The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-07-29
THE GREAT FLOOD.
FEARFUL LOSS oFL1vEs AND PRopERT.
RECOVERING TIE BODIES OF THE DEAD
REPAIRING DAMAGES.


the immense destruction by the flood on Fri
day may be had, although as yet no estimate
can be made of individual losses, as it is i'm
possible to tell, until the debris and mud are re-
moved, what has bsen Lett and what was swept
away. Nothing but heavy buildings offered
any resistance to the mighty rushing Of the
water. There is very little doubt that the dam
age may be counted by millions of dollars on the
line of Jones' Falls, from Woodberry to the draw
br dge. The water did not at any time rise to the
floor of the Belvidere Bridge; but:immedateiy
to the south of that structure the large corn
meal and hominy mill of MIR. William Merrill,
on the site of the old water works, was Hooded
on the basement and on the first and second
floors, severely damaging the machinery, which
was very valuable. Below that point, until al
ter the water passed through Eager-street
bridge, it was confined within the banks OF the
stream. Immediately south Of the bridge and
west of the stream there is a fiat through
which runs a mill race. The water broke away
the bank of the race and rushed into the tan
nery of Messrs. Appold. Here the destruction
is large, but it is impossible to make an ap-
proximate estimate until the mud shall have
been removed. From this point the terrible
destruction was visible, and as the Hood rush
ed onward the ruin increased until the desola-
ton was complete. The east bank of the Falls
was rapidly cut down as low as Madison-street,
where it is protected by stone wall.
JONES' FALLS.
T.iI, ootb;roY acnorn1
The bark mill and tannery of MIR. HeaId, at
Madison-street, was flooded in the rear, as was
also the flour mill adjoining. The foundry
part OF the machine establishment OF Messrs.
A. g. w. Denmead & Son, as also the boiler
shop on the south side Of Monument-street,
was deeply inundated, but the damage was
not very great. The tannery Of Messrs. Bay,
field & Gregg was badly flooded, ana most
of the vats are level with the wall OF the
Falls. The destruction was very considerable.
The place, however, has not been cleared out,
until which the amount Of damage cannot be
ascertained.
The dlstillery of MIR. Malcolm Crichton is
almost entirely destroyed. All the ferment-
ing tubs, some five or Six in number, were
crushed by the pressure OF the water; me Two
large copper stills were washed from the house
in which they were located and carried down
the stream. One of them has since been
found in the back basin, and the other in
the river near Federal Hill. AL the machine
~ was torn from its position and most OF 1t
is gone. ~,
There are no other large factories on the
west side of the Falls until the Baltimore
Sugar Refinery Of Messrs. Woods, Weeks q
CO. is reached. In this establishment eight
hogsheads Of sugar had been taken from the
dissolying pan and were ready to- be passed
to one of the upper floors, when it would 60
through the filter, but so rapid was the rnsh
Of water that the whole Of it was swept away.
The lower part Of the building filled 30 rapidly
that within ten minutes Of It's first entrance
the fires under the boilers were extingulshed
and all means of the rapid removal OF any OF
the stock by machinery cut oil. Ali the
machinery in the lower part OF the refinery ls
considerably damaged, but That can soon be
put in proper condition. The damage is not
q few days the establishment will again be IN
WORKING order. The mort important refining
machinery is on the upper foore, and was not
affected by the Water.
On the east side Of The Falls the destruction
was not so great, from the fact that the manu-
featuring establishments are not 80 numerous.
The sash factory OF Messrs. Maughhn Son,
below Pratt-street, was badly flooded and o
great deal Of damage was done TO the mach1n-
ery on the first floor. The most important,
h:;wever, was on the upper floor and escaped
lI.;,ry. A largo quantity OF lumber hoated on,
which cannot be recovered. Clagett's brewery,
on Lombard-street, was flooded In the cellar,
but not seriously damaged. Between Lombard
and Baltimore streets the destruction was very
great. The steam boiler works Of Mr.. Charles
Bentley are entirely destroyed, and large
building. covering about quarter OF an acre
Of ground, had the foundation washed out Of
the end next to the Falls, and now stands
wreck; everything portable was swept away,
and the whole establishment presents scene
of desolation which could have been made by
fire.
THE FALLS.
A ride along the Falls Road presented one
continuous scene Of destruction. The brldge
at the first dollhouse was swept away, together
with the greater portion OF the stone abut-
ments. The stream, although now merely al
its usual height, instead CT being clear and
limpid, was yellow and muddy as the waters OF
the Nlississippi,s with here and there fringe
or dot Of foam to tell the story Of its late fury
Nor was this all. From the windows OF houses
on either side of tho stream garments OF every
description, carpets and other articles, were
driving in the sun. The road had been so
washed away in many places as to be hardly
passable, and in one or two spots where II fol-
lowed the course of the stream on low ground,
quite half Of the road bed had disappeared.
The water had rushed along in furious, foam
ing and resistless torrent, uprootlng trees, or
bending them low and stripping them OF bark
and foliage, digging great furrows .oeep into
the grayelly soil, and spinning massive bould'
ers along the rocky bed Like boys marbles.
At the grain mill Of John Tmanus the dam
was swept away, the lower stories flooded, and
a sediment o. mud left behind which was being
rapidly removed. The building did not appear
to have sustained any damage. At the Mount
Vernon Mill the dam had also been swept away
and the lower stories flooded. The damage.
however, could not have been very great. A
short distance above, the city water pipes for
some two hundred yards had been washed out
OF position and rolled into the bed OF the
stream. A number OF workmen we're buslly
engaged on Saturday in replacing them. At
this point the track Of the Northern Central
Railroad is undermined for d short distance.
From up the stream come reports OF exten-
siye damage done to roads, crops aud proper
ty. Not bridge is left standing. At Wood
berry people we're fording the stream yester-
day with carriages and the debris was being
removed for the immediate rebuilding OF the
bridge. At this point the waters had poured
through many acres Of corn, completely de-
stroying the crop. Further down the stream
the water mark on some stone dwellings 1ndi.
Gated that the food had reached the second
stories.
TIE PARR.
The well-eraded and smooth roads in the
park were little affected by the rains; but the
ponds have lost their purity and become yel-
low and muddy. The foliage, however, is
wonderfully refreshed and has put on it's most
vivid tints Of green.
THE ROADS.
All about the suburbs the roads have been
so washed by tho rain as to leave in many
\ Ind ~ oko q