Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-06-10
Spartanburg Section Meets Frightful Disaster
By Cloudburst
TERRIBLE LOSS in LIFE AND PROPERTY
The Counterpart of the Johnstown and Galveston
Horrors Takes Place in the Piedmont Manufac-
turing Section niagara of Death Sweeps Over
Section and Busy SpindeS Cease to Hum.

be perfectly safe against any torrent.
But. if all accounts are to be be-
lieved. there was a veritable cloud
burst Saturday morning at about 6
o'clock. and the river rose, visibly.
higher and higher. In two hours, it is
declared, the river rose 80 feet. max
ing it 60 feet higher than the usual
water level
MILLS SWEPT AWAY LIKE STRAW
Before this fierce tide the mills
went like straw. The first to go were
the Pacolet Mills Nos. l and 2. plant
that is near Pacolet station. on the Co
lumbia and Ashevillc branch of the
Southern Railway. Half a mile down
the river stood the Pacolet Mill No. 3.
smaller mill than Nos. / and =. and
that, also, was soon torn to wreckage
and carried away in the stream
OF the Clifton Mills No. / was first
destroyed and was soon followed by
mill No. >.
Clifton No. 3. the largest of the mills
that were lost. was situated at Con
verse station. six miles north OF Spar
tanburg. on the Southern Railway.
The mill stood 200 yards above the
testle. For an hour it resolutely
withstool the mad onslaught of water.
and then gave way, gradually, throw
ing into the current large pieces of
timber that seriously injured and
threatened to destroy the big trestle
at Converse station.
BRIDGES WASHED AWAY.
The steel bridge over Lawson's
Fork on the Pacolet river near Spar
tanburg has gone. 1t was one span and
was $50 feet long, including the ap-
proaches.
The bridge over the Middle Tiger
river, between Duncan and Wexford.
is destroyed. 1t was three spans and
l42 feet long.
The bridge over North Tiger river
cannot be used. 1t is damaged, though
the full extent of the injury cannot be
ascertained yet.
The big bridge over the Pacolet
river. six or seven miles this side Of
Spartanburs. is said by railway Off.
cials to be very unsafe. It is still
standing against the fierce tide, but is
| badly damaged and is in very
serious condition.
The bridge over the Enoree river
just south of Spartanburg is damaged
and impossible.
The Seneca river bridge is also use
less.
The bridge over the Pacolet river is
lO7 feet high. one of the highest
bridges on the Southern system 1t is
342 feet long and made of steel.
The Pacolet Mills had 1856 900 spin
dies; the Clifton Mills, 112.O0O; the
new Glendale 10000 spindles, making
total of 3O6,000 spindles and total
of nearly 5000 looms. according to
the estimates made by Capt. j. II.
Sloan and other well-known cotton
mill men who were seen by a re
porter. This estimate makes the mills
worth over, s6.000.00O.
THE FLOOD CARRIED EVERY
THING BEFORE 1T.
Attendant upon the passing OF the
mills there was inestimable loss
Four thousand bales of cotton and
$500 bales of cloth were carried away
with the debris of the Pacolet Mills
At Pacolet. the Presbyterian church
the hotel. the mill office, mill stores
cotton gins, grist mills. blacksmith
shops. a large number of operatives
cottages and all the warehouses of the
! company were destroyed by the
stream
The warehouses We're built of brick
and stone, one warehouse being built
! entirely of stone.
The population of Pacolet is 5000
all OF whom were dependent upon The
mills for support.