Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-19
cRowpER,s CREEK FLOOD.

Speaking Of the flood on Crowder's
creek last Friday, Mr.. r. B. Riddle OF
Zeno, who was in Yorkville yesterday
said that 1t breaks all records within
his recollection, and If the like has ever
been seen before, no information has
come down to him through family ira
ditions Of more than a hundred years
The flood was peculiar in more than
one respect, said Mr.. Riddle, and es-
pecially in the rapidity Of its rise and
the equal rapidity Of its decline. The
rise was at the rate Of about eighteen
inches an hour, and the fall wes al
something like the same rate.
The creek was already swollen some
what from previous rains, and 1t was
very full Friday morning; but the
food continued to swell until 3 o'clock
In the afternoon. 1t stood still for an
hour or two and then began to fall as
rapidly as 1t had risen.
The mill dam at Riddles Is about
ten or twelve feet high. The water
poured over in an ever increasing tor
rent, but the fall grew steadily less un-
til It was reduced to a gentle undula-
tion, which later disappeared and the
great food moved on across and over
the obstruction as II there was moth
ing in the way. The water was from
hill to hill, six or seven feet high In
the mill building on one side and about
the same height over the gin floors on
the other side.
1t was not until we'll up in the day
that Mr.. Riddle and his boys began to
fear for the property in the gin house
and mill and the lumber about the saw
mill; but when they did get busy, they
went at it like killing snakes. Lum-
ber, cotton and other things were NOV
ed up the hill, and some Of the cotton
was moved a third time before 1t was
finally out Of danger. Lumber to the
amount Of six or seven thousand feet
went down the creek
The bridge, about a hundred yards
above the mill and gin, stood until
along about the middle OF the day and
then floated off its pillars down the
creek and lodged in the bottoms. 1t
was badly wrecked; but not a total
loss, as many of the timbers can be
used in the building Of another struct-
ure to take its place.
The new steel bridge at Davis's mill.
a mile below Riddles, stood the pres
sure conderably longer than the Rid
die bridge; but 1t also finally sue
cumbed to the vast quantity OF drift
wood, that included logs, big pine trees,
the roof of Riddles bridge and other
debris 1t was pushed off its piers and
left on the creek bank few hundred
yards below, broken and twisted. This
bridge was completed only few
months back at cost Of more than
$4,000, and while not total loss. 1t
will have to go back to the works to be
worked over and Strengthened out.
Asked as to the amount Of his dam
age, Mr.. Riddle stated that he had no
way of figuring 1t out in detail; but
with what he could recover from the
bottoms he thought that $500 would
put him back where he was. But,
really, 1 can't say that l am worried
at all. The last big freshet had filled
the mill pond up above the bridge until
It was only four or five feet In places
where it used to be twelve to fifteen.
This freshet cleaned out the whole
pond down to the clay and rocks and
left 1t in better shape than 1 have ever
known. It did the same thing for Da-
vis's mill. I know I would not take
$500 for what the flood did for me, and
l think Mr.. Davis must be about as
we'll pleased as I am"