The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-13
A CONGAREE CATASTROPHE.
Observation-Disclosures Waste
Especial to News and Courier

Especial to News and Courier
COLUMBIA, September For tn,
past ten days it has been raining i,
this section daily. At first there wer
thunder storms of brief duration. bu,
tor the past three days the weather ha
been overcast and threatening, anC
while the rainfall here has not beer
very great, the weather has been such
as to prevent the opening of cotton
ana to rot the cotton in the bolls,
While rain has fallen daily, it has not
been steady and the river up to last
night had not risen over four feet above
low water mark. When the large plan
ters on the Congaree River below this
city left their plantations at dark last
night the river was comparatively low.
was not rising and their crops appeared
TO be IN perfect safety from the 1devas-
tatlng Hood, Aftera years hard work.
after replanting their crops DESTROYED
by the early spring freshets and con-
tending with many difficulties during
the summer, it seemed as if they were
about to get their reward in bountiful
harvest.
THE SUDDEN DELUGE.
This morning the beautiful corn and
cotton fields of yesterday were trans
formed into sea of rushing yellow
water. The cotton was torn up and
ruined, while the corn was washed to-
wards the ocean. During the night |
the treacherous Congaree had risen
twelve feet and overiowed it's banks |
and the fertile lands beyond. All the |
crops on the bottom lands On the big
plantations of Aughtry, Griffin, Seegersl
and others are submerged and destroy 3
ed. VI course all the river bottom CROPS
on the Congaree, Broad and Saluda
'lvers have shared the same fate.
WHAT A LARGE PLANTER SAYS.
Capt. J. A. Peterkin, of Fort Motto,
vas IN the city to-day, and be saws that
he destruction of crops on the Conpa-
ee River bottom is general. He had
nlrty acres OF corn on this river and
'hen ne saw that rainy spell had set
4 he Immediately cut all of it for for t
ge and had just hauled it ont Of the ,
eld, which is now under water. At
/! O'Clock this morning the river was
Iteen feet above low water, a rise of +
even feet and haifsince last night. a
ne water was rising rapidly, and at :
~ O'Clock had reached height of .
ghteen feet. All the rocks and small
lands in the stream are covered and the
yer is a boiling, surging mass of LIQUID
I'd, with here and dthere a log or black
unk OF tree whirling along toward
e sea.
FEARS OF \ FALL FRESHET. p!
Spring freshets in this river are not ol
usual, but it is many years since a OF
'shet has occurred at this season of te
e year when there is no reparation. OF
spring freshet even when very de- 10
uctlve allows time for replantinr. NJ
t rise in the river at this season Ell
tkes the disaster complete. an
The freshet checks the work on the ar
nal and on the draw in the South M
roilna Railway bridge
THE RIVER STILL RISING.
1t dark this evening the Congaree ia
.er was twenty feet above low water A:
still rising. The trains from M
'enville and Spartanburgcame in on III
e this evening, but if the river Lu
s much more travel will be in CO.. o.
upted on those lines. The weather 10
hight is cold and a light rain is fall oea oo5