| From the Lynchburg Virginian |
| |
| December 27, 1864 |
| |
| The Damage to the South Side Railroad |
| The Petersburg Express has the
following account of the damages done by the breaking of a dam near
that city: |
| "Yesterday morning the
large and beautiful dam on the Boydton Plank road, just beyond Battery
No. 45, constructed with great labor, for purely military purpose,
gave way beneath the tremendous pressure of water upon it, and the
huge volume burst irresistibly forward, following the course of Old
Town Creek towards the river. With the force of an avalanche it rolled
onward, forcing rocks from their foundations, bearing up great logs
upon its current, tearing down trees in its route, and overflowing the
adjacent lands. Reaching the culvert underneath the canal, it tore
away the foundations thereof, causing the entire superstructure to
cave in, and sweeping the huge granite stones forward with the
current. Beyond the canal, this avalanche of water, with its gathered
booty of trees, logs and rocks, struck the embankment of the South
Side Railroad, and swept away about one hundred and fifty feet of it
-- track and all, into the river. The islands of the river bear
testimony to the force with which this current bore objects on its
bosom, as huge stones were shot out on their banks." |
|