Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-06-10


trees, rocks and dirt from the mountain
side. tits estiinated 1t would take fifty
men two months to move all the debris
from hisbottonis.
The Damage on 0conee Creek
/ oconee Greek, june o. This commu.
nifty was swept by rain storm Friday
night. We thought at iirst that it was
only local, and supposed that only a mar.
row section was all that suffered, but
find that quite scope OF country has
been swept. ] will, therefore, confine
myself to what / have seen and heard
from reliable neighbors.
The most fertile imagi nation could moi
do the scene justice in portrayipg the
disaster. Oc0Dee creek was eleven feet
above the high-water-mark and the
June fresh of '78 is one of the small
things of the past.
Oneaps, there is an area of 1b or 20 acres
washed to the clay. About half of this
was covered with original forest, aud
every living thing has been swept away.
Trees three and four feet in diameter
and many large ones have landed in thu,
fields. lean stand at home and count 22
places where the water has fallen in such
torrents as TO tear great holes in the
hillsides.
j. L. Slater says his place is a blank
waste, having been washed until he can't
hope to make living on It..
A. p. Holden is cleaning landshdes out
of his creek. g}f
Jim AID lander lost about three -fourths
of q fine field of wheat which was nearly
ready to harvest. -
There is but little left Of Mrs. Barkers'
20 acres of fine bottom land, and less of
Chalmers 10 or II acres. I'm fact all the
creek are either washed away or covered
up in mud and debris.
The water was two feet deep in our
stables--drowued all of our little chickens
but seven. gasG
AtW. N. Todd's water stood four feet
in his stables, drowning sheep and
scores of little chickens, and was deep
enough in his fathers room to float his
shoes about, and was eighteen inches
deep in his dining room and kitchen, the
floor of which is eight feet above the
ground.
In Cowan's and Cantrell's fields the
logs from Jim Lees, (where the new saw
mill is to be), bridge timber, fodder
houses and various other kinds of
debris became heavy enough to break
and bend large trees growing along the
creek.
The bridge and dam at Lays mill is
gone, also the dam at Duncan's mill.
This makes bread serious question in
this settlement, as the bridges on all sides
are swept away.
A. L.. Rowland's saw mill was washed
SO far away that it had not been found
at last accounts. The engine was washed
short distance. A ''shack,'' with its
inmates, began to rock about II p. M,
and one of the occupants (Sam Williams,
oolored), told me he had to climb for his
life. He said: "Dis hur am a mighty
Gawd we has to deal wifi"
what to do. Some talk of moving. Many
can't make living farming, the land is
washed so badly, and there is nothing
else to do here. s. A. Massey.
Destruction on Village Creek.
Village Creek, June 9.-Last Friday
night the rain in this section was heavy
and great damage was done.
The creek from Dendy's Hotel washed
away fully half the crops in its course.
Some waterspouts nearby uprooted
large trees and carried them into the
creek.
The Herudon place, near Nicholson's 8
ford, is almost entirely washed away.
Farming prospects are bad, and the
farmers are gloomy.
1t is reported that several mills have
been washed away--one at BurrelFs ford
and one near Bethlehem. Dendy's mill
is said to be badly damaged. VIII.
Heavy Loss by Renedct-love Co.
Keowee, June 9.-Seneca river reached
a point on Saturday afternoon higher
than ever before known, bringing down
large trees, hundreds of saw logs, houses,
bridges, bales of cotton and sacks of cot
ton seed meal. besides an immense
amount of drift. 1a
The Benedict-Love Co. lost heavily.
at daylight the boom, which has a
capacity of 5000 logs, was nearly full of
very fine logs. The river began rising
very fast, more than a foot in 20 minutes
and the current became 80 swift and
water so high that the logs began wash
ing out and almost every one escaped.
Before midday the lower end of the
boom broke and a large part of it went.
1t now hangs against the railroad pier
and will be recovered. The water rose
several feet high against Ravenel's
bridge, and it was feared that it would
not Withstand the pressure, but it did.
1t is damaged, but can be repaired.
s. w. Cox's crib, with contents, was
washed away and lost. The water rose
to the window stills of his house and rose
so quickly that he got out very little of
his household goods.
All bottom corn will have to be re-
planted. Late planted cotton is coming
up to fine stand.
The wooden bridge at Ramsay's came
down the river and is said to be lying on
the dyke at Clemson. d. RaYenel.