The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-10

most disastrous in the course of the
food. The handsome new mill erect
ed by Can't. D. E. Converse IN 1895
and completed in 1899 by President
A. H. TWitchelI, is complete wreck,
washed away. This cotton mill was the
largest in Spartanburg County, hav-
no . capital stock of 81, 100000. This
mill the first one on Pacolet River,
and the site is lower. than the sur
ronading country. On each side are
hign cliffs, and the water rose to the
anazing height of sixty feet. The
mill stood about two hundred yards
above the iron trestle of the Southern
Railway, now it is mangled mass OF
distorted brick, iron and tlmbers.
For hours the mill withstood the on
slaught Of the waters, but gradually
gave way, piece by piece, large pieces
of timber being thrown up into the air
for some time threatening the destruc-
tion Of the trestle at Converse Station.
Above the mill site is the remnant Of
the dam, which furnished power for
all three of tee Clifton mills. On one
side of the dam there is piled up in a
confused mass the remains OF the pow
er house, huge turbine wheels, water
pits and masses Of iron. Below this
are the remains of Mill No. 3. All
that can be seen here is part of the
first floor, the other four stories hav-
ing been completely washed away.
The 1,72S looms, which were run In
this mill, can be seen just above the
level of the water. The looms are a
complete wreck. Mingled with these
broken machines can be seen masses
of cotton goods which were in course
of manufacture when the great crash
came.
Below the mill there was a broad
road which led up to the enigne room.
This is now banked up with the re-
mains of mill where millions of
Yards of goods are tangled in an mex
tricable mass. On the opposite Of the
river can be seen a bare hill side. On
this spot there we're fifteen cottages,
occupied by mill operatives. Now,
there is only one wrecked house to be
seen. These houses are reported to
have been swept away bodily and dash
ed to pieces as they reached the cen
trail force of the current. This first
great rise OF the river was about $50
a. m. Many of the operatives were
getting up to go to work, and these
were saved from a horrible death
by fleeing to the nearby hills, but
many women and children were wash
ed away and drowned before.any alarm
could be given. Those who were
aroused hung On to any piece of timber
they could seize, and in this way many
were saved. a young man, Mr.. SGrlb-
ling, who works in the mill store
here, was awakened by water rushing
in on his floor. He attempted to es-
cape to the nearby country, but was
unable, on account of the depth OF the
water. He quickly rushed to the top
of the house and cut hole in the
room large enough for him to get his
body through. He bravely stuck to
his place of holding and did not leave
until he saw there was no chance OF
the water subsiding. Then he divest-
ed himself of what clothes he had on,
and began to swim to the nearest
bank, which was two hundred yards
away. He was tumbled and tossed by
the raging water, but swan on until
he reached tall oak tree, and, almost
fainting, clung on and climbed to
safety. This brave man, although
half-dead with exhaustion, caught an
aged man and woman whom he saw
coming down the stream. There the
three unfortunates were compelled to
remain until 4 o'clock in the after
noon.
It is impossible to give complete
list of the. dead at this time. Super
intendent Sheay gave out tonight only
a partial list, which is as follows:
PARTIAL LIST OF THE DEAD.
August Calvert, wife and two chill
dren; Mr.. B. S. johnson and four
children, Lucy and Felix Calvert, Joe
Hall and seven children, Mrs. B. ".
Finley, Miss Maggie Kirby, John
Owens, Ray Owen, four Owens chill
dren, Gilliland Long, Felicia COSTA,
Mr.. and Mrs. Swangum.
Lower down the river, at Mill No.
I, the waters tore off the northern END
of the mill. On this side of the mill
the boiler room and new enigne were
situated, and there is nothing left.
Most of the operatives homes for this
mill are situated on a high embank-
ment along the river side and they
were not damaged to any great extent.
Mill No. 2 was also attacked by the
food. One-third of this property has
been completely washed away. Near
this mill were situated the cotton
warehouses for all three of the mills.
There were 1,794 bales of cotton in
these four warehouses, and they were
washed from their foundations intact,
the weight Of the cotton holding the
houses together.
HOW THE COTTON WAS SAVED.
Five hundred bales of this cotton
has been picked up by gangs sent out
by the company. This cotton was
washed up on the river banks. One
lot of 250 bales was found on the
plantation Of Mr.. D. H. Sloan. The
warehouses for the manufactured
goods were fortunately situated high
up on the banks of the river, and the
thousands of bales of cotton goods