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rfllMT FEUS FLOOD FORCE UAKAT DAMAGE DONE BY 8WOLL. KM STREAMS TO INDUSTRIES AND CROPS* Raft way Operations Abandoned for Prossen at Spartaaburg, Where Vloodo Wove Bad?Waters Now Rc eeOOeg AJtowteg EaUanate to Do ?ado off Injuries. Spartan burg. July 17.?Slowly receding- waters in the rivers of Pied moot Sooth Carolina tonight are leav* keef this eectlon of the country with*' oot railroad connection except over' the main line of the Southern railway 10 Atlanta and the Charleston & Westsi a Carolina to Augusta, while the stations of the big water power oovcftoptnsnts are flooded and out of eoojtmtnsion. Railway bridges are out. adores of highway bridges have been sate 4 away and on the mountain dl fhdsne of the Southern railway and Corel ton Cttnchfleld A Ohio there are a amorous serious landslides. The cotton mills of this Immediate eeeUoa hare not suffered greatly, though many of them liave been fareed to close because of nigh water. Moot of the cotton manufacturing plants of this county are on the Tyger and Pacokt rivers and thetie streams hove not reach si danger joint. Tha story of greatest destruction fpenning hare today came from Polk ooojity. North Carolina, along* the Teller of the Pacolet river. Here for O itafjaini of it mile* the Aaheville ilstoluB of the Southern i all way has noon almost lestroyed. wh le an auto eaohT highway built by the county two years ami at a coat of $71,000 Komppsartd. Not a bridge on the road . between tn on, N. C. and Saiuda. N. C. remains and at phtces audee ltorn the mountain have bot^od the rwud for long distances. 1h this vaUry the Southern railway OOs throe trains marooned since last tSOBn wore biought back to Spartan ootg thte aftirnoon. OOciala of the road here believe It will bo weeks, perhaps, before the lino may again go operated. Utile better is promised for the main line east of here. The Carolina, Clinch field 4k Ohio railroad hot amen Spaitanburg and Johnson City, Tonn.. Ii closed and, according to statements gtvtn out hero tonight, will not bo alle to operate trains for two weeke. A span of the bridge over Broad river, f 0 ml lea north of this S. was the first serious trouble, earn Marlon, N. C? the t ridge over Catawoa tIvor to out mid on the .jhsunialn dftdon serious sfldea are sfrimlng the lino. Railway pec pie say the i Ituatton is t*e worst that has ever confronted ?hom In this region. Many passengers Sold here since Saturday mo still In the city, unable to proceed to their dominations or to return home. ^Persona walking from Haluda to Tfyoa today and reaching Spartan borg tonight over the Southern rail? way bring accounts of damage not only to the Southern railway's line which over the Saiuda grade has been elmsst completely wrecked, and to the, now automobile road built by the ooonty two years ago at a cost of 071,000, but to farming land. The bot' torn lands near Tryon, whe e a week ago splendid crops grew, are now cov? ered deep la sand and drift wood from the mountain slopes. A similar story may come from the mountain division of the Carolina, Clinch field A Ohio railway when com mun teat ion la oatabhohed. for reports of great destruction are reaching the city, though the road has no wires be? yond Cheanee, 17 ml lea north of Spar- j tan burg, and Is not informed as to damage beyond Broad river bridge, whore one strand of that structure nearly 100 feet above the stream' la hanging This road haa not operated trains since Saturday and'according to statements given out here t >day will hardly bo able t) open for two weeks. Today the ctty had only two lluea of railroad open, the main line of the ?oathern west to Atlanta and the Charleston it Westarn Carolina to Au? gusta. The main line of the Southern to Charlotte le blocked by the de? struction of the bridge over the Ca tawba river, while trouble on the line to Columbia begins at Broad river bridge at 8helton and continues to Alston and bsyortd. Textile Plants Escaped. With the exception of a dam wash? ed out at Fltnorvtlle mill. In the northern part of the county, the tex? tile plants of this Immediate region escapsd serious damsge, moat of these bsl^g on the Pacolet and Tyger rivers, where the floods were somewhat lower than on the Iiroad and Catuwba rivers. Ths plant of the South Carolina Light. Power A Rallwny company at Gaaton ahoela on Hroad river, six miles north of Oaffney. is out of com? mission, having been flooded und sus? taining a break In the Island side of ?Ire dam. officials of the company left Spartanburg for the dam today but have not return*. !. On Hroad river below Oaffney. the Ninety-Nine Irland plant of the Southern Power eompany was flooded. In Hpsrtanbui'S county there has on two of I BLEASE APPEARS TO BE THE FAVORITE WITH THE AUD? IENCE. '< I . frt^vfc mm Oflloe Seekers Well Received?Crowd Cheer* Every Suggestion That Fac? tionalism Oca?e In Soutli Carolina, Hampton, July 1?.?Judging from the cloee attention given his address and from the applause from time to time. Ex-Gov. Blease was the favorite with the crowd of seven hundred peo? ple who attended the State campaign I meeting hers today. A special fea? ture of the meeting was that every mention mads by various candidates to do away with factionalism in South Carolina met with applause I from all In attendance. The candi? dates spoke in the following order: For railroad commissioner: G. McD. Hampton, W. T. Thrower, Jas Cansler and Albert S. Fant. For lieutenant governor: E. C. L. Adams was the first speaker. He at? tacked Lieut. Qov. Bethea's record I from various angles and poked fun at the Ford peace expedition. Lieut. Qov. Bethea made a plea to do away with factionalism. Hs would speed Iths day for the abolition of personali? ties on the stump. He favors bien? nial sessions of ths legislature, four year term for governor and other State officers. He favored the rural I credit bill. 1 For secretary of State: W. Banks I Dove and Oeo. W. Wlghtman. Both [addresses were well taken as was I shown by the generous applause. For State treasurer both candidates, S. T. I Carter and D. W. McLaurin, spoke. I For governor, R. A. Cooper led off. He wants factionalism abolished In South Carolina. He stated that he did not think the Columbia State ought to ask him in what respects he consid I ered, the present administration had failed, when The State had stated that I he (Cooper) was making a clean cam? paign. "1 will not criticise the ad? ministrations of either of my two op? ponents who have filled this office/' I said sir. Cooper. "A man who goes I into public office," he said, "for ths I purpose of rewarding friends or of I punishing enemies Is not fit for public I office." He discussed education in ISouth Carolina. Mr. Cooper was gen* Jsrously applauded. I J. M. DesChamps spoke on "Lead* ershtp." He kept the audience laugh? ing from the beginning to the end of Ihis speech. His address was remark I ably well received as indicated by the [applause. I John T, Duncan paid his respects to most of the candidates and took a rap I at the newspapers. Qov. Manning was greeted with ap? plause. He gave an account of his administration, in which he depicted Improvements from every angle, es? pecially economy and law enforce? ment He said Charleston is now gov? erned In the same way and under the same laws as the other sections of South Carolina; that hs had made good In enforcing the laws all over the State; that If necessary he would spend all of the $50,000 appropriated for the purpose of law enforcement. He stated that his had been one of the most economical administrations. Governor Manning was amply ap? plauded, being second to Ex-Governor Blease In this respect Ex-O0vsrnor Bleass was the ias: I speaker. He was greeted with :ip I plauss and presented with a large bouquet of flowers by a charming I young lady. His speech was charac? terized by his attack on the present Iadministration, which, he said, was the I most lawless and extravagant in the [history of the State. He criticised the failure to publish the last acts of the legislature, and said that it had been seven months since these laws were passed, and It seems that they were! ashamed of them and would not publish them; that a judge last week had to mark all of his cases "contin? ued" for the reason that he could not get a copy of the laws. He stated that he, too. wanted to clean up the asy? lum, but that he was handicapped in doing so for the reason that the leg? islature was hostile to him. Mr. Blease was cheered throughout his address at intervals and seemed to have the ma? jority of le crowd with him. EDICT AGAINST GERMAN GOODS. Italian Ruler Says They Must Not Pass Through Italy. Home, July 20.?King Emanuel to? day issued a decree forbidding the passage of German goods through Italy. Relations with Germany are severely strained. been a great destruction of highway bridges, over K0 having been reported to the supervlHor'h otheeH hh out. It is estimated* that the eost of replaelng theae MtriietureH will reach $60,t0*. From all sections injury to crops, es? pecially corn, is reported. The rail? road officials tonlnht are Just as far from predicting with any assuranee when trarffe will l?e normal as at any time. In many places bridges are to be rebuilt and miles o| road are to be constructed. Herbert Epperson, Sumter Boy, Commanded Boat Which Made Trips From Hector to Wellington. Was Quartermaster on Biff United States Craft and Showed His Mettle in Time of Need-Other Boats Crushed, His was Sole Surviving One on Which Transfers Could Be Made?Men Worked Hard and Were Exhausted During Storm?All Saved. Herbert Epperson, nineteen, son of J. A. Epperson of Sumter, a quarter? master of the Ill-fated collier, Hector, which struck a reef last Friday off Cape Romain, was one of the heroes of the rescue of the crew and marines from the doomed vessel to the tug Wellington, which loomed up on the horizon at the critical moment and probably was the means of saving the lives of the men on the United states vessel. Herbert Epperson arrived In the city last night from Charleston, where he is on the United States bat? tleship Hartford until such time as he is removed, or his term of service ex? pires, which will be at the first of August. At that time young Epperson expects to enter the service of one of ths biggest American merchant lines, which he does not think will be so dangerous, and whose duties will not he so onerous. Toung Epperson gives a very graph? ic picture of the hardships ai\d suffer-1 lngs of the crew and marines on the Collier Hector until they were rescued by the Wellington and the tender Cypress. And as quartermaster in command of the motor boat which made ths transfer of men from ths Hector to the Wellington, he was in a position to know all of the hardships the men had to undergo. Young Ep? person entered the navy two and a half years ago and served for one and a-half years, when he "bought him? self out of the navy" and entered ? the the United States naval auxiliary ser? vice, in which the enlistment was for. a period of only one year. On the Hector Epperson was at first in the radio room, having become very ranch interested in the wireless telegraphy, but becoming dissatisfied with condi? tions, he was transferred and became one of the quartermasters of the ves sei. He Is how visiting his father here and expects to return tomorrow even? ing to the Hartford, at the Charleston Navy Yard. His mother is seriously ill in Columbia, and he had hoped to see her, but has been unable to do so, on account of the high water which pre? vented his going to Columbia today. Quartermaster Epperson thus 1 de? scribes the accident to the Hector and the rescue of the crew by the Welling? ton: I "On Wednesday, July 12th, we stood off Charleston with orders to take sixty-live marines to San Domingo, where a revolution was in progress. The marines were brought out to the Hector in the afternoon by a small j tug and we at once set out to sea,! bound for San Domingo, at about I four knots an hour. It was about a hundred miles off Charleston harbor that we ran Into the hurricane. The wind was blowing a gale of more than a hundred miles an hour and struck the Hector with full force. The vessel withstood the blow, until tho hatches were crushed in like paper by the winds and waves and the water poured into the hold, wetting the coal and causing the vessel to gradually sink lower In the water. The firemen had a hard time to keep up steam with she wet coal, most of which was cov? ered with water, but they strove manfully to do their work, until ex? hausted. They were helped in this work by the marines on board, who also worked hard in the gale to get the ship to rights, but it was Impossi? ble to keep up steam with the wet coal. Tho collier was In a monsoon and seemed to be going round and rcund, as soon us the engines were no longer working and it was impossible to control the ship. We did not know a here we were and had to ascertain our position only by dead reckoning. We took deep sea soundings and as? certained from our chart that we were off Charleston, but this turned out to be wrong and the vessels which re? sponded to our S. O. S. call went to the position wc gave them, but did not reach us at all. After twelve hours of this we were driven by tho seas, which were running thirty-five and forty feet high, and wind against a reef. The ship was split in two and the men had to remain where they were. The captain and twenty-one men were In the bow of the boat and the others were all In the stern. Sev? eral of the men had been injured dur? ing the storm, hut were willing to do anything that they could to help the ship in its deplorable situation. It was at this point that the Wel? lington, In search of the two barges which hnl escaped from her In the' storm ran across the Hector and of? fered assistance. Oi the larboard side it was impossible to launch the three life-boats because of the high seas running there. However, orders were issued and the three boats of the starboard were lowered. One of these boats was capsized when it Was low? ered. Another of the boats ran against the side of the tug and was I smashed. However, the bottom held until the men were taken on board the Wellington when it gave way and dropped out, the boat immediately be? ing washed away. Quartermaster Epperson was placed in command of the third boat, the largest and * strongest of the three. This boat had a four-horse motor en? gine which was the means of saving about one hundred men of the Hec? tor. Epperson was placed at the tiller, another man at the painter, or rope, and the third man was in charge of the engine. These men ran their boat up under the stern of the Hector and about twenty men were let down Into the boat. The trip was then made to the Wellington, which stood by all the time and hove to as they approached, In order to take on board the men from the life boat. They could not go too near the Welington and the men were taken on board ono at a time, until all were on board. Each man tied the rope from the Hec? tor about his waist and as the Hec? tor's boat passed on the crest of a wave, the man was picked up and pulled on board. This took time and the men in charge of the boat had to exercise the greatest vigilance all of the time to keep their boat away from the Wellington, but at the same time bring it up close, so that the men could be taken off It Four trips were made by the lifo boat. Each time it came up under the stern of the Hector and the men dropped over its sides into the life? boat. All this took much time and the four trips consumed nearly three hours and the men in the boat were nearly exhausted, when the fourth trip was completed. All the ' while the Wellington had been hovering about the Hector, unable to approach close, as she was afraid that she too might be smashed upon the reef which had been the Hector's undoing. She was about two miles off at times, while at other times she approached up to within a quarter of a mile to the Hec? tor. At the conclusion of the fourth t**'p the men in charge of the life boat > ere almost exhausted and it was feared that they could not make an? other trip and take off the captain and other twenty-one men still left on the bow of the Hector. All of the men, however, had been removed from the stern of the big collier. At this time the life boat was deserted and through the megaphone Captain Newell of the Hector and his men were notified that other vessels were coming to their rescue, and that the tug would pull out for Charleston. One hundred and eleven men had been saved by Epper? son and his comrades and twenty-one and the captain were left on the bow of the boat. I During the rescue of the men the storm had somewhat abated, but heavy swells were still running and the men were never out of danger for a single minute. Later Friday night the light house tender Cypress, in an? swer to the calls of the Welington, which in the meantime had given the accurate location of the Hector, stood off and her search light revealed the Hector. She sent a life line aboard the Hector and the men who were left on board were all taken on the Cypress, the captain, in his neatest dress and with suit case in hand, be? ing the last man to leave his ship. The rescue, by the Cypress was not ac? companied by the danger which had attended the rescue by the life boat, as the Cypress was fitted out for this work and her searchlights showed just what was to be done, while there were no searchlights when the life boat was making its trips. The storm had further abated and the waves were not so high, nor heating with the same great force as previously. The men when they were rescued were mostly In undershirts and ding aree trousers, overalls, and this was practically everything that any of them saved. A few had their watches ami cash money in their pockets, hut everything else was lost. The first of? ficer of the Hector lost tlve hundred dollars In cash. All of the men lost' mmm chub dies. FIRST DEATH OF INFANTILE PA RALYSIS SO FAR REPORTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA. Patient Was 14 Months Old?Other Cases in die Piedmont City Said to Be Getting Along Nicely. Greenville, July IS.?One death from infantile paralysis in Greenville waaf reported today at the city health department. This was one of the cases that had until Tuesday night been listed under the head --of suspect? ed, but physicians decided Tuesday that it was a true case of infantile paralysis, and It was so reported. The patient was about fourteen months of age. The other cases of the disease are reported getting along nicely. No new cases were reported today. So far only one other case has been re? ported in the State outside of the Greenville cases. This is at Buffalo, in Union county. Homes in which cases exist are quarantined and Sun? day schools, churches and motion pic? ture shows have been notilied to re? fuse to admit children. A campaign which promises to extend State-wide In scope was Inaugurated here for the prevention of the disease. Guarding Against Paralysis. Columbia, July 19.?The State board of health has taken prompt steps to prevent the spread of infan? tile paralysis, several cases of which have been reported in the State. The cases and families are Isolated and put under a rigid quarantine wherever reported and everything possible is be? ing done to prevent the spread of the disease. Greenville has reported three cases of Infantile paralysis, one of which has proven fatal. The one case at Greer resulted in the death of the child, the one at Buffalo in the death of the child, and there is a case re? ported from Clifton. The State board of health discour? ages gatherings of all kinds in com? munities where infantile paralysis is reported, and have requested moving picture shows not to admit any chil? dren under sixteen years of age, and have advised against children attend? ing any kind of gathering. These pre? cautions extend so far only to Green? ville, which Is the only place, accord? ing to the health authohitles, where anything like an epidemic has been reported. Bulletins have been shipped out to the local boards of health in all parts of the State and large posters, telling of the dangers of the disease have been sent to the postmasters in sev? enty-rive of the largest towns with request that they be posted in the postoffice. The State board of health requests that any cases be promptly reported and a physician immediately called In. They advise that all dogs with distemper be shot. Dr. J. A. Adam Hayne, secretary of the State board of health, dot s not fear any spread of the situation. Plant Burns with Heavy Damage. Dalton, Ga., July 18.?The Duane chair plant was burned this morning, causing a loss of $125,000. The insur? ance was $90,000. their clothes and had nothing when they came to Charleston. However, at the navy yard they were given sailor suits which they could wear until they could get other belongings. The ma? rines when they saw that they must take to the life boats, according to their custom, cut off their trousers about the knees, so as not to be en? cumbered in case they were dumped into the water. Quartermaster Epperson stated that he was in a much better conditon than many others, who had been saved. He had sixty-live dollars in his pocket which was saved with him. However, he had just purchased four new suits at Norfolk In anticipation of his release at the first of August at the return from the trip to Santo Do? mingo, which was to have been his last on the Hector, and which was the last for that unlucky vessel. Besides this he lost his gold watch and other val? uable belongings, which he prized highly and regretted much to lose. The men, Epperson stated, at some times during the storm worked foe hours and hours on a stretch until they fell from utter exhaustion. As they did so others took their places to attend to the duties the others had done their best to perform. One incident of the rescue which seemed to have impressed the young j naval non-commissioned officer was the heroic act of one of the injured men, an act which uns itself such as wo Id impress any one. One of the injured men on the Hector, his leg broken just above the ankle during the storm, had been lying in the ship un? til the rescue work was going on, when he managed to crawl up on deck and assisted by his comrades over the side of the vessel, notwithstanding his broken lpg, leaped from the ship into the unsteady life boat below, an act which no doubt required the high? est type of courage and determine" tion. WANTS SANTEE CBOSSlNfi. If. II. MED LIN POINTS OUT LOCA? TION FOR ROAD WHICH WOULD COST LITTLE. To Build up Good Route Through Swamp at T?te'? Landing, He Says Would Not Cost More Thau $25.000 ?Thinks Tliat Four Counties Inter? ested Would Aid in Securing Road. For many years the good people of the counties of Orangeburg, Calhoun, Sumter and Clarendon have felt the great need of a crossing across the Santee river. And while no doubt a great deal of thought and some time has been spent relative to this cross? ing, as yet nothing has been done. Many places for crossing have been suggested, we might say, from Remini to the lower part of Williamsburg county. And it seems now that the people in Williamsburg are very anx? ious for this crossing, and they argue that the best place for this crossing would be Gourdins, or Murray's Fer? ry, and it may be that this place would be allright, but we are of the opinion that it would suit the four counties above named far better to have this crossing many miles up the river. Mr. W. R. Davis, our county supervisor and Mr. D, C. Mason, a hi siness young man of St Paul, re? cently went over a route leading from the road to Prence's Pond to the riv? er at Tate's landing, which they say is only about two miles through the swamp to the river, and across the river is a high bluff and two miles from the river on the other side we struck the highway from Charleston to Columbia, and on this roue of two miles through the swamp is a natural island of several hundred yards, which would not only save the building of a road bed that distance, but would fur? nish plenty of dirt for the road build? ing both ways for seme considerable distance. It is said by men of good business judgment that this road could be built for about twenty-five thousand dollars. Of course this does not mean that a bridge could be built, but a ferry could be used for the time being and a bridge built later. Well, no doubt, that some fellow who is not so very much interested in this proposition will say, "Well, where is the money coming from to do all this road building?" In the wiper's opinion there are at least thre-fJ hbi to raise the "dough" fogg/hi^ which are as follows: 'Em personal subscription, se("j nation from corporations, an^ of trade, and thirdly the w riter thflf^sf that arrangements could be made to have the chain gangs from the four counties above named help do this work. While we are of the opinion that we could hardly expect anything from the national government or of State funds. And too there would be some cost for the right of way and the timber along the route,, but we are inclined to think that this right of way and timber could be secured at a very small cost, as no doubt the par? ties owning this land will be interested in this road. And we believe if the people will get in behind this propo? sition, and we cannot think otherwise than they will, it will only be 66 miles to Charleston, and 55 miles to Colum? bia from this place. We see no rea? son why the people of Lee and Flor? ence counties should not be interested in this proposition as it would only be just a little over one hundred miles from either county, a drive of about four hours at an ord'nary speed with an automobile, and there are hun? dreds of people in these counties men? tioned that would make the trip to Charleston and return in a day. Now come on good people let's have a ciossing and quit talking. There are hundreds of colored people in Claren? don county who will give many days work on this crossing. It can be done. Will the people pull together? H. H. Medlin. S immerton, July 17. WEEKLY CROP REPORT. Storm Proved DitsaMrous to Farmers and Waters are Increasing Dam? age. Columbia. July 19.?The tropical storm that passed over the Carolinas on the 14th and 15th was attended by disastrous winds and an enormous downpour of rainfall over portions of the northern and eastern counties, ranging in amount from 10 to 14 inch? es. As a result unprecedented floods are running in the Hroad, Catawba, Lynches and Hlack rivers, with prom? ise of record breaking stages in the Watercc. The remaining upper tribu? taries of the Santee and Great Pee Dee systems are in high flood, but the Congaree and tributaries are falling. Crops were beaten flat into soggy ground, were badly washed In large areas and are a total loss in the inun? dated districts, where replanting will be necessary. The continuous rains have kept planters from the fields, ex? cept In the southwestern portion and sections of the western counties, and mass is becoming a menace. Outside the stricken districts, crops are grow? ing Sell, and cotton In clay soil is is excellent condition.