The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-06-10
WRECK SEVERAL COTTON MILLS.

The TIoss OF Property NiI' Reach In
TO tile Millions ami Many Per-
sons PeriShed in Their
Homes
Before the waters OF Il mighty flood
Pacolet. S. c.. has been swept from
the map and the great cotton mills CT
that place and Clifton. S. c., are
beneath the surface of d cloudbu cst's
Onward rush, completely wiped out
by the storm. AS the Topeka disaster
was eclipsed by the Gainesville horror
so it ncw seems in turn that the loss
OF property if not OF life in the Georgia
city will be ecl!psed by the great wave
Of devastation which has swept
through and over the great milling
districts of Clifton and Pacolet with
such destructive violence.
The dark shadow OF the storm set
tied over Spartanburg Friday night,
hanging above the city like some grim
spectre Of death. With increasing
vehemence the elements prepared Tor
their invasion OF tue doomed district
until the storm reached the propor
inn. rf n1n,1Sr,.ct ysr1,c tha
downpour from the black dept! $ Of
heaven swept away the dams which
in tarn settled into one vast. Swirlng
stream Which roared throughout the
valley where the mills are situated
and the rushing waters roared IN
triumph above houses and homes
where only the day before the spindle
and the loom were at work and a
thousand laborers we're happy.
1t is estimated that the property
loss will reach s2,000,OO0 AT Pac-
let the following damage has been re-
ported:
Mill No. has been washed COM
pletely away.
Mill No. , totally destroyed.
Mill No. is partially destroyed.
The dams Of the three mills are
swept away and the waters rush un-
checked through the wide gap thus
opened The warehouse Of Mill No.
with it total stock OF goods and cot
ton was swept away, while the hotel,
the leading churches and almost every
building in the doomed little city has
been swept away or totally destroyed.
Mill No. l at Clifton has gone down
before the rush Of waters and Mill
No. 2 is moving before the food with
only q question Of time before it will
follow the fate Of the others.
Pacolet and Clifton are situated in
the cietles of two valleys. between
lofty ranges Of hills towering on either
side. Most Of the homes OF the work
men are located in the valley with the
mills in which they are laborers. but
few struggling dwellings skirt the
hillside above the homes below. Only
the homes on the hillside we're saved,
as the valley was 60 feet beneath a
mighty flood 1t was just at dusk
that the first approach of the storm
was noted Friday night. All through
the day the drip and driZZle OF a dreary
rain had fallen but as the afternoon
wore on the sky grew darker and
nightfall fell fast.
Just at the hour when the sun
should have been setting behind the
western hills tue storm broke over the
doomed valley in all it's fury. For
cycr4 hours the terrific dOwnpour con-
tinued il. all the fury OF giant cloud
burst AMI the angay waters soon
looScned the fastening of the dam
above the mills and homes Cf the ter
r0r stricken families who, peering
with white faces and terror-s5ricken
loOks ouc into the blacky piJchneSs OF
the uigiIt, knew little of the doc m
that hung over them.
Jus; above the valley three dams
are located, equal distance apart. one
above the other. Slowly but surely
the first dam gave way before the
surge Of waters which took on renewed
force a, the storm continued. The
works of man soon gave way before
the dread onslaught Of heaven and
with the total destruction OF the first
dam the two remaining fell in swift
succession With the last dam down
there was nothing between the be-
leagured little valley with its people,
homes and factories but the rubbish |
in the pathway and the slight barrier
of trees and fences.
The flood of angry waters hit the
villages of Pacolet and Clifton with
terrific force. Homes were swept
awav by the onward ebb of the rush
ing current like straws upon the
bosom of a stream. There was no
drift to the water but mighty rush
that carried all before it. Factories
and churches, houses. homes, public
buildings, all suffered the same fate.
A greater number of the homes were
located on the hillside and these,
located as they we're above the path
of the storm. were saved from destruc-
ton. Following tie storm a heavy
gale arose which swept along in the
patti OF the cloudburst adding terror
to the fearful havoc already wrought.
The scene Of devastation is almost
com olete.
The latest news indicates that the
loss of life and the damage to proper
ty will be appalling. The detailed
loss is not obtainable as yet, but the
mos5 conservative estimates put loss
of lie in the neighborhood Of one~hun-
dred and damage IT, property at
something over two million dollars.
At Clifton the drowned are said to be
in the neighborhood of fifty.
1t seems the river rose with a
start1irr cDG5enneSS and DESTROYED |