The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-26
BETWEEN RAGING WATERS
AN EXCITING STORY OF THE GREAT
FLOOD.

fLOOU.
The Lost Train on the GreenvilIe
Road Heard FrOm..-Cut Off and
Abandoned on Il Desert Island.-.
Pcrilous Trip on II Sinking Tres-
tle.-.Gallant Rescue Of Two Ladies
...ROoStinS High in Broad River.
Grcenriue Nc,rs.
Conductor Isaacs, of the Columbia and
Greenville railroad, had the down trip last
Thursday and was caught this side the break
in the line. He has been running his train
between Greenvillc and Ninety-SiX every day
since. hut will be relieved to-day. Conductor
Meredith. who was on the MP train The day
of the break, having made his way back to
Columbia by private conveyance from Alston,
and been sent here around by Charlotte.
TIE NEWS received on yesterday the first
intciigihle dissertation of the fate of the up
train Of Thursday on the Columbia and Green
willie it has yet had. Tho story is ~ rcnlnrka-
bic one in the annals of railrOad travelling in
this part of the country. and is told by &. l..
Hightower, of this county, an intelligent and
responsible citizen, and evidently the posses
sor of more than the average of courage.
Mr.. Hightowcr left Charleston on the after
noon OF Wednesday. 10Th inst, and lay over
in Columbia that night fIe left Columbia on
Thursday, Goth, on the regular passenger train
for this city. Conductor Meredith was in
CnIGEe anu InCrC WAS ABOUT Tie usual lJuilDeI
of passengers All went well and there was
no indication of serious trouble until the
train was tagged down a hundred yards be-
low AlSton by q section master who gave the
conductor Il telegram ordering him not to take
his train over the trcstle then just ahead of
him and between him and Aston. Capt Mer-
edith sent back brakeman TO flag down
special train which was following him ana IN
formed the passengers of the condition of af-
fairs Nearly all of them decided to walk
over the trestIe and on 10 AlstOn to get din
ncr. Mean while the brakeman who had gone
back found that trcstlc 600 or 703 yards be-
hind, which his train had just crossed. had
sunk below the level Of the track. He stop
ped the special train. which ATTEMPTED tn re,
turn to Columbia and found trestle hchind
it had also tumbled. 1t can not be leardcd
here who was on the snecial. The two trains
were left standing a mile or two apart, each
on short section Of track and each with one
broken trestle oeforeand another behind 1t;
They could not get together and neither could
advance or retreat.
When the conductor aud his passengers had
been at Aston awhile they found that the
trestlc they had crossed was sinking gradual
ly. and that all connection between them and
the train would soon he cut Oft. Two ladies
who had come from Charleston and had tick
cts for Cincinnati were yet aboard the train
and could not walk the treStlc, which by this
time was leaning up the river, one side being
several inches lower than the other.
The conductor called for volunteers to go
the rescue Of the ladies with u hand car.
6aHHIHc Nl4SlcT NlcupF anu MI. l1lSulONcI
promptly altered their services. They carried
the car over, got the two ladies and all the
light baggage left in the cars on IL and started
back. 1t was found the incline OF the treStle
was so great that the car would turn over II
put on it, and sevoral colorcd section hands
hurried over and held the upper side down
while Mtssrs. Richey and 1fightowcr pushed.
The perilous passage was made safely and eV-
cryhOdy got off the treStle before IL fcllf en-
ccpt one section hand. He was not quick
enough and went down with the wreck, but
he succeeded in swimming out.
Most of the passengers crossed the Rroad
ston, to Peaks, where they slept Thursday
night. The Spartanhurg and Union branch
of the Columbia and Grcenvillc, runs from
Aston, but there was break on the line OF
that direction The situation was very scri-
Gus one, especially to those passengers who
had expected a short journey and provided
themselves with little or no money. 1t was
made worse by the gloomy facts all around
them.
The Broad river was fove inches higher than
in the great frcShet Of 1863 and the railroad
bridge which connected the lodging at Peaks
every honr. Two mills up the river were
known to be undermined and In water to
their second floors and the belief was general
that when they came down and crashed
against the bridge the latter would surely CO.
The water was running with tremendous force
and swept away every thing 1t could reach
Great trees with all their limbs and leaves on
them were swept under the bridge, and sever
al small houses were seen to go by along with
other wreckagc
Everybody who has travelled on the Coum-
bia and Grcenville has noticed II large island
in Broad river q short distance above the
bridge. On this island two white men ami
one colorcd man had gone on Monday to fin
ish planting n crop they were making.
"Wednesday night their boat was swept away
by the rising water. The river rose steadily,
unl f,f thirteen cattle ihp island
were carried away. Five head OF horses also
went down with the flood and the timber that
fringed the island was tioated or broken out
and carried down. Nobody had expected the
lroshet, and every boat on both banks was car
ried away. The result was the three men on
the island spent all day Thursday and Friday
gradually giving back before the rising river
until they had barely an acre Of uncovered
ground left. Three other mon on an island
three miles above were caught even worse.
They were forced to take to trees on Wedncs-
day, and remained perched in them until Fri
day, and possibly later, without FOOD or rest
and with no rescue possible. AT last accounts
Il boat was being built at AlSton 10 go to the
rescue of these imperilled people
The engineer and firemcn OF the abandoned
passenger train were not particularly com
Portable. They were without provisions and
on Friday were shouting Justify across the
break in the trestle Tor something to eat at
any cost.
MIR. uightower with several ladies who were
under his charge and other passengers tired
of the scenery and life at AISton, Interesting
as both were, and left there by wagon on Fri
day afternoon. They made Newberry that
night, came TO LaurcnS on the LaurcnS rail
road on Saturday and came from Laurens to
Grecnville by private conveyance, reaching
here three days behind timcand a good many
dollars out of pocket They report several
passengers at Aston in q depl0rable condi-
tion, without money to pay for their meals
and unable to leave. 1t Is likely, however,
that Capt. Meredith reported the facts at the
Columbia office and that relief has been sent
in some shane.
\ bridge this side of the Broad river bridge
is reported to be down with the rails and tcle-
q af1h wires under water Nobody outside the
railroad officials at Columbia knows what or
where the damage is. So far it is known here
that there are four breaks in the main line
and one each in the Blue Ridge and Spartan
burg branches, making six in all. People who
ought to be we'll informed do not believe the
regular schedules will be run within twenty
days, but with them even it Is little more
than guess work.
All the low country mails are yet in confu-
ston. One days mail is on the abandoned
train. The rest of 1t for last week is turning
up here in all kinds of unexpected Jumps,
from various directions and at curious times.
IMMENSE LOSS OF PROPERTY.