The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-12-16
DAMAGE AT MACON
FROM HIGH WATER
Georgia State Fair Grounds NO
Longer Visible-Many Bridges
Swept Away.

macon, Na., bee.
damage running high in the thousands
was done by the worst flood IN
Macon's history today. The Ocmui-
pee river rose to 24.9 feet at 2 o'clock
this afternoon, at which time the le-
wee at the Georgia state fair grouds
broke, relieving the pressure all along
the stream and saving Macon's water
supply. Two hours later the river
registered 24.S5 feet and it appears to
have been stationary ever since.
The Southern railway has not op-
Grated train over its system north
of here since No. Z arrived here at
so O'Clock this morning, after run
ming through FIVE feet of water. The
Macon, Dublin & Savannah has been
unable to operate a train all day.
Practically all trains to the south,
even the New York-New Orleans linn
tied, are being operated through Ma
con over the Central of Georgia rail-
road because of washouts at differ
.ent points, but tonight with further
water trouble at Montgomery, Ala,
railroad men are confronted with Z
new problem.
The Ocmulgee river continued
to rise all night and at one time thls
afternoon the food water was WITHIN
six inches of the intake pumps at the
,vsterworks pumping station, above
the city. The north levee broke and
the pressure all along the stream was
relieved.
Damage Only Shifted.
: But the damage was only shifted.
The water poured into the immense
tract of lowlands used for the state
fair grounds with such rapidity that
horsemen who winter their animals
here had difficulty in getting them
out. None was lost. One show COM
pany, which is wintering here, has
suffered considerable damage to It's
equipment, and the city owned nurse
ry is completely wiped out.
Seventy-fve persons employed at
the plant of the Cotton States Seed
and Fertilizer company, which has
private levees in addition to the city
leyees, were forced to leave the plant
tonight over the tracks of the Macon,
Dublin & Savannah railroad. The
plant was completely surrounded by
water. =,
The small opening in the levee wild
ened rapidly, completely submerglng
the mile race track and the entire falr
grounds were under six or eight feet
of water tonight. The water rushed
ON into the yards of the Macon, Dub
lin & Savannah railroad and inundat-
cd the tracks over which the en-
ployees of the fertilizer plant had
made their escape.
Supt. w. n. Shepherd of the water
works pumping station reported the
only proable loss of life during the
day. He said that mule drawn
wagon in which a negro man and wo-
man were riding went down with
bridge near the pumping station and
so far as known both were drowned.
Bridge in Danger.
The Spring street bridge was closed
early today and late this afternoon
the Fifth street bridge, the only re-
manning connecting link with East
Macon, began to show signs OF weak
ening. The bridge is holding, how
ever. Should it give away, East
Macon and North Highlands would
be without fire protection.
The water at the pumping station
had fallen more than an inch at 8
O'Clock tonight, but drift wood that
was still coming down in the swift
current indicated that the highest
mark had not been reached at points
above here. .,,
The Macon Veneer company will
be a heavy loser from the flood. The
company has logs along the river
hank all the way from Macon to
Hawkinsyille and these are slipping
into the stream.
The warehouse at the Macon
wharf which is filled with cotton was
completely submerged at O'Clock
this afternoon. Many other build,
ings in the path of the flood are filed
with cotton.
Several lumber companies nearby
also are heavy losers. The high water
will not reach the cotton mills OF the
Bibb Manufacturing company in East
Macon.
From points below the city reports
lNQlCdCS tudC hCoNy NoAAAe~SS .
done to brick and tile manufacturing
plants and to other industries.
Macon, Ca, Dec. 1.-THE South
ern railway abandoned its tracks
south of Macon tonight, on account
of high water seven miles below TINS
city. Through trains are being op-
Grated over the Central Of Georgia
and Georgia Southern and Florida
railroads. The Southern has operat-
ed no trains on it's own tracks north
of here for "a hours.
The crest of the flood appears to
have been reached with 25.3 feet OF
water. The high water was slowly
receding at midnight.
Macon, Ca, Dec. 1.-THE Ocmul-
gee river started to rise again TO-
night. The water bureau reports a
reading of 25.3 feet.