The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-22
DESTRUCTIVE CLoUD-BURsT.
roadTracks Washed Away-Crops Great
1y Injured-Twelve Inches or Rain
within Two Hours-Csi. A. P.
Butler as a Weather Prophet.
1Sne .ial to the News and Courier.

1Spe :ial to the News and Courier
COLUMBIA, August lG.-The news
papers have had accounts Of at least
'ifty different cloud-bursts in various
sections of the country this summer,
and Charleston has put in claim for
the first cloud-burst in this State; she
had doubtless a very heavy rain, but
the only genuine cloud-burst
that has visited the State for many
years occurred last night not many
miles below Columbia.
Last evening very heavy cloud was
noticed south of Columbia, and Com
missioner of Agriculture Butler, who
claims to be something Of weather
prophet, called the attention Of several
gentlemen to the cloud and remarked,
"Look out for cloud-burst."
COL. BUTLER AS WEATHER PROPHET.
There was no rain at Columbia and
nothing more was thought ofthe mat
ter until the train which brings the
News and Courier to its Columbia.
readers failed to arrive Oh time. Then
it was rumored that there was a wash
out, but as the river here was low it
could not be comprehended how a
serious washout mad occurred. The train
on the South Carolina Road reached
Columbia at 2 o'clock this afternoon,
and then it was ascertained that there
had been cloud-burst in. the vicinity
of Gadsden. The station Of Gadsden
is situated OIL slight elevation;in ap-
preaching it from either direction Oh
the South Carolina Road there is an up
grade. Some idea may then be had OF
the immense volume of water which
fell in the two hours between 7 and s
o'clock last night when it is known
that the railroad track at Gadsden was
two and a half feet under water and
the cotton in the level fields in that
vicinity was completely submerged. 1t
only rained for two hours, and the rain
fall four milessouth, west and north OF
Gadsden was very slight
AFALL OF TEMPERATURES.
A gentleman, living at Gadsden. said
to-day that he knew that fall Of one or
two inches of rain in two hours would
be very heavy, but that the least ne
could estimate the rainfall last night
was twelve inches. The fiat country
in that vicinity was transformed into
one big'leke, and for over mile and a
half the railroad was completly under
water. Capt. Little, of the South Car
olina Road, was at the scene of the
washout early this morning, and he
says that it is impossible to, imagine
such rain. He had never. seen or
heard of anything like it.
BREAKS IN THE RAILROAD.
There were two breaks in the road.
Two brick culverts a half mile OF each
side of Gadsden were washed out, each
making break Of about forty feet wide
and twenty-five deep. 1t was very
difficult to make a temporary track
over these breaks, because the material
would be washed away nearly as fast
as as it was thrown in. By piling in
crossties, however, a foundation was
finally made and the track rebuilt.
This allowed the passage Of train
due here at 1910 al M, and which
arrived at2 Pr
DAMAGE TO THE RAILROADS.
The Camden branch Of the South
Carolina Road did not escape so lightly.
Near the Camden junction. there are
or ten washouts, and it will be at least
three days before they can be repaired
and travel resumed. At Kingville the
volume Of water that fell to the earth
was so great that, before it could make
its escape it rose. to within en inch Of
the flooring of some Of the stores, and
it was Just below Kingville that the
road to Camden was washed away in
so many places, but it is very: probable
that even the Camden branch did not
suffer as much as the Wilmington,
Columbia and Augusta Road between
the Columbia side Of -Wateree trestle
and Wedgefeld. No train has come in
over, this road to day, and it is highly
probable that none will pass over it
before Monday.
No definite information can be OBJ
tanned here as to the number Of wash
outs, but the road was submerged, in
many places and must have sustained
serious damage. The first break in the
road from the Columbia side is at this
end of the Wateree.trestle.I 1t is report
ed that at this point 2 stream of water
seventeen feet deep rushed over the
track into the river. A large trestle
near Wedgefeld was completely wash
ed away. A material train coming to-
wards Columbia ran into, a washout
and was partly wrecked. Several ofthe
train hands received slight injuries.
THE FATE OF THE CATTLE.
While no reports have reached Co
lutnbia as to loss tolive stock, it is
practically certain that the cattle in the
section of country visited by the cloud
burst were either on the hill tops or
were drowned. The crops were Of course
very seriously damaged, and in several
places destroyed. =.
There has been no rain here since
Wednesday. The weather is partly
cloudy and cool, with northeast
wind.
THE LATEST FROM TIE SCENE OF DAM
Later reports about the cloud-burst
received mere up 10 IL OclOch Uo-ulSnt,
make the extent Of the damage done
greater than was at first supposed. The
ssction on which the water fell was
from three to four miles wide, and as
far as can now be traced, about sixteen
miles long. Those who saw the burst
say that two immense greenish clouds
came together, and as they met the
rain came down in blindipg sheets,
and it poured without the least abate-
ment for an hour and a half. There was
no thunder or lightning. The
cotton on perfectly level fields was
washed out of the ground, and in other
places fields of cotton are said to have
been swept clean.
In its route from Gadsden towards
Camden the cloud passed over seven
miles of the Camden branch of the
South Carolina. Road and submerged
it. There were many washouts in this
distance, but most of the minor ones
have been. filled to-day, and it is ex-
pected that transfers can be made over
the. larger breaks tomorrow. 1t will
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