The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-07-18
Southern, Seaboard. Intsrurban
and County Bridges Over
Catawba in MeckIenbur9
County Swept Away by the
Mighty Waters. Many Others
Go.
MANY COTTON MILLS
ARE UNDER WATER

-
Damage to Concrete Dams and Power
Stations is lmmense.-Several Mills
Along Catawba Under Water
Wires Down and Commune alton
Broken at Many PIaces.-Train Ser
vice Demolished.
The Catawba rampant with waters
noodlng cities and towns situated
along its banks. submerging houses.
cotton mills and manufacturing en-.
terprises almost without number,
smashing great railway and highway
bridges spanning its tempestuous
course. twisting great trees and do.
Ing incalculable aAage, ranging in.
to the millions. such was the record
OK the most destructive flood that
ever visited the Piedmont section OF
the Carolinas. AS though the mighty
stream sought to shake itself in one
mighty protest against the almost
superhuman efforts OF man to con.
scribe its course and limit its activ.
tiles * gave an exhibition OF its al
most irresistible power which result.
sd in many mighty steel railway
bridges going down: three. four and
possibly five or six state and county
highway bridges, including the new
steel bridge at Mount Holly. and &C.
cording to reports the elegant $780,.
600 builtfor-the- reinforced con.
crete structure at Sloan's Ferry, the
partial submersion of dozens OF cot.
ton mills unfortunately located too
close TO the banks of the stream,
such as the East and West Monbo
Mills, near Statesvill Woodlawn and
Mount Holly Mills at Mount Holly
and ~e:!ous o,hctsT and ss,c asIcs-sS1o,
roads. crops. houses. timber that can.
not be estimated at this time.
One OF those who had witnessed
several fierce Ohio and Mississippi
floods iikened the Catawba to one OF
the tributaries OF those streams dur.
ing the flood tide OF their irrestible
sway, when there was nothing that
could withstand its fury. The dam.
age to the immense concrete dams
and power stations OF the Southern
o"Si Company oh iue SdluWUd
could not be figured but it will range
into the hundreds OF thousands of
dollars. No big dam was washed
away but the power houses OF every
description were flooded. thus cur.
failing operations and OF course en-.
failing much injury to machinery and
equipment At Lookout Shoals. 12
miles north OF Statesville. the water
had washed over and carried away
great embankment fill on the Ca.
tawba side which. while it relieved
part OF the pressure on the dam
proper, turned loose such a flood of
water that the old West Monbo Mill
below, with it's 5000 spindles was
submerged and the East Monbo new
mill directly across the river partially
put under water. he warehouse was
flooded and hundreds upon hundreds
OF bags and bales Of cotton washed
away.
Passing down the river, the Sea
board Air Line bridge at Mount Holly
was the first to break, the middle pier
being smashed which dropped down
the two central spans. Later In the
afternoon at 5:35 the Southern's steel
mainline bridge across the Catawba
near Belmont. on the direct route
through to Atlanta, went down. the
shock carrying a force of workmen
engaged in seeking to relieve some
OF the driftwood pressure on the
lower end of the bridge. This bridge
was built about IL years ago and was
regarded as one OF the best on the
line.
The Interurban new all steel bridge
at Mount Holly went out about $50
when all telephone connection with
the river was lost This break was
almost inevitable when the Seaboard
bridge fell. thus superimposing all
the pressure on fhe already heavily
burdened structure below. The re-
ports as to the Southern bridge on
the line to Rock Hill indicated that
the structure was holding but the
crest OF the flood had not reached
that point at that time.
On the South Fork of the Catawba,
the damage was almost unbelievable
The mills. which hover close to the
banks Of these streams were flood I'd
and the damage to reservoir dams
power stations and textile machinery