The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-07-25
FINE FIELDS OF GROWING
CROPS COVERED IN MUD

News and Courier.

News and Courier.
Columbia. July 20.-The Southern
Railway uescle across the WajeTee
River It KingvlIe. was tAe latest
victim Of the food waters now pour
ing into the streams in the southern
section Of the State. The trestie
went out yesterday afternoon and car
rieG down with it seyral heavy cars OF
material which had been run out on
the trestle in an effort to keep It
weighted down. The Coast Line tres
tie just little north of the Southern,
over the Wateree, went out yesterday
morning and all traffic to the Pee
Dee section of the State has been
blocked.
Plans for rebuilding the trestles and
repairing the tracks of the railroads
washed away in the storm and food
are going forward without delay. The
Seaboard has a big repair gang a.
work on the trestle near Camden,
and hopes to reopen their line to the
South in a few days. The Southern
has repair gangs at the trestle above
Rock Hill and at the trestle near
Belmont on the main line. 1t is plan
ned to reopen the main line first and
this, it is believed, will be done i'll
the next few days. The Seaboard is
also at work on their trestle at Cataw-
ba Junction, while the Coast Line is
wasting no time in making the re-
pairs to their trestles and tracks.
The Southern officials believe they
will be able 30 reopen communication
with spartanburg in the next day OF
TWO. It appears that the trestle over
the Broad River, at Shelton came
through without harm.
Waters ReeediRg.
The waters of the Congaree River
continue to fall and the Wateree is
also going down rapidly, it being
stated that there has been fall Of
over thirteen feet at Camden in the
last twenty-four hours.
People living along the Wateree
and Congaree rivers, especially be-
tween Kingville, lost practically all
their crops and household goods,
many of them their homes and live
stock in the food. Mr.. John L. MINI
naugh, one of the leading business
men of this city, after an investiga-
ton of the conditions in the flood
stricken territory, this morning re-
ported them as deplorable and started
a relief fund for the people OF that
area, heading the fund with contri-
button of s1O0. 1t is thought that the
relief fund will be raised quickly in
Columbia and surrounding territory.
The receding waters are disclos-
ing acres and acres of what was for
merly fine fields of growing corn and
cotton covered with sand and mud.
The crops in many places are totally
ruined, while others may be brought
out under the recuperative influence
of the summer sun. That section i'm
mediately adjoining the confluence OF
the Wateree and Congaree rivers,
which, form the Santee, is heavily hit
and no accurate idea of the situation
can be obtained until the waters re-
eede sufficiently to allow parties to
go in boats over the territory or un-
til rail communication is restored.
Only Fatality.
The. only fatality from the fooe
In this immediate section, so far as is
known, was that of Ed. Ashford, a
negro about sixty years of age, who
lived in the intersection of Little and
Broad rivers in Richland County. He
was drowned on Sunday night while
trying to save some cattle which be-
longed to his landlord. His body was
recovered near Ellis's Ferry yester-
day morning.
A great many passengers from
points as far south as Florida on their
way to the mountains have been ma
rooned in Columbia since the first or
the week. Many of them returned to
their homes, while others went on to
Greenvile, and so-ne others are wait
ing until rail communication with the
mountains is re-established.
Several automobiles from Florida
have passed through Columbia yester-
day and today en- route for the up