The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-09-03
GREAT DAMAGE OF FLOOD
SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA
SUFFERS HEAVY LOSS.
Railroad and Other Bridges Washed
Away-Loss Will Run Into
Millions of Dollars.

One of the most disastrous fresh
cts of recent years has done much
damage in several sections of this
State during the past few days and
has been the cause of the loss of
millions of dollars worth of proper
ty, not only in South Carolina but
also in Georgia. The heavy rains,
which really began on Tuesday of
last week, reached such proportions
that the streams of the up-country
were in a very short time changed
from their normal depths to depths
far beyond the high water marks of
recent years and were rushing sea-
ward at such a rate that it seemed
az though nothing could resist the
terrible onslaught of the torrents.
In Columbia.
Early Tuesday the weather bureau
in Columbia issued a warning for a
% foot stage of the Congaree river
and at midnight Tuesday the river
had heached the height of 2S.S feet
and was rising at the rate of l II
inches per hour. This depth In
creased steadily until the maximum
depth of SO feet was reached. The
power house of the Columbia duck
mill, which is situated on the canal
that was dug by the State and the
city of Columbia, was soon put out
of commission and the machinery
completely submerged. This, of
course, resulted in the mill being
closed down. The power house OF
the Columbia Water Power Com
pany, which is located on this same
canal, was also forced to close down
early Wednesday morning, having
been flooded. The street railway
was forced to resort to the steam
power plant and was also connected
with the dynamos ofthe Olympia cot
ton mill, and was thus enabled to
continue it's service. The loss to the
water power company is said to be
about $4,000 provided there is no
further damage to their building or
machinery.
Almost every branch of railroad
entering Columbia has suffered Sc
we're loss on account of the destruc-
tion of bridges. The Seaboard train,
en- route for Washington, had very
narrow escape from complete de-
struetion Wednesday morning while
trying to cross the trestle over the
Congaree river at Cayce. The en-
CINE, mail and express cars had al
ready gotten upon the trestle, and
the engine had just entered upon the
wooden part of the structure when
the trestle sagged, the foundation of
one of the benches having been un-
dermined during the night, which
caused the rails to spread and de-
rail the engine. The two cars ca
reened dangerously to one side, but
the train having been slowed down
to a very low rate of speed, serious
damage was prevented. Engines
were sent to Cayce over the trestle
of the Southern railway, this trestle
having thus far sustained no dam
age, and after a delay of about two
and one-half hours the engine and
cars were rescued from their peri
lous predicament and the train was
enabled to continue On It's way.
Many farms in the low lands below
Columbia were almost completely
devastated and it is hard at this
time to estimate the loss from this
source.
At Camden.
Tuesday afternoon, at four-thirty
O'Clock, a 100 foot span of the toll
bridge which crosses the Wateree
river near Camden went down and
with it twenty-five persons, among
whom was Mr.. Henry Savage, the