Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-07
Waters Rage Over Houses When Dams Give
Way Before Stream.
lG COTTON MILLS ARE WASHED AWAY
olOudburst Destroys Bridges and Stalls
Railway Trains
FIVE THOUSAND OPERATIVES LOSE IoB'
owner whose Georgia Prop
erty was wrecked by Mondays
Tornado stands Large part
of S2,UOO,OOO Loss.

o -, mas Deen swept IrOIl tne map anu
the great cotton mills of spartanburg and
Clifton, s. c., have been wiped out by
storm which struck this part of the coun-
try late last night
Up to the present hour it has been i'm
possible to ascertain the loss of life. Six
bodies have already been seen drifting
down the stream and 1t seems certain
that twenty-five or thirty were drowned
at Pacelot alone.
Pacolet and Clifton are situated in the
defiles of two valleys, between lofty ranges
of hills. Most of the homes of the work
men are located In the valley near the
mills in which they are laborers.
The shadow of the storm settled over
Spartanburg last night 1t gathered force
until the proportions of a giant cloudburst
were reached, when the downpour from
the clouds swept away the dams, which
In turn settled into one vast swirling
stream, which rushed down the valley
where the mills are situated.
This afternoon the waters are roaring
above houses and homes, where yesterday
the spindle and the loom were at work and
1000 laborers were busy.
Property Loss Two Millions.
1t is estimated that the property loss will
reach S2.OOOoOO.
At Pacolet the following damage has
been reported:
Mil No. / has been washed completely
away; mill No. is totally destroyed; the
dams of three mills are swept away; the
warehouse Of mill No l, with its total stock
of goods and cotton, was swept away
while the hotel the leading church and al
most every building in the little city has
been partially or totally destroyed.
~ n - =
and Clifton mill No. and the Glendale at
Clifton are reported totally ruined. Wire
communication. with that section is inter-
rupted.
Victor M. Montgomery is the owner Of
both the Pacolet mills at spartanburg and
thgt at New Holland. Ga. which was so
seriously crippled by the tornado near
Gainesville last Monday. He estimated his
loss at N.2Oo.OOo and says 100 men have
been thrown out OF employment.
MILLS Are Obliterated.
Soon after operations began this morn
ing at mills Nos / and 2 the water pres
sure became dangerous, the boiler rooms
became submerged and the workmen were
ordered back. A little later the fury of
the raging river struck mill No. J.. wash
ing the plant entirely away. The strong
current then swept against No. 2, demol.
ishing that mill and leaving only the cloth
rooms standing. The big bridge over the
Pacolet river, a steel structure, was then
carried away by the food. which had burst
through the dam. The wareroom, contain
! ing nearly 1000 bales. of cotton and 4,00C
bales of domestic cloth. followed, all the
cotton being carried down stream1
At Pacolet mill No. g. one-half the picker
room and five stories on the left side OF
the main building. were washed away. The
main building. supported by a thick wall
is still standing. but is shaky and may
/ collapse at any time. The boiler room is
gone, but the smokestack is yet standing
| The dam at No. is intact. All the ma.
chinery in this mill is ruined
! At Glendale four warehouses filled will
cotton and cotton products were swept
away, along with the dam across Law.
4 sons fork and the trestle OF the city eIec.
| trio railway. The mall at Agandale was
not materially damaged. At Converse the
main building Of the Clifton factory col
lapsed and the water rose until II reached
the second story-four feet deep.
Fifty Drown at Clifton.
! CLIFTON, s. c.. June s.-The Convers,
| cotton MILL with $1,000 spindles, has beer
destroyed by the flood. The Clifton mill
with 1850 spindles. is half washed away
! The Dexter mill. with &c. 800 spindles, is hal
gone. These mills belong to the Cliftor
Manufacturing company
| Five hundred people are homeless II 1.
estimated that fifty people are drowned
-Four thousand are thrown out of employ
ment. There were many thrilling rescuei
from trees and houses. b. g. johnson los
his wife and all his children, as did r. d
Finley and J. r. Jones.
The river has risen to eight feet abov,
the normal Immediate help is needed. A
relief committee is to be organized inme
diately. Rev. w. ]. Snyder will receiv,
and turn over TO the committee any none,
forwarded.
Many Bodies Recovered.
| AUGUSTA. Ca. June s-The Herald
| correspondent at Spartanburg gives tn,
losses in the flooded district as follows:
Arkwright mill. 2O.25s spindles, slight,
damaged not over 5000
Beaumont, ASS spindles, damage slight
Clifton. Nos. 1, 2 and 3. lO1232 spindles
most serious damage OF all, amounts 4
$4,000
Pacolet, Nos !, and 8, Ss,S62 spindles
capitalized at 100000, damage s75sOOO.
Whitney, 1000 spindles. $4,000
Thirty-ive lives are reported lost Tn
bodies Of these. with two exceptions. wer
caught floating in the river at Clifton, tel
miles from Spartanburg
Only mills Nos. / and 2 were completed,
destroyed at Pacolet. but No was seri
ously damaged. All that now remains ol
the scene Of the wrecked mills is a mas
OF broken and twisted iron and stone Il
disheveled heaps. Most OF the drowne
people were operatives OF the Pacolet Rive
mills.
COLUMBIA, S. c.. June s-The Kangare
river is rising here and is expected I
reach twenty-five feet. Railroad ohiclal
are apprehensive that wreckage win dam
age the bridges which at this point eros
the river
CALHOUN FALLS. s. c.. June ga
Calhoun Falls water Is in the second stor
Of the Newry Cotton mills. It's warehouse
have been washed away. The dam a
Tsxway. N. c.. has broken and three mill
win So