Fergus County argus., 1903-06-10
ONE WEEKS
CALAMITIES
Floods, Collisions and Shlpwreeks
Have Spread Devastation Over
the World.
FEW SECTIONS HAVE ESCAPED
One Hundred Perish in a Steamer
coilislon-Many Die in Southern
Floods-Other Fatalities.

FlOOuS-OtNcT FdtdlitleSs
Spartenburg, Ga. June --latest
reports tonight are that approximately
fifty-tive persons were drowned yes
terday in the floods at Pacolet AMI
Clifton. No list of dead is yet avail.
able here; but it is supposed most If
them were mill operatives.
The bodies of four unidentified per.
sons were found today below Clifton,
A conservative estimate of the loss
to cotton mills in this section is S3,-
100000 A mass meeting OF citizens
was held here today and S3,5ou was
subscribed for the relief OF the hooi
sufferers. Many generous offers Of as
sistance have also been telegraphed
from other cities.
Big Loss in Carolina.
Columbia, S. c., June Late de-
tails estimate the loss OF property AT
So ,5OO0O0 and the loss Of lie greater
than at first expected TaXaway dam
has withstood the food,
Three Drowned in Kansas.
Salna. Kan. June While swim
ming near Moss Landing this after
noon, three young men, William
Steigelman. Sid White and J. Epperly,
were caught 10y the undertow and be-
fore boat could be procured were
drowned. A fourth companion,G. y.
Stadley, escaped after a hard struS-
gle.
Big Fire in Buffalo.
Buffalo, y. Y. June Fire insur.
ance adjustors place the loss on the
Buffalo Carting q Storage company's
plant and contents early today at
SiOO.O 900. About SO per cent. of the
loss is covered by insurance. The
building was used for storage purpos-
es by The Lake Shore railroad. Il
was filed with machinery and other
goods stored by manufacturing con
Germs of other cities. Three-Quarters
of the loss falls upon the owners Of
goods in the warehouse. The fire was
discovered shortly before O'Clock and
an hour later the entire building was
in flames.
Several small frame buildings ad-
Joining the warehouse We're crushed
to the ground when the heavy walls
on either side of the burning building
fell Squads of tiremen narrowly eS-
capped being caught under the piles Df
brick. Several OF them were hit but
no one was seriously injured.
Hundred Drowned Near France.
Narseilles. June More than 100
persons perished today near Marse!l-
les as the result of collision between
the Insulaire and the Liban passeng-
er steamers. belonging to the Frais-
senet Steamship company.
The Liban left Marseilles today for
its regular trip to Basia. Corsica. AMI
was run down by the lnsulaire on the
Maire islands.
The collisions were witnessed bv
the Belechamp. which was about two
miles distant.
The Belechamp Immediately repair
ed 10 the spot to render assistance.
The force of the collision had cut
a great hole in the l.lban's side. ana
IL already was making water rapidly,
The captain saw the only chance
was TO run the steamer aground, and
the l.iban was headed full speed for
the shore. hut within seventeen min
ttes after the collision and while still
in deep water. the forepart OF the
81, l.nanth tht4
and a few minutes later disappeared.
In the meantime the Blcchamp the
steamer Balkan. also belonging 10 the
Frassenet company, and other yes
sells had drawn near the sinking ship
and were making desperate efforts TO
rescue those on board.
The Blechamp picked up forty per-
sons. many of whom were at the poilt
of exhaustion: the Balkan rescued
thirty-seven passengers. and up To the
present it is known that in addition
TO the passengers, seventeen OF the
crew were also saved.
Officers of the steamer Balkan de-
scribe the scene just before the Liban
diappeared as a terrible one. As the
vessel was sinking it was inclined u
such an angle that the masts struck
the water. causing an eddy, making
the work of rescue most difficult.
A mass of human beings was cling
ing to the laundering vessel and utter
ing despairing cries as il went down.
At the same time the boilers ex
ploded, intensifying the horrors. Fol-
a few moments the victims were seen
struggling in the sea. when the waves
closed over them and all was silent
OF about 200 passengers who were
aboard the l.iban, il is feared tha'
half were drowned. The Balkan
launched three boats and the othel
vessels did all that was possible u
save the victims in the short time
that elapsed between the time of th'
collision and the sinking of the III
ban.
Up to five o'clock this afternoon
thirty bodies had been recovered.
The French steamer Liban was
three.masted schooner rigged vesse
29S feet long and OF 2.O3S tonnag,
gross. She was built al Glasgow il
1883.
The list of passengers on the Libal
has not yet been issued, the officer
of the Fraissenet company being clos
ed. II is believed over 24O embarke
at this port. 1t is said the collision
occurred under the following circuT
stances:
The Liban was putting out to Sc
Just as the Insuldire was making TO
the harbor, Mare island. which lie
off the entrance to the port hid tn
vessels from each other, until it wa
too late TO avoid a collision.
One of the survivors. a passenge
gives the following details of the di