Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-08-16
TOXAWAY DAM BROKE SUNDAY
Great Wall of Water Rushed
Through Upper Carolina Streams.

WHell lne announcement that the
dam at Lake Toxaway, in the Sap
phire section Of North Carolina, had
given way, and that the great dam
was rapidly emptying it's pent-up
waters into the streams that would
carry them in flood proportions
through the eastern section of Oco-
nee. The Toxaway dam broke Sun
day evening about o'clock.
The first news came to Walhalla
early in the evening, and Immediate
ly Mayor Brown started for the Jo-
cassee section Of Oconee in order to
warn the people Of that section and
to look after his interests there.
where has has Il large hotel, which
at this season is we'll filed with
guests from other parts Of the State.
| Other parties were made up hur-
riedly, and auto after auto, carry
ing people to different sections to
warn residents along streams that
would be affected, left town at
speeds varied only by the possibili-
ties OF the cars. Mr.. Brown, how
ever got to Jocassee after the
! waters had reached there, and for
some hours was unable to reach his
property.
All along the line OF the known
course of the flood the residents re-
ceived notice of the coming of the
waters, and all were advised of the
possible dangers in time to save
themselves and in large part their
stock. However, in the Jocassee sec
ton, the people did not receive the
warning in time and there were
number of narrow escapes.
The main force of the hood reach
ed the iron bridge over Keowee river
| at about a. m. Monday, and about
O'Clock Monday morning the Blue
Ridge Railroad bridge over Seneca
river, near Cherry's. showed water
line about IA feet above normal.
EARLY In the evening Sunday instruc-
tions were received here to send the
freight engine down the road to
gather up loaded coal cars, and sim
liar Instructions were carried out at
Anderson, and these loaded coal cars
were rushed to the high trestle. thus
Weighing it down to save it If pos
sible. Fortunately the food came
with less force and volume than an
ticipated, and the trestle was left
undamaged.
The steel bridge over Keowee at
the old Chapman Ford was swept
away completely, there being moth
road up the river from this bridge
was also swept away, and it IS said
it can never be repaired. This
bridge was a county-line bridge and
was owned jointly by Pickens and
Oconee and was built only few
years ago by special act Of the gene
raj assembly. The steel bridge at
Old Pickens stood the test with lit
tie or no damage, though the flood
at this point ragged furiously. The
Cherry Bridge, Rarenel's and Law
| renee bridges also stood tho torrent.
Great trees from 80 to 100 feet in
height came down in the raging tor
rent, their trunks being almost to-
tally stripped of bark. They would
be wedged so tightly together in the
stream as to temporarily cause the
water to stop in it's mad rush. when
all at once there would be a break
| in the rift Of trees and logs, and the
| renewed force Of the water rushing
| into Tie break. would send the
giants OF the forest high into the air,
only to fall back into the food and
continue on their way down, tear
ing and smashing as they went. In
many Instances large trees were
swiped from the banks and dragged
u.
Parts of houses, stables, used planks,
cord wood, ETC., and some small ami
mails, we're noticed in the flooded
streams. The stencil from the wa
ters OF the lake was terrible, and
was almost unbearable. p. S. Shook,
| Of Walhalla, who was at Lake Tox-
away at the time the dam broke, said
1t was terrible to remain near the
| lake bed, as the stencil could hardly
be endured.
At Jocassee the Whitewater Inn
was submerged to a depth Of fou
| feet or more over the first floor, leav-
ing in the hotel large banks of mud,
and from the floor there was picked
up about a half bushel Of fish after
the waters had receded. Jocassee Is
not located on the Toxaway river,
but Is on the Whitewater river, sit
uated short distance from the
point at which Whitewater empties
into the Toxaway river. AS the flood
came down the Toxaway it walled
back the Whitewater backing up that
stream and causing considerable
damage along that course. There
was such a sudden rise in the water
that a number Of the gusts who were
In the upper rooms were forced to
wade out In water waist deep They
spent the night on the mountain ad-
jacent to the hotel.
The home Of John Grow, several
miles below the Brown place, was
also submerged to a depth OF two
or three feet. Here the roof of the
stable had to be torn off in order
for Mr.. Crows horse to float or swim
out. The animal was found late
Monday afternoon.