The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-06-11
HORROR FOLLOWS HORROR!
Death and Disaster from Tremendous
Cloudburst in South Carolina.

the channel of the stream. Many OF
these were picked up by rescuers, who
did their utmost to save those who
clung to the roofs Of houses and float
ing timbers.
Early in the morning two children
apparently around twelve years OF
age, appeared directly in mid stream.
In their terrible voyage they cried out
most piteously. 1t was impossible 10
get to their rescue, and both children
were seen to go over the Pacolet dam
in each others arms.
As the Topeka. Kans., disaster was
eclipsed by the Gainesville horror, 80
It now seems in turn that the loss or
property, If not of life, In the Georgia
city will be eclipsed by the great wave
Of devastation which swept through
and over the great milling districts OF
Clifton and Pacolet with such destruc-
tive violence.
The property loss Is placed at over
s3,000,000. The mills were the most
complete and valuable factories in the
south, and were literally wiped out OF
existence with their entire equipment.
The three dams were massive struc-
lures and represented thousands OF
dollars in their construction.
The warehouses of the mills, with
their stocks of manufactured goods
and raw cotton went with the rest.
~The two villages had their churches,
school houses, hotels and other large
buildings. and their ruins lie strewn
along the margin of. the recedlng t1ooo
or afford obstruction to the sullea
tide.
Scene eesgars Description.
The scene for miles below the site
of the demolished mill towns beggars
description. The wreckage and debris
is piled many feet thick in places, and
thousands of people from miles
around are wandering along the path
way OF the storm demon searching for
bodies and attracted by the ur won:ed
terror of the spectacle. The scene OF
devastation could not we'll be mtre
complete.
Victor NJ. Montgomery, the owner
Of the Pacolet mills, has sustained
nearly the entire loss as estimated in
the foregoing. He was also the owner
Of the ill-fated Pacoiet mill at New
Holland, near Gainesville, Ga.
Enormous Property Loss.
Owing to the absolute isolation OF
Spartanburg, terrible suffering cannot
possibly be prevented from the many
thousands afflicted by the catastrophe.
Appeals are being sent out for aid. In
these appeals money is particularly re
quested, as provisions cannot reach
any Of the points, owing to the fact
that railroad bridges are down in .ev-
cry direction. The latest reports OF
damages sustained are given by those
in authority as follows:
President Montgomery, Of the Pa
coiet mills. places their loss at $1,000
900. President A. H. Twitchell, OF the
Clifton Manufacturing Company mills.
places the loss at $1,sO0,G00. For the
D. E. Converse Company, at Glendale,
8. c., the estimate is $4,000. Tuca-
pau mills, $4,000. Lockhart mills.
$4,000. Fairmont, $4,000. Whitney,
5000; Lolo, $4,000. Total mill loss,
ss.2so,ooo.
Over 5000 employees in the mills Of
the Clifton Manufacturing Company
are out Of work and in destitute cir
cumstances. .r..
At Pacolet 1000 people are pracH-
cally destitute. In the smaller mills
Of the county the number thrown out
Of employment will exceed 5000.
All day Sunday hundreds OF people
hovered about the scene of destruc-
ton. The survivors stood upon the
spots occupied by the homes of their
dead friends. Not trace of half a
hundred homes IS now visible. In
some places the sites occupied by the
houses are buried beneath great sand
banks and only an occasional piece OF
plank projecting through the sand
would indicate that a house stood in
that place. The destruction IS awful
and complete. The force Of the food
has so completely changed the banks
of the river and fiat borders on which
numerous houses stood that it will not
be possible to rebuild on the former
sites.