. |
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