The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-04-14
THRILLING DESCRlP TON
or the Drowning OF Three Hen Six Niles
From Greenvi!Ie.

From Greenvi!Ie.
GREESyILLE, April 6.-The Saluds
River is within lis banks again, after
being on boom Monday night and
this morning, during which three men
were drowned and one mule and two
horses persisted. Three more men
mirsculously escaped death after be.
ing considerably bruised, and thou
sands CT dollars worth OF bridges
were swept away. The dead are John
Freeman, white, OF Pickens County
Jackson Byrd, colored, of P.ckens
County; Babe Gillespie, colored OF
Greenville County. The wounded
are: Claude Hood, William Green
and Mr.. McDade, all white, Of Pelzar,
This river has decided reputation for
turbulence and violence, aud many
drowniags and hair breadth escapes
are related Of its former sprees. It
was fifteen feet above normal at mid
night before the last and was out of its
banks hundreds Of yards on both
sides. surging and sweeping By at a
terrific speed aud fro wing and threat
ening with eddies everywhere Ris.
ing as it does in the mountains, the
Saluda, above all other streams here.
abouts, is particularly violent after
heavy rains. The great incline of its
bed and the hilly character of its banks
gives it remarkable speed and volume.
It came within three inches yesterday
OF smashing all previous records.
The drowning scene was al the Cox
Bridge, within six miles of this city.
One OF the victims was John Free.
man, well-to do Pickens farmer and
man Of family. He perished in the
presence OF about fifty persons gath
cred on the Pickens and Greenville
banks. The bridge is a large covered
wooden structure and its floor is thir-
teen feet above the normal heighth Of
the river. The two abutm ents are
substantially CONSTRUCTED Of granite,
filed in to the banks win earth. The
men who perished were driving from
Greenville. The water was rushing
over both earthen abutments, about
two feet deep On the Pickeos side.
The water was about a foot and half
above the floor and six inches more
would have sent the whole structure
whirling down the river.
The party crossed the briGgein safe
] ty. jeff Davis. colored. in the two
horse wagon with Mr.. Freeman, and
Bryan was in cart in front. Bcyan
crossed the overfo8ed abdument with
ease, but as the wagon reached the
Pickens end OF the bridge, the mule,
the left-hand animal OF the team,
doubted the propriety OF going over
the abutment and backed. The lash
was applied and then the horse, which
was on the left, stepped into hole
about eight inches deep. The mule
SHE'D and carried the horse with him
few feet down the emoankment Of
the abu!ment on his side, which was
downstream. The negro jumped out
and fed TO the bank. Mr.. Freeman
got into water about waist deep and
went to his team and attempted to lead
them back on the embankment. But
the animals were excited and, rearing
up, struck Mr.. Freeman in the face
aud sent him under the water and
down the strea ~ into water about ten
feet deep. The team was swept after
him. About fifty feet from the scene
of the first trouble Mr. Freeman seized
tree and grabbed his horses bride
again, and 10 the struggle went under
the second time. The horse got away,
and Mr.. Freeman went under the last
time. In few minutes Jackson Byrd
and Babe Gillespie were drowned in
the same way as freeman, their teams
going of the bridge. Heroic efforts
to save them were futile
The men wounded were hurt by the
falling OF the Pelzer bridge. The new
$l2, 900 iron bridge over the Saluda
River at Pelzer was swept from its
piers on Monday night. Toe loss is
$4,000. The bridge was to have been
accepted by the county supervisor on
Saturday. The loss falls upon Con
tractor J. H. Whitner, of Tennessee.
The three white men named above,
who were trying to save the bridge,
were swept overheard by the food of
water as the bridge went down and
narrowly escaped being crushed in
the wreckage. The fall of the bridge
was due to the undermining Of the
masonry pier on the Anderson side,
within few hundred feetof the main
building OF the Pelz2r Cotton Mills,
and about fifty feet below their dam.
This bridge has been the subject OF
much controversy as 10 whether Green
vile should pay one-half the cost of
its construction. It was claimed that
GreenVille was helping to divert trade
from her own machines toward those
in Pelzer. 4 new span and per viii
have to be built.
Opened by Cubaus.
New YORK, April "A special TO
The World from Havana says: Gala
bazar, IN this province has been raid.
ed, the Spanish jail forced open and
eighteen insurgents, who were to be
shot this week, released. Most OF the
Spanish guard OF fifty were killed or
wounded. Among the prisoners was
Sonora Isabelle Teresa Monteza, said
to be relative Of General Acosta.
She is nearly fifty years Of age and