The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-19
Waters Receding, Leaving Ruin and Desolation in
 Their Wake
THE PEOPLE ARE BUSY SEARCHING FOR DEAD
Ten Men Are Still Missing and Hope for Safety Gone-Southern Rail- way Rushing Repair Men to Ter
 ritory as Fast as Possible

The death list from the floods in several southeastern states is growing rapidly as news comes in from isolated districts. Nineteen additional drown- fngs reported tonight brought the known deaths to 84 and dispatches that the town of Chimney Rock in Ruther- ford county has been literally washed away has led to the belief that the causualty list will be much greater. First word reaching the outside world l from the Hickory -Lenoir- Morganton re- zion of North Carolina brought the new $ that $2,o0o,0O0 damage had been done in that section by the overflow of the Ca- tawba river. Two lives were lost. | Eight additional deaths are reported Ifrom Bat Cave village in Henderson county, on the Rocky Broad river, North ICarolina; two from Volga, small town lin Buncombe county; four from Brevard . and three from the Hickorynut Gap sec .tion. In addition, unverified reports say three lives were lost below Marshall N. |C., in the overturning of boat. All rivers in the flood area are falling and normal conditions are being restored in many sections overrun by the waters from the eastern mountains Sunday. At
 east 10 persons are missing in the Bel Imcnt, N. C.. region. Property damage IS Estimated at $15,0O0,0o0, principally to rail- loads, crops and industrial plants.
 The South Carolina flood has reached It's limit of intensity, according to the Isweather officials who predict that while he rives@ -4--. be high in the lower sec Unprecedented stages which had been Feared.
 Marked improvement is shown in condi-
 ions in North Carolina The French Broad river in the Asheville region is Railing rapidly and manufacturing plants pave begun the work of clearing up de- 9ris as a pres-nninary to the resumption sf operations. Train service. however, $ still badly demoralized
 The Catawba river is receding almost
 $ fast as it rose two days ago, when Inc great wall of water rushed down from The watersheds, carrying bridges, fac Tories and homes before it. Railroad and Ptnef utlllty companies are using large lonstruction gangs repairing damage in he Catawba valley. Several weeks Will be required, II Is said, to restore Normal train service on some of the rail- |oads and hundreds of thousands of cot lon spindles may be idle For a month. No Reports have reached the outside world from Hickory or Lenoir, near the head katers of the Catawba, since Sunday
 All fears of serious floods in South rarolina have been dispelled by the rapid Fall of the Congaree and Broad rivers. Industrial and electric plants in the Threatened districts have resumed oper-
 tions. The greatest loss will be to crops
 nd live stock in the Congaree valley.
 The rivers of east Tennessee have Reached their crests and begun falling elowly. Some damage was done in South Knoxville, where the waters reached warehouses and homes on lower ground but the greatest loss will be to crops, Eeveral hundred thousand acres having been flooded in the valleys in the extreme Eastern part of the state.
 Conditions in West Virginia and Vir- tinia are expected to be normal within a Hay or two.