The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-14
LAKE TOXAWAY DAM BREAKS STARTING
 RUSHING FLOODS
Messages of Warning Are Wired to South Carolina Towns in the KeOwee
 Valley Pathway

Ashevi1Ie, N. C., August 13-The Lake Toxaway dam, weakened by the recent floods, broke tonight, sending great wall of water down the valley toward western South Carolina. No lives thus far have been reported lost and warnings sent out from several cities are believed to have enabled most persons in the path of the flood to reach safety.
 The lake, an artificial body of water. was created in 1902 by eastern capitalists It covers 550 acres to an average depth of 30 feet. The dam, an eighth of a mile long and 50 feet high, was com pletely destroyed. The town of Lake Toxaway suffered onIy minor damage, though the lake was completely drained.
 The released waters tonight were rush. ing through the Toxaway river valley, a comparatively uninhabited section, to- wards the Chuga river in South Carolina Anderson, Walhalla, Pickens and Seneca counties comprised the Territory imme- diately threatened and warnings were telephoned to all places that could be reached It was estimated that the flood would reach Seneca by midnight.
 Persons familiar with the territory to- night expressed the belief that the wa ters would spread out over the uninhabit- ed country immediately south of Lake Toxaway and thus minimize the possi- bility of extensive damage.
 Greenville. s. C., August 13-A tee- phone message from Brevard, N. C.. to- night requested that the thckly settled keowee river valley be notified of the approaching flood from Lake Toxaway. It was estimated that the waters would reach Seneca, s. C., 40 miles southwest of Toxaway about midnight. Warnings have been sent from this city
 WILL FLOW INTO SAVANNAH
 The waters ultimately will flow into the Savannah river through its various tribu- taries in western South Carolina
 The lake was created insconnection with summer resort and had shore line of 15 miles. The dam was constructed at a cost of about s5O0o0.
 message from the railroad telegraph operator at Toxaway, describing the breaking of the dam, said section of the structure about the size of a boxcar gave way without warning shortly after ' o'clock and that the entire structure quickly collapsed under the weight of the thousands of tons of water. One version of the cause of the breaking was that a small spring had seeped away the foundation at heavily pressed point
 Toxaway is the third and largest of the lakes in the western North Carolina heavy rains caused serious floods in that section.
 Several years ago cotton mill owners whose plants were in the path of the waters should they escape, employed ex- pert engineers to investigate the safety of the dam. Following the engineers report, the structure, which is built of earth and stone was strengthened
 Four weeks ago, during the flood pe- riod. fears for the dams safety were repeatedly expressed and there were sev- eral reports that it had collapsed.
 SENECA RIVER YET NORMAL
 At midnight the Seneca river, South Carolina through which the waters of Lake Toxaway will flow into the Savan- nah river were normal near the town af Seneca. about 40 miles southwest of Tox- away. It was feared serious damage (Continued Q. Fags Eightl