The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-06-11
APPALLING DISASTER.

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Pacolet Valley Near Spartanburg-
Destruction of Six of the Finest
Cotton Mills in the Southern States
Great Loss of Property-More
Than Sixty Persons Drowned
Heartrending Scenes Witnessed.
As result OF a great cloudburst
on the headwaters of the Pacolet
river in South Carolina early Satur-
day morning six cotton mills were
swept away totally or wrecked, and
the Pacolet valley completely devas-
tated, practically wiping out the mill
villages OF Pacolet and Clifton. Mil
lions of dollars worth of property
were destroyed, more than three
score people drowned, hundreds ren-
dered homeless and thousands
thrown out of employment as a re-
suit of the awful and sudden vista
ton of the furious elements.
The losses to the mills are summa-
rized as follows:
Arkwright (slightly), capital $780,
600; spindles, 20, 256; looms, 6O4.
Beaumont, capital 500, 900, B.
1888 spindles, no looms.
Clifton. Nos. 1, 2 and 3, capital
81 900, 900; spindles, 1O1 ,231 ;looms,
1854.
Pacolet, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, capital
81 100000. spindles, SO, 332; looms,
2,2O2.
Whitney, capital 100000: spin
dies, 10000; looms, 300.
Not since the JohnstOwn food has
there been such calamity OF the
waters and small wonder is it that
the inhabitants of the PacOlet valley
are awed into awful silence at the
scene of desolation that cOnfrOnts
them.
The cloudburst broke just above
Clifton and within an hour the mills
at that point and a score OF farm
houses along the river had been car
ried away and the debris rushed with
a mighty force down upon Pacolet.
Inside of 40 minutes the river rose
from its normal confines to the
fourth story of the first mill, a height
of Al feet. The mill operatives were
Just going to their early breakfast
when the sound of a mighty rush OF
waters broke on their ears. With
one great bound the food surged
down the valley. From their cot
tages that dot the hillside the opera
tives witnessed the scene OF death
and destruction, Il number OF them
being washed away in the seething
torrent, for there was actually not
time enough for many of them to get
to the banks and other places OF
safety. In five minutes it is said that
the water rose more than 20 feet.
The loss of growing crops Oh the
PacOlet river and the destruction OF
railroad bridges and other property
runs up into the hundreds OF thous-
ands of dollars.
WHAT A FORMER HENDERSON MAN SAYS.
Mr.. &. Horace Finch, of Spartanburg,
writes to the GOLD LEAF as follows
about the flood and the ruin wrought:
mo doubt you have read the accounts
of the great flood here, but | will tell you
the accounts scarcely convey a correct
idea of the real situation. 1t was one of
UIe IuOSU INSTRUCTIVE llldG cFel
any country and the ruin wrought was
complete. Between the hours of two
and six o'clock on Saturday morning
the worst rain storm that ever fell in
this State swept clean our beautiful
Pacolet valley, through which the Paco
let river runs Within this valley six of
located. Four of these great mills were
Totally apI tho ntbor two
were badly damaged. Millions OfdOllars
worth OF property, were wiped out OF
existence in a few hours. Nor was the
property loss ALL There was loss of
human life as Well Forty or fifty per-
haps more) men, women and poor little
children were drowned. 1t was the sad
dest sight ever saw in all my life. One
case in which whole family, with the
exception of the father, is to me peculiar
ly distressing B. S. Johnson an honor
able, upright man whom | know very
WELL kept grocery store and lived with
his sfamily-wife and 3 children-on the
second floor of the building. When the
great flood came in the darkest hours of
the night it caught his house and dashed
it to pieces like an egg shell. The mother
and two children were drowned at once.
The frenzied father grasped his dearlittle
baby and rode the merciless current of
the mad river for more than two miles,
struggling and crying for help; but alas!
there was none to help. Finally he
caught something and felt that God had
saved him and the little one. But not So
On came rushing, deathdealing wave
that swept from his loving grasp the
precious form of his dear little baby. He
looked, he listened, but o, God, his all
his last one-was gone. Sad indeed is
the condition of this poor man. God
help him.