The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-01
MILES or WATER
HAMLET OF KINGsyILLE ENTIRE
AY SUBMERGED.

Ay SUBMERGED.
The Southern Railway Bridge Over
the congaree Safe But the Trestle
i. Is Gone. !,
s, Every home abandoned-water
surrounding the village on every side
no avenue of communication-shut
aoff from the world-was the fate of
Kingville, the Southern railway juno
i ticn station 25 miles north Of Orange
burg on the Charleston division OF the
Southern. The destructive waters OF
the Congaree have combined across
miles of: low lands with the Wateree
and the railroad and the trestle work
leading up to. the bridges over both
rivers. have, been washed away. The
last train passed over the Congaree
bridge Thursday night. 8 ..ls
The State says ON Friday after
moon Mr.. w. w. Barber, general
ward master5of the Columbia division
.of the Southern Railway went down
ON the road to inspect the conditions
Those who tob pix the trip bring back
a. story of flooded lands and losses
from the high waters that rival any
thing that has! been told of.the hooa
that has swept South Caroilna Tor
the mast week. The train, which con-
sisted of a single coach and the en-
.sine and TENDER: was able Ito get
within !, half mile of,kingyille at the
.point where the track curves on ap-
.procahing Kipgville station, and
:Kingville. is mile from the river
bridge. At the ,trestle that heads the
approach, to- Kingville around the
bend the first real view of the situa-
tion was obtained. ~
AS far as the eye could reach was
;one. expanse of water and from the
point just beyond the trestie on the
other side of the depot the railroad
tracks were covered with water. At
the small trestIe on the Columbia
side of the station, the water was up
more than:15 feet and was then ris-
ing. That the water had risen, ten
feet since. the night~-before was the
startling information furnished by
one who, HAD lived in the swamps
around Kingyille all his days. The
MateEee had backed up and the wat
ers of this river were thus combined
with the water that came down from
Columbia through the Congaree from
the SaIuda and Broad rivers and
their tributaries.
The water was >np on an average
of seven feet around the station at
Kingville this extended at about
the same average depth in every
direction. In the lower places, OF
course, the water was much higher
and indeed to the eye the whole sec
tion appeared to be one vast red
lake. The station at Kingvllle was
half covered with water and not at
any point as far as the eye could
reach was the tracks of the Southern
visible. Residents had abandoned
their homes since Friday morning,
and it was stated by those who went
out in boats along the line of the
Southern that in Wateree the same
condition existed. Small outhouses
had been seen floating down the river
and it was feared that some Of the
residences of the section might give
way under the strain of teh rushing,
waters. {,
The loss of cattle and crops in this
section will be astounding. Mr.. Ed
Trumble had 60 acres OF corn under
water. One of the heaviest losers is
Mr.. Ross S. McKensie, prominent
farmer and cattle owner of the East
over section. He is said to have lost
60 COWS aud 10 horses and mules on
account of the sudden rise of the
waters Thursday night. Near King
Vile Mr.. w. #. Seay's house was
flooded, the water rising to the cell
ing. Mr. Seayi will lose heavily on
his furniture and home, one of the
heaviest losses in the house Itself be-
ing a new piano that was ruined by
water. The house was abandoned
Friday morning by Mr.. Seay and Fri
day afternoon one who had roYsd by
the home stated that the water was
up to the ceiling in the house. and
the piano was floating.
A number Of plantations in the
neighborhood were under water and
there is no telling the amount of
money that will be lost on the crops
around Waeereet and Kingville. Mr..
Joseph Draft lisa heavy loser. as his
place is now flooded Mr.. Joseph
Bates place is covered with water
and in the house the water had risen
two feet above the floor. Friends of
Mr.. Bates at Gadsden were sent word
Friday afternoon that the house
would have to be abandoned and to-
wards dark MT. Bates and his family
were away to higher land in boat.
That Mr.. Rates' place, which is con-
sidered to be on high land, is covered
shows the high water mark. The
Hammer place is also under water
and this means that the water conf
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