The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-02
REIGN OF HORROR.
Judge W. D. Jones Writes a Graphic
Account of his Narrowing Exper-
fence in the Flood at Dayton.

OF the mouth of He'll!
In the last few days many people
here have faced, and some have met
death in a cruel form. In neigh
boring city the writer was at the same
time in a company whose actual ply
steal suffering was all, I should be
ashamed to mention it. But to have
stood helpless for two whole days in
the menace of a dreadful death in not
less than four different forms, is a
story perhaps worth telling.
It nears 8 o'clock in the morning on
the busy streets of Dayton, and the
movement of the people is increasing.
They are going their ways, gayly or
quietly. There is no thought of dan
ger, all is serene and secure.
Ten minutes! A fragment of time.
Ten minutes later and the careless
stream of people has changed to a
white faces frightened, bewildered,
throng frantically seeking refuge
from an awful fate that has stolen on
them unaware.
I reached Dayton Monday night on
my way home, to find traffic suspend
ed on the cars +'till morning it was
said. Remaining at the Beckel Hotel
over night I went over to the D. & T.
Office about 7.3O, I waited little
while. Nothing doing yet" said some
one pleasantly. I thought would
90 back to the hotel lobby 1t must
have been nearly o'clock.
As I stepped on the sidewalk rush
of water came down the center of
Jefferson street. At the first sight it
looked as though a fire hydrant might
have been opened.
For the moment I was more curious
than alarmed. I walked on to the
hotel, and the water covered the street
and began to lap over the curb on
to the sidewalk / went in, and told
the clerk I would retain my room a
while longer. The elevator was not
running and I hurried up the stairs
intending to leave my satchel and coat
in the room, and return TO see the
strange sight. I began to think there
might be some serious inconvenience
coming.
I entered the room, dropped my coat
and bag, and looked out of the win
dow 1t had been as in Jean Ingelow's
poem.
1.-The heart had hardly time to beat
Before a shallow, seeting wave,
Sobbed on the ground, beneath our
feet,
The feet had hardly time to fee,
Before it broke against the knee
And all the world was in the sea-"
A seething, foaming torrent was
rolling down Jefferson street.
Before the mind could grasp what
had happened, a horrible crash sound
ed apparently beneath me the floor
vibrated beneath my feet, and plaster.
ing commenced to drop from the cell
ing. Women's screams sounded from
the next room. I sprang to my door
1t would not open But heard mems
voices outside and I shouted to them
TO throw their weight upon the door,
and they did so promptly and by do
ing so saved me the horror of being
entrapped on the fourth floor of
sinking building. The occupants of
several adjoining rooms were re-
leased in the same. manner. Walls
were cracking and trembling, and
plastering falling. Some one shouted,
Fire" but was sternly silenced. We
fed down the stairs, joined on every
floor by ashen faced men and women.
1t was the only time there vas SEM
blance of a paa:c, all9 that was 5ver
in a moment. I :hink III nlust have
realized as I did that something aw-
ful but unexplained lad hapoene1, and
our lives might deo,:'d on keeping
cool and quiet.
When we reached the second floor,
the office that had just quit-el was
filling with mass of muddy blsc9;
water that roared as it poured i'll ard
rapidly mounted the stairs. Il was
evident that the only exit from tho
house was through the second story
windows.
] Something awful had happened and
something worse might follow it as
suddenly. And ten minutes before We