Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-07-19
FRENCH BROAD WAS RAGING.
rive Lives Known lx,sU--NIiIIiOns OF
Property Damage.

a toll of five human lives, with .
property loss estimated from So
100000 to $10,000,O00, and with
hundreds OF people rendered home
less by the destruction OF moro than
100 houses. tho worst flood In tho
history Of tho State swept tho river
section OF Asheville and the French
Broad Valley early this morning, and
at O'Clock tonight the waters OF
the Swanannoa and French Broad
rivers wore | feet above their banks.
although believed to bc recedng. Re-
ports from towns In the French
Broad valley. covering u territory
Hot Springs, near the Tennessee line,
put the property losses at nearly $1O,-
900, 1000.
Known Dead.
The dead, so far as known, are
Capt. j. c. Lipe, Nellie Lipe, an un-
married daughter; Mrs. Leo Mulpo-
land, married daughter, all OF
whom were drowned in the French
Broad at Biltmore while efforts were
being made to rescu3 them from their
hooded homo near tho river bank
Two others, Lonnie Trexler, a white
laborer, and Luther INrazer, a negro,
were drowned this evening while at
tempting to carry food to marooned
guests at the Glenn Rock Hotel. At
noon to-day the water had reached
the second floor Of the hotel. driving
al guests to tho third and fourth
loors. The Southern passenger rail-
way station, opposite the Glenn Rock
Hotel. had eight feet OF water in It.
All train service In and out OF the
city has been suspended.
Cause Of the Floods.
An estimated rainfall Of from six
to eight inches throughout the
French Broad valley during tho last
week was the primary cause of the
floods, which reached their highest
point shortly after daylight this
morning. These conditions we're fur
ther aggravated when the dams hold
Ing back the waters OF Lake Osceola
at Eendersonville and Kanuga Lake,
at Kanuga, were carried away, the
tides thus liberated sweeping down
through the French Broad Valley.
through Henderson county, past
Ashcville, and into the adjoining
county Of Madison. Communication
with the latter section by either tele-
phone Or telegraph has not yet been
established, but 1t IL feared that the
Sitst'S ho"h vi MuISIuIl mas D0Dn
wiped off the map.
Homeless Children.
Hundreds Of children from the cot
ton mill section Of the city, whose
homes were swept away early this
morning, crowded the City Hall this
afternoon. Hastily formed relief
committees are making every ar
rangcment for the sheltering and
feeding Of the city's homeless.
Biltmore Under Water.
The town Of Biltmore, laid out 25
years ago by the late George Wander
bilt, Is almost entirely under water,
ranging in depth from three to five
feet, and Is completely cut off from
the city Of Asheville by raging tor
rent Of water, the Swanannoa, which
| at some points is now mile wide.
1t was here the first loss Of life SO
| far reported was recorded, when
Capt. Lipe and two daughters were
| drowned In an effort to escape by
boat from their home, which was
| swept from it's foundations by the
| rapidly rising waters. Three wo-
| men, who reached the tree tops from
the second floor Of their house across
| the road from the Lipe home, we're
rescued this afternoon by boatmen.
Appalling Property Loss.
The property loss Of lumber and
industrial plants throughout the Sec
| tion will reach an appalling total.
Woodworking plants along the
French Broad were washed away,
thousands of dollars worth OF lum-
ber being dashed against the abut-
| ments OF concrete and steel bridges
which span the French Broad at this
point
EARLY this morning two-story
house was swept dGwn the river
with two men on its roof frantically
waving to OnloOkers and calling for
help. AS they passed the Biltmore
road the men lcaped from the house
! and were picked up by boats. Two
minutes later the house was smashed
to pieces against the concrete piers
OF Biltmore bridge, itself entirely un-
der water.
Southern Heaviest Loser.
The Southern Railway is the heav-
lest sufferer Of any corporation In
this section. The tunnels at Old
Fort are blocked with a mass of
Wreckage carried down by the food,
| and slides from Saiuda Mountain are
still coming. The railway officials
here can give no definite information
| as to when traffic in and out of the
| city will be resumed. If food condi-
tions improve 1t is thought that
| trains will be In operation by Tues
day or Wednesday.
| 5s