Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

fim is mm SITUATION 18 IMPROVING TODAY. Resuming TrvJBo on 80 IM \ I** > tw, Hat Mom of the Linen gftal TM Up MaiMltcatcr and Au Wreckcd?Train to (MM TW railroad situation In some re* Is somewhat more encouraging afternoon than It was yesterday. Traffic was resumed on the North? en Rallroa 1 yesterday afternoon. Alas first train from Camden coming ragh to the olty lata In the even kg. Tha regular trains are running ? Camden today. Tha flood situation at and above Ion has also Improved. The at Camden Is falling rapidly, id It Is reported that the Southern arm rsaums tha operation of passenger ?en Camden and Rock Hill afternoon. Wateree le faAng at the W. C. ? bridge and It la expected that ?rat train will go through to Co tonight, leaving here about It sk. The bridge there held fast the nood and the embank ita and treaties la the swamp were away as ?ras feared would A part of the M. A A. bridge at Inl and a mile and a half of tha swept away and la no predicting when It will te rsoomii the operation of the M. ft A. division. Northeastern bridge on the at St. Stephens" la still intact sued trains are still running through aw charleetea. The regular passeager In from Charleston came In this will return on regular de toettght The crest of the had aot reached the Northeast bridge this morning and no re have haw received today, but the la taksn to Indicate has yet been done. Trains from Florence to this city via Lanes today, as they did rday. Lynchs River Is falling and the werk of repairing the roadway and la the swamp between Lynch? end Cartersvitl? will begin at No tralaa are being operated on the awasa Una north of Florence. The m*ao Dee bridge was still standing at suet reports today, but It has been s?umigst aad Is regarded as unsafe. The Southern Railway Is operating me tralaa osjt of Sumtor. aa the tree flesa at flu aster Junction and the bridge are under water. The at flu sat er Junction was washed mat night and the trestle a: !assets in the river swamp been considerably damaged, will bo required for the repairs the flood subsides. * Tha flood reports from other sec are gl Ha below. CAR8 8WKPT AWAY. of Bridge aod Mile and a Half of Away?Forty Box Water Rtlll Rising at 1 Pins wood. Aug. St.?Part of the bridge at Hentee Is gone. A mile a half of the trestle, with forty cars, was washed away today at It o'clock. Water Is still running through the box car doors that axe sehe? to staad en the track. Capt White and Mr. 8tone were ied ever In a boat last night but rescued an right There is ao hope for the trestle, the le structure Is doomed. Wster Is od up within a quarter of a mile of Oov. Meaning's old mansion. Crowd* are rushing by hers to see Oat rive, at Rimini. The water rising. HlfJH WATER IN LEE. Oree* a Hashing Torrent? Keloed and Stock Drowned. BtebopvllJe. Aug IS.? The flood I 'e River not on'y surpassed any disaster In the memory of the [-quoted "oldest Inhabitant." but tradition fails to glvs anything that approaches In Its extent, the rapidity with whleh P.e water rose or the ?Xr.ruam" resulting The lent ruction of the crops and of bogs and cattle Is fearful, cannot be estimated aa It Is 1m lbk> to get anywhere near the ?Hen stream. <>f six bridges over the river five been washed away?the only one being the Iron bridge, a new struc apparently solid and substantial. It fljf 1 stands, but It I? said to be twisted and strained, and no doubt weakened by the atrema of the water, w/hJch covers It. Nothing definite can be sold of this, however, as no one sma get near enough to ascertain. The extensive Weatherly brick mill suit plant with all of the manufactur? es! e?reduet. situated shout thre?'.?juar of o mile, from the river. Is cov by water to the depth of seven! The one-etory house of Mr. Beasley, built on a knoll about a half mile from the river, thou. o be about 30 feet above the norma> run of the stresm, is undar water to the height of the celling. Among the wreckage floating down the river are the carcasses of many cattl? and ho|.*s. Numbers of them upon the approach of the flood ran to the islands an l higher ground and then met their death by di owning or exhaustion. The loss of this stock U fearful. On some farms every animal was drowned, on others a part wa3 saved. As an Instance one thrifty negro, who had eleven hogs In a pen, notic? ing the rising of the water, went down to see after them, but he was too late, they were all drowned before he got to them. The damage to the growing crops cannot be even guessed at. One farm? er reports that a field of cotton prom? ising a fine yield Is now covered by water deep enough to swim a horse and there are doubtless many like cases. What has been written only refers to the Sumter side of the county. There Is no 'Onmmunlcatlon with the townships WMIh are on the Darling? ton side. TheWelegraph and telephone systems are both out of commission, but no doubt their loesee will equal ours, Beeldee this disaster the heavy rains have seriously injured the cotton crops bolls are opening rapidly, and the sta? ple falls to the ground and sprouts be? fore It can be handled, and the green bolls are rotting on the stalks. The river is said to be falling as rapidly as It rose, the water passing down tha stream like a torrent GREAT LOBS' IN CHESTERFIELD. Pun Dee Reached Height of 40 Feet at Ctmtww Thursday. Cheraw, Aug. ft.?A conservative estimate of the damage done by the flood In the Poe Dee River places the lorn at two hundred thousand dollars. The heaviest lose Is Pee Dee Bridge, which will cost fifty thousand dollars to repair. The Cheraw and George? town Steamboat Company has lost five thousand dollars. The new six thousand dollar road Just completed by Cheraw and Marlboro over the Ferry Lane at completely washed away. Over 100 yiirds of the Seaboard Air Line trestle over the Pee Dee la torn' away. The Atlantic Coast Line trestle over Thompson's Creek Is washed away. The damage to prop? erty on the lower part of the river Is tremendous. The Ohio stopspd at one of the settlements last night and found all the houses covered with wa? ter. .They were unable to find any one. and It Is probable that some of the people at least are drowned. The oltlsens of the town had a meeting at 11 o'clock today to consider plans tor replacing the Pee Dee bridge. The river roached Its highest stage yesterday morning, 40 feet It has fallon only S feet since. The steamer Ohio came In yesterday. The captain reports that the current was so swift he could not make a mile an h ?ui with full steam. On the Ohio was a shipment of one thousand pumps for a local hardware dealer. The boat la tied up to the top jt a INi that is near the river bank. No tra'm have arrived at Cheraw since Tuesday. The Chesterfield and Lancaster Road ex ptcls to run a train late thl* evening THE DAMAGE AT AUGUSTA. si Twenty-two Bodies Recovered and Steamer Passed SO Corpses, Augusta. Ga., Aug. 18.?The flood water at Augusta is receding rapidly and as the water leaves the streets It Is apparent that the loss has been un? derestimated. In addition to the dis? asters already reported It Is found that the Riverside Mills, in damage to plant and loss of cotton which floated away, sustains a loss of $100,000; Raid's cotton warehouse, the finest In the South, Is damaged In a large sum, but will require a survey to determine the amount; Triangular b'ock, where the wholesale houses are asembled, Is badly Injured. The Nelson, Morris & Co.'s warehouse has collapsed and Is being raxed; the Augusta Orocery Company's building is damaged in $6, 000; Hill 4k Merry eacaped serious loss; C. D. Carr 4k Co.. Pauli, Mustin A Murphy are comparatively slightly damaged; the National Biscuit Com? pany building Is wrecked. The Central Orammar School Is badly hurt, and the Davidson Orammar School Is damaged severely. In addition to the fires already reported It develops that there were ten smaller houses burned In different sections of the city. As the water goes down further It Is feared that damage similar to the Triangular block damage will devel? op. As t<? the loss of life twenty-two bodies have been recovered and corpses are found every hour or so. The cap? tain of the river steamer Swan, which got In today, reports that he saw, on the up-trlp. at least 35 corpses, al' nr'sroe* except one, a white man. There are reports of many drownlngs among negro farm hands In the lower v.ill?*y. The Chronicle estimates the death list at sixty. The citizens in mass meeting, the city conucll in special session and the board Of health in special session have take measures to relieve the distress. Citizens are subscribing to a fund to help the poorer peop'e In the sub? merged districts, for portions of the town are still under water. There is sure to be the greatest suffering, and relief must be quick to prevent star? vation swelling the death list. In some districts people who cannot leave their houses have not tasted food since Wednesday night. Augusta is trying hard to measure up to the demand upon her. At the public metings to? day it was decided not to make an appeal for outside assistance, but to accept any contributions offered. It is a question if the citizens' meeting and city council did not err in declining to make a public appeal for assist? ance, and many believe they will yet be compelled to ask aid of the outside world. It is certain that the mayor will gladly accept contributions, and he so publicly said In reply to Atlan? ta's Inquiry today. The immense cotton manufacturing establishments are not only id'e be? cause of the breaks in the canal banks, but they have received flood damage. The water reservoir is full. Its ca? pacity Is 60,000,000 gallons, but the service pipes are broken and the city Is without water. The gas supply is nearly restored. The electric compa? nies will start up in twelve hours, us? ing steam power instead of awter pow? er. Electric lights will not be turned on for a week. Estimated losses are as follows: Total damage from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. Damage to city property $200,000 to $250,000. Damage to street railroad $25,000. Damage to railroads $50,000. Damage to telephone and telgraph companies $20,000. Damage to merchants and local in? dustries $150,000 to $200,000. Damage to residents $50,000. SEABOARD TRAIN LOBT. Passenger Train on line Between Columbia and Savannah Missing Since Flood, Savannah, Oa.,. Aug. 28.?Train No. 81, on the Seaboard Air Line, which has been "lost" since Thursday at noon, so far as the Savannah dis? patcher's office is concerned, Is still In the lost column. No word of the train has reached the operating office here. All that it seems to know U that the train is somewhere between here and Columbia. It Is thought that it must be tied up at some river or stream where the trestle has been washed away, with no open way of es? cape behind It, and with wires down. There was a dining car with this train, so passengers will not suffer for food. SEVERAL NEGROES DROWNED. Fire Added to the Horror of Storm In Augusta. Augusta, Oa,, Aug. 28.?Flood wa? ters at Augusta began receding this afternoon. They reached the height of 40 feet, probably as high as the flood of 1888. which caused damages to the extent of one million dollars. Rain haa ceased In the upper val 'ey and there is danger of no further losses. The damage Is approximately $750,000 to $1,000,000, and consists of damage to stocks of goods and pri? vate property, losses on the streets, destruction of the city and one rail? road bridge across the Savannah River and breaks in the canal banks. There are dependent on the canal for power eight large and small cotton mills. At the time of the 1888 flood like breaks required one hundred days to repair. Thousands of mill op? eratives will be idle for three to four months. While the flood was at Its height five fires broke out, adding terror to a night of terror. The McDanlel builders' material establishment In North Augusta burned. A train of 40 cars belonging to the Southern Rail? way burned In Hamburg, Just across the river. Nixon's lime, cement and hay warehouse; a huge quantity of lumber belonging to the Oeorgla Rail? road yards, In the city, burned. There were several other small fires. The flames from the burning structures Il? luminated the skies and sent horror to the hearts of the people. The Augusta Railway and Elec? tric Company cannot run their cars for three days. No power plant Is In operation; the telephone lines are not doing business; the railroads arc accepting no passengers. The water service is crippled but Intact. The gas company Is Impaired, but not shut down. There havo been ten or fifteen drownlngs. mostly of negro laborers. The flood expanse covers an Im? mense territory, miles and miles of water extending from the foot of the Carolina hills to the south In Oeorgla. The loss to farms, farm lands, crops and live stock In the valley Is not In? cluded In the figures given above. The bottom cotton and swamp crop, an Immense annual product, Is ruin ed. Tonight is a night of tension. Re? ports of missing men, even of missing families, are being reported from man to man. The Augusta Chronicle got out Its Thursday edition in abbre? viated form at 9 p. m. The Augusta Herald, afternoon, could not be pub? lished Wednesday or Thursday. Reviewing the loss situation, a doz? en prominent citizens in the Albion Hote' tonight put the municipal loss at $250,000. The loss to merchants In 1S88 was $103.000. This time it can be no less. The loss on cotton is not severe, only 3,500 bales being water damaged. The loss to freight In de? pots is $50,000. The loss to railroad terminals will not be more than $200. 000. including the loss of the South? ern bridge. This bridge was to have been torn away and does not affect the Southern service. The consequent loss of the shutting down of the big cotton mil's and other industries can only be conjectured. SPARTANBURG RECOVERING. Pacolet MIO Dam Washed Away Several Bridges Destroyed. Spartanburg, Aug. 27.?Spartan? burg is recovering from the freshet. Railroad traffic has been resumed be? tween all points, and the electric light and gas companies are working on full time. Since Tuesday Spartanburg has been almost competely cut off from the outside world. No papers have been received from Charleston since Tuesday until today, when Wed? nesday's issue of the News and Cou? rier was received. The cotton mills have suffered very little damage from I the flood. The only serious damage was at Pacolet No. 2. The dam at the mill washed away. The steel bridge across the river was also swept away. The county has sustain? ed heavy loss by bridges being carried away by the freshet. The loss may exceed fifty thousand dollarls. COLUMBIA BRIDGES IN DANGER. The Congaree Above 84 Feet at 9 O'clock Yesterday. Columbia, Aug. 27.?At 2 o'clock this afternoon the Congaree River is above 24 feet at the Government gauge on the Gervais street bridge, and has been at this stage for several hours. If it does not go any higher the Gervais street steel bridge will stand, unless there is heavy drift? wood sent down from above. Traffic is closed. The covered bridge, across Broad river, above the city is in great? er danger. Two piers have been dam? aged, one of them very badly, and if both go the entire structure may be swept away. In that case the Ger? vais street bridge, three miles lower down the Congaree river, may be damaged badly, but at this time the Gervais street bridge is standing the strain. The water is almost up to the floor. The water was let into the power house of the Columbia Street Railway this morning, as the pressure of the water was so great that the walls were beginning to crack. The windows had been built up to keep out the water, but it was determined to let in the flood and risk the damage to machinery rather than lose the entire building. The water has for two hours been on a level with the canal bank and a large force of hands is at work build? ing up the embankment to prevent a washout at the power house. The water Is pouring over In torrents, and the very height of the flood may save the dam and locks, as the force of the current is going over the dam. The Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Rai'road bridge over Broad river, above Columbia Is standing all right, and the trains are running through to Laurens and perhaps to Greenville without serious trouble on that road. Telephone messages from Newberry state that the Saluda river Is not re? ceding and may be still rising. The flood seems to be greater In the Salu? da River valley and the channel of. the Congaree, which river Is formed by the conjunction of the Broad and Saluda opposite this city, may be suf? ficient to ho'd the flood without fur? ther damage. RAILROADS FARING BADLY. Tronic on the Coast Line Will be Im? paired for Several Days. Florence, Aug. 27.?Traffic between the North and South via the Atlantic Coast Line will be considerably delay? ed now for several days, owing to the onrush of the waters from the storm swept mountains of North and South Carolina to the sea. Up to noon to? day the Coast Line felt no serious ef? fects of the floods on its main line, but at noon the water in the Cape Fear River, at Fayettville. N. C, had reach? ed the highest stage in Its history, and the Coast Line's track and bridge at that point are all under water and the safety of the bridge Is endanger? ed. The resu't is that all trains to and from the North and South are de toured over their old main line tracks from Wilson, N. c. te Florence, S. C via Wilmington. C, and running from 5 to 7 hours late. The track at the Pee-Dee River on the Bennetts ville division is under water for three or four miles, and it Is Impossible to ge* trains over that route. Should the water cover the track at Pee-Dee on the Wilmington division this will cut off entirely all railroad communi? cation between the North and South as the Seaboard Air Line people are running their trains over the Coast Line from Raleigh to Columbia via Florence and Fayettville, but this arrangement had to be abandoned to? day and the- Seaboard trains are run around from Raleigh to Columbia via Wilmington. Goldsboro and Florence, as that Is their only chance of getting though. Several Seaboard trains have passed through here since last night and they are a'l more than 12 hours late. Wateree Bridge, at Wateree, on the Coast Line is threatened with de? struction. Lynche's Creek trestle, between Sumter and Darlington, went down last night and no trains are operated over that division. The sit? uation is indeed serious and there is no telling what will happen next. As yet no trains have been wrecked by washouts on the Coast Line and the officers have given positive in? structions to run their trains with every possible care and precaution to avoid accidents. It is stated that if the Seaboard gets trains over their line within two weeks they will be doing well, there being so much of their road bed and so many bridges washed away. CONDITIONS STEADILY IMPROV ING AND TRAINS RUNNING ON SCHEDULE. Sumter Now Has Connection With Both Florence and Columbia After Having Been Cut Off for Five Days ?Rimini Trestle a Wreck. Quite a crowd of people went down to the trestle across the Santee at Rlmlnl yesterday, and while the crest of the flood has passed and the worst was over, they were well repaid for their trip, for such a flood scene has never before been witnessed In this section of the country. The river was still higher than ever known and the swamp was flooded with back water for miles on either side of the stream. The steel bridge was intact and out of danger, but more than a mile and a half of the trestle had been swept away. Weeks will be required to repair the damage, and until the wa? ter recedes little can be done in the way of trestle building. It will be a long time before the operation of trains between Sumter and Augusta via the Rlmlnl trestle can be resumed. The operation of regular trains be? tween Sumter and Columbia was re? sumed Sunday morning and the first train from Florence came In over the direct line last night. Trains on the regular schedule between Florence and Columbia began running this morning. No trains are yet going through to Darlington, and the dam? age to the Lynch s river bridge near E'liott's is so great that repairs will require time. There has been no interruption of traffic between Sumter and Charles? ton as yet, but there is still some un? easiness felt for the safety of the Santee bridge and trestle near St. Stephens on the Northeastern rail? road. The damage at the Wateree bridge was not as great as It was feared would be inevitable when the flood was at its height, and as the waters began to recede repairs were quickly made. The Southern Railway Is still cut off by damages to the trestle and bridge at Klngvil'e and there Is no certainty when trains will be operat? ed on regular schedule In and out of Sumter on this road. RIVER GAUGES WASHED AWAY. Observations at Blairs and Other Points Must be Made Without Tech? nical Equipment. Columbia, Aug. 31.?Mr. J. W. Bauer, section director of the Co? lumbia station, United States weather bureau, has been advised that the government gauge at Catawba, Blairs, Camden and Chappels were washed away by the high waters of the past week and it is thought that the gauge at Pelser is gone. Mr. Bauer advis? ed the department at Washington of these facts and new gauges have al? ready been shipped and will be In? stalled with as little delay as possible. It will be necessary for the local observers at the points named to make record ol the highest water stage by the marks on trees, etc. RIVERS STILL RAVAGING. Wllllamshurg and Florence Counties Suffer From Flood?Large Area Devastated. Lake City. Aug. 30.?The lower part Of Wtlllamshurg county and that part of Florence county between the Pee Dec and Lynch's rivers are devastat? ed. Holes IB feet deep have been washed under the Coast Line track at Ethngham and a part of the bridge has been swept away at Bass wagon bridge. Further down the water Is four miles wide. It is thought that William McAl lister and family have been drowned. The last heard of them they were on the top of the house shouting for help. No one could reach them and ilnally the shouts ceased. Mules and horses have been drown? ed and the hogs and chickens have ( been swep: away by the hundreds. Scores of people drove from Lake City to render assistance. > men launched a boat an'' Bass bridge, but turned t the current was too swift. at sundown was one foot i I Ms is the worst flood ever k s section. BODIES PICKED IP OX \\ BEI That of Little Hinsoii Boy u. of Mr. Savage's Driver Found. ???? A Camden, Aug. 30.?The body or th little Hlnson boy, who was with Geo. Rabon when the bridge wt down, was found in Baum's swam, today. Mr. Savage's colored driver's body was also found some miles down the river today. Mr. John Mlckle's two mules and a wagon, and horse with a fine Texas saddle, were found at the old ferry.. No one around Camden claims the horse and saddle, so It Is supposed that It came from above Camden. Mr. Geo. Rabon's body has not been found yet, neither have the bodies of the missing negro men. The river is back in its banks now. All the crops in the bottom lands are a complete loss. - ??? j CONDITIONS IN AUGUSTA. Work of Cleaning Up nod Repairs Begin Today. Augusta, Go., Aug. 30.?The sun ?hone out brightly today. Augustans, ? putting aside everything else, are put? ting forth every energy to the work of helping the sufferers. Prominent citizens who make up the advisory and relief committee, the board of charities, the Associated Charities, the ^ Salvation Army and King's Daughters are working hand-in-hand. The work Is very thorough. The task, however, Is herculean. There Is need for cloth? ing, new, half-worn, mattresses, etc., and surrounding cities would help greatly by sending such articles. Bread gave out Saturday night, bu? ! 6,000 loaves got In today from Atlanta and Charleston, and Savannah is sending 2,000 loaves tonight. Cleaning up and clearing away wreckage will be begun Monday morn? ing. The county convicts, the city convicts and as many thousand men as can be employed went to work to? day on the streets and sewers. The board of health has the sanitary situ? ation well in hand. The police have their end of the siuation well in hand also. The city is asking the Georgia Unit? ed State senators to urge the war de- 1 partment to immediately send here an engineer to Inspect the flood situa? tion along the river with a view to future consideration of measures on the part of the government for protec? tion to the city. Col. Dan. G. King man, United States engineer In charge of thi" district, has been appealed to oy ,re to come to Augusta at once vlth the same purpose In view. RAILROAD CONDITIONS IMPROV? ED. Floods Subsiding and Prosprrfc of Resuming Schedules in the Near Future. Charleston. Aug. 31.?The news from the railroads is now oi ?ui sav* couraglng character. The gallant ef? forts which the maintenance of way departments of the two roads entering this place have been making are now having the effect. The angry waters are subsiding and in a few days all will be In regular working order again. The Atlantic Coast Line resumed traffic between Columbia and Flor? ence yesterday, but are still unable, and will be for several days, to oper? ate the through Northern trains be? cause of the unsafe aondition of the Pee-Dee trestle. According to a telegraph message from Florence last night Train No. 82, the north-bound Florida and West Indian Limited, was run out last night to Columbia and thence over the tracks of the Southern to Selma, N. C, where the Coast Line tracks were again available for the remainder of the trip to the North. Train No. 89 arrived at a late hour last night, having reached Char eston by way of Sumter. The Southern Is now getting back to some approach to its usual schedules. Train No. 11. from Charleston to Co? lumbia, was unable to cross the Con? garee at Cayce s. but the passengers were transferred to another train and roadbed Columbia safely. The train which leaves Columbia at 2.15 o'clock tonight for Charleston will find the trestle at Cayce's repaired and will come through to Charleston, though It will be a week or more before the usual route can be operated.