The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-06-24

entirely demolished The Palace hotel
was the first building to stem the tide
and all the guests were saved. but the
houses below that structure were
blown out into the street, overturned
and wrecked. The residence of G.. a.
Rhea was carried away and the entire
family, consisting of wife and three
daughters, and Miss Adkins, u cousin,
were lost.
&c. T.. Redield, whose residence was
completely destroyed, was absent but
his wife and baby were drowned.
"A. g. Geiger's house was carried
away and Mr.. Geiger was drowned. His
family is in the east.
George ConSer'S house was reached
next but the family succeeded in saving
their lives by rushing to the upper sto-
ricS, the house being carried down the
creek thrce-quarterS Of mile. Res
cuerS found that the house had been
but in two and Mr.. ConSer was stand
ing i'm water up to his neck, holding
his wife upon the roof and Keeping
her from slipping from lis OutStretch-
cd arms. DIR. McSwat and j. Ayers,
who were living in the same residence
were drowned.
Oscar Miners house was next de-
mol'Shed and Mrs. Miner drowned. The
rest Of the family succeeded in saving
their lives by cnging to the roof All
of the Wells family but two were lost
and the house was carried away With
the Wells residence went the house of
George SwaggCrt. Mr.. Swaggcrt'S
two married daughters were drowned
with their five children The Mallory
house was carried $50 yards and was
found lodged against Il store and Mr..
Mallory, a crippled old man, was found
safe, holding Il baby. James Matlocks
was next. Mrs. Matlock was drown
ed but his family was saved. Dr.
Iligg's house also went.
The house Of Mr. Boyd and Mr..
Walton We're also destroyed and both
families lost.
Mr.. Barton succeeded in saving all
persons in his residence, although they
were badly bruised The house itself
was washed away.
Perhaps the greatest loss of life
occurred at the Ilcppncr hotel
This house, which was run under
the management Jones \ AShbaugh,
was carried away. 1T is supposed
that there were about 30 guests i'm
this hotel, all of whom are reported to
bc lost The proprietors themselves
we're saved, but their families are
among the dead.
The house of benjamin Patterson.
Mr.. Dunn and MIR. Noble were entirely
demolished and all persons in these
three families drowned, as were the
families Of James Jones and Henry
Birk. The barn of DR. Swinburn and
the big livery stable OF White X
Meadows were entirely DESTROYED T..
J. FarnSworth and Phillip Cohn were
also drowned. The entire residence
portion of IIeppucr was destroyed but
the business houses, being on higher
ground and being generally built of
brick and stone, were not SO badly
damaged. The school house and court
house, which stand on Il side hill. were
saved, but two churches, the Mctho-
dist and Presbyterian were completely
wrecked.
Around the depot the rising water
left great heaps OF driitwOOd piled
higher than the roof OF the station and
the reScuing parties were forced to
demoliSh these pyramids OF timber in
order to eXtricate the cOrpseS which
were tangled in the brush. Undoubted-
ly many of The drowned bodies were
carried by the running waters down
the valley.
Gangs of men are at work clearing
away the piles of debris, rocks and
timberS which lie piled in heaps in the
streets and taking out the corpseS
which are thus concealed"