The Washington times., 1928-05-07
DAM COLLAPSE
NEARs IN S. c.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

the terrific pressure of six billion
gallons of water for two days and
might eventually drain itself with
out breaking; but other observers
did not concede it a chance.
The big textile plant at Piedmont
closed down today, fearing that the
buildings ard houses of employees,
strung along the Saluda River.
might be flooded before there
was chance to escape. The hun
dreds Of persons employed there
were sent to higher places
Other mills remain open. but
all of them had taken precautions
to get their workers out of the
way in a hurry.
Inhabitants Move Out
che inhabitants of the heavily.
wooded Table Rock Cove moved 10
higher ground and waited for the
roar OF the flood.
H. w. Perry, superintendent OF
the GreenvilIe water works, which
owns the Table Rock Dam. would
not venture an opinion today. but
he admitted that the barrier was
caving in rapidly.
Some hope that the dam would
hold out was expressed by Col.
James L. Ludlow. engineer who
built the dam at cost of $4,000. 500.
He declared the opening Of the 80
inch feed line to Greenville yester-
day had relieved the pressure on the
structure and that it may hold out
until the waters are gradually re-
leased.
The 42.foot drain pipe under the
dam had been opened previously
with these two drains," he said,
several hundred million gallons of
water a day are being drawn from
the Lake Saluda reservoir
The amount of water impounded
liz estimated at 5000. 100000 feet
and Colonel Ludlow would not pre-
dict how long 1t would take to
drain this immense volume.
Rains Add Menace
The clear. warm weather that had
prevailed for several days broke yes
terday afternoon and heavy rain
smote the mountains fringing
GreenvilIe's water supply. The
Saluda River below the dam rose
rapidly. indicating that the leak in
the dam was spreading.
The great gap in the dam began
grew apace. New assures appeared
hourly, and the huge bank boiled.
dubbed and shook like a colossal
creature gone mad.
At Mountain Lakes Colony. six
miles away. a group of excited men.
women and children collected. This
was the nearest telephone, and a
clearing house for information. The
tortuous mountain roads approach.
ing the dam were rendered i'm
passable by the torrential rains. and
it was possible to reach the scene
only on foot.
Engineers held little hope of saw
ing the dam and ordered the danger
zone cleared Of all persons. Armed
guards placed around the entra nee
to the gorge permitted no one tol
pass.
The huge crack in the Pickens
county side OF the dam has been
widening steadily. and now reaches
from the top to the bottom of the |
dam. The break was 30 feet wide at
thu base and tapers off TO something |
like three feet near the top, where |
it widened again.
1t was only at the bottom, how.
ever. that the water had seeped |
through ana BusnSu tHto the Sdluud
Creek in 15-tOOt stream.
Crews have trenched the sides of
Table Rock Mountain in an attempt |
to prevent the drainage from seep |
ing through the end OF the dyke |
which connects with the mountain.
The plan of Colonel Ludlow of
placing sandbags about the drain |
pipe has been aba ndoned. The bags
would not prevent erosion, it is be-
lieved.
The rain added to the discomfort |
of thousands of refugees who fled
from their homes in the lowlands
Friday night, when the alarm was
spread through the valley. AS vet,
officials said. there was no suffer
ing. Il
In event Of the giving way OF
the mammOnth Table Rock Cove |
Dam, it was feared that six other
large mill dams further down the
stream could not withstand the |
sudden rush OF water, and would |
crumble also.
n the big dam cCllapses all At
once. the entire lowlands VI the |
valley will he inundated. 1t was