Continued Rains Produce Decided Change, Engineer Reports.

NO RELIEF PROMISED BY WEATHER BUREAU

Florence-Sarlington and Newer Columbia-Lexington Roads Closed – No Trouble From Rivers – More Records Shattered at Columbia Station.

“If the rain continues through the night, chances are very few sand-clay and top soil surface road will be passable tomorrow,” C. H. Moorefield, state highway engineer said last night, in speaking of the condition of the state highways of South Carolina. The Columbia-Lexington, and Florence-Darlington roads were impassable, according to the latest reports received.

There is, according to the report of the United States weather, a good outlook for probable showers today. South Carolina is still in a low pressure area, and continued rain, intermittent showers, or cloudy, murky weather is one of the three possibilities offered by the Columbia weather bureau station today.

There has been a notable change in the condition of roads in the last 48 hours, Mr. Moorefield said. Form all parts of the state there have come reports of well night impassable roads. The continued rains, which have given the roads little time to dry out, have made the situation critical, according to Mr. Moorefield. Maintenance forces of the state highway department have been hampered by the continuous rains: and through they have tried to fill up holes in the roads, their efforts have met with little success, Mr. Moorefield said.

Darling to Florence.

The Darlington-Florene highway is impassable according to the report received from J. M. Martin, division engineer of the state highway department, with headquarters at Florence. The Sumter-Manning road was barely passable at noon Saturday, Mr. Moorefield learned for a traveler, who had come over that road on his way to Columbia.

The Columbia-Charleston road was barely passable yesterday afternoon: and the Lexington-Columbia road was impassable last night, according to the latest information received. A detour was being made by the old Lexington road, but this was in very bad condition, the engineer said. A force of maintenance workers under the direction of Ambrose Harwell, state maintenance engineer, were working on the Lexington road last night, trying to open up the highway again.

The Camden-Columbia road has been kept open so far by boards having been placed on a bad stretch of the highway to the north of Blaney.

Cessation of rain is the only thing that can bring necessary relief, the engineer said; and the weather bureau makes no promise of succession.

No Trouble From Rivers.

No trouble from rivers has been reported, Mr. Moorefield said, and the weather bureau reports confirm the statement. There were only slight rises reported during the 24 hour period ending at 8 o’clock yesterday morning. According to the latest report, Santee river is above flood stage, but this is not an unusual situation. At Rimini the reading Friday morning at 8’clock was 14.9 feet, 2.9 feet above flood stage.

Yesterday’s rainfall in Columbia, amounting to .63 inches, added to the precipitation laurels already made by the month and ran the total rainfall for September to 7.91 inches.

Having already smashed all 38 year records of the Columbia station of the United States weather bureau for March, September and November, but seemingly unsatisfied, September, 1924, yesterday shattered the 38 year record for the months of January, April, October and December also.