The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-17
Five People Die in Mountain Floods; Property Damage Reaches Ten Million Dollars
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-HA II. The town is cut off from Asheville by water a mile wide. It was here that the first deaths occurred. The Lipe home was swept off its foundation and Cap tain Lipe and his two daughters at tempted to escape in boat They were unable to make headway, however, and Nellie Lipe is reported to have taken refuge In tree. For sometime rescuers tried to get to her but the rapidly rising water finally won the fight Three wom- en residing in a house across the street from the Lipe home got into trees and were saved this afternoon
 HOUSES DRIFT AWAY Three men marooned on a two- story house that was being rushed along in the swirling waters frantically beckoned for aid, which could not be sent. When the house reached the Bilt- more road they leaped into the water and were saved by men in boats. Two minutes later the house was dashed to pieces against a concrete pier of the Biltmore> bridge. itself under water. The property losses of lumber and in- dustrial plants throughout the section will be heavy Woodworking plants along the French Broad were washed away and thousands of dollars worth of lumber were dashed against abut- ments of concrete and steeel bridges which span the French Broad river. The municipal gas and electric light plants are half under water and the city tonight is without gas and electric power. All plants depending upon elec- tric motive power, including the news paper offices of the Asheville Citizen and the Asheville Times. are out of com mission and the city streets will be in darkness tonight Tomorrow mornings four-page issue of the Citizen is being made up in local job plant.
 In and around the village of Biltmore property loss, including woodworking plants and lumber yards, was placed at S300,O00. The damage to the large Wander bilt estate could not be learned tonight because of it's being cut off from here by floods, but persons here familiar with that section thought the Biltmore nurseries must have suffered heavy dam age.
 Late reports said the dam at Lake Tox- away was still holding and that no har had come to some 200 college and high school hQys attending a summer school and encampment near Brevard, N c.
 $1,0OO,OO0 IN HENDERSON From Hendersonville came a report l that placed the property loss in Hender- son county at approximately s1,000. .000. The plant of the Hendersonville Light
 
 mission and the city reservoir flooded by muddy torrents that made the city drink ing water unfit for consumption. Many persons were driven from their homes in that section and a number of bridges carried away Only the big railway bridge south of Hendersonville remains intact, it was said, and no trains have entered or left Hendersonville in the past 24 hours.
 The Southern railway was the heaviest sufferer of any corporatio in this sec tion. The tunnels at Old Fort are blocked with mass of wreckage carried down by the flood and slides from Saluda mountain which still are coming down. Railway officials here could give no def mite information tonight as to when traffic in and out of the city will be re- sumed. If flood conditions improve it is thought that trains will be in operation by Tuesday or Wednesday,. Bridges and culverts are reported to have been washed out in several places, though confirmation is lacng.
 MANY PLANTS SUFFER Industrial plants around here suffered severely, property loss in cotton mills, woodworking plants and lumber yards along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers was estimated late tonight at from