The Washington times., 1903-06-07
MILLS DESTROYED;
MANY LIVES LOST
Piedmont Ridge Valley
Inundated; Scores of
Bodies Floating Down
Stream, and the Water
Now Rising Into Noun
tainS.

sPARTANBURG, s. c., June 6.--A
cloudburst between midnight and 5
o'clock this morning washed away the
three Pacolet mills on Pacolet River,
worth s1,200.o00; Clifton Mill No. 8,
worth 100000. also on Pacolet River,
and several grist mills, cotton gins, and
smaller industries.
One hundred people were killed at
Clifton and several along the river be-
tween there and Pacolet. The steel rail-
roso bridge across Lawson's Fork, one
mile east of this city. was washed away,
aud no trains can pass for several days.
All railroads leading to this city, ex-
cept the line to Columbia, are closed by
washouts. and nearly all the wires are
down.
Every Bridge Down
Every bridge on the Pacolet or Law
sons Fork, its tributary, is down The
electric railway and power plant was
under water from 3 a. M till nearly
noon. and there was no light or cars.
The loss OF the Pacolet mills nearly
ruins that corporation, which also owns
the new Holland mills at Gainesville.
Five thousand people are thrown out OF
employment.
Scores of bodies have been seen float
ing down the Pacolet, Big Tiger, and
North Tiger Rivers Every bridge be-
tween Charlotte and Greenville, 5. c.,
has been washed away
Like Johnstown Flood.
With the exception that not SO many
lives were lost. this mornings disas-
ter Is not unlike the great Johnstown
flood of 1883. The Pacolet River rose
sixty feet above high water mark in al
most as many minutes Dam after dam.
from which power was obtained for the
cotton mills, broke. and the great deluge
Of water poured into the valley of the
Piedmont Ridge which sweeps around
from Charlotte, Spartanburg, s. c.. and
Creenville. to Toccoa. Ga.
The water is now rising into the
mountain. For the last forty-eiebt
hours the rain has been falling In a
steady downpour- The Pacolet River
rises in the Saluda Mountains, back of
the Piedmont Ridge, in Polk county
North Carolina. and flows through Spar
tanhurg county. The latter county is
low and fat. That the Pacolet River
rose sixty feet tells the story.
A Raging Torrent.
Already bursting all bounds, the Pa
eolet, fed by swollen tributaries. be-
came raging torrent. Saw mills and
homes along its banks were quickly
swept away. Down through little vii
lages. in what might have been named
peaceful Valley" the torrent of water
poured. enguifng everything in the path.
Huge cotton mills, costing fortunes to
build, were dashed to pieces.
Clifton Mill No. was the first big
mill TO go. and with its destruction
forty operatives of the night force lost
their lives Then the Pacolet Mills Nos.
and were wrecked. Clifton Mills
Nos. and 2 followed In each mill there
was more or less loss of life. AS each
mill went. bales OF cotton and cloth
were swept off into the swirling waters.
Trestles and bridges went like straws.
The great mass of debris carried along
by the rushing water acted like a bat
tering ram on everything with which It
came IN contact.
Made Clean Sweep.
The Lockhart Mills. further down the
valley, which had withstood the torrent
OF waters, were reported late this even
ing as having been swept away Thus
far people living In the hills alongside
the valley of the Pacolet River are safe,
though the river made clean sweep Of
the valley. and there is no telling what
the end will be. Details OF the awful
disaster may not be known for days.
The tracks OF the Southern Railway
and its connecting lines have been
washed away and X VIII be days before
trains can be run or telegraph wires
strung on the stricken district. The
Continued on Sixth Page.)