Car Swept Into Raging Yadkin River, Deaton Escapes, March 19, 1923

Narrow Escape in Swollen River. . . Work on New Bridge Interrupted by the Raging River; Many Visitors to River

By A.W. Hicks

Spencer, March 19—Driving his car into the swollen waters of the Yadkin River near Spencer late Sunday afternoon Mr. W.C. Deaton of Charlotte had a narrow escape from drowning when his machine was washed downstream. Mr. Deaton was returning from Greensboro and en route to Charlotte. On reaching the water overflowing the national highway on the Davidson side of the river, he found the road covered for a considerable distance and got a boy on a mule to ride across the submerged section while numbers of sightseers watched. It was thought he could drive through the water and Dr. Deaton undertook the job.

When he reached the deepest and swiftest part of the waters, he felt his car sweeping down stream. It soon left the road and turned over in the meadow adjacent being practically submerged. Mr. Deaton managed to crawl out as the car tumbled over and caught to a part of the car, saving himself from being swept still farther downstream. The water was too swift to swim ashore, and he could not waide it oujt, and was forced to remain in the river for quite awhile until rescued by means of a long rope thrown to him from the crowd on the river bank, after which he was pulled out by the assistance of the mule. His car, however, was left in the stream and will be taken out as soon as the waters subside.

Mrs. Deaton was taken ill in Greensboro and for this reason did not attempt to make the trip with husband on the return to Charlotte, and with their little daughter remained in the Gate City. Mr. Deaton states that but for this fact his wife and child would almost certainly have been drowned as they could not have protected themselves when the car washed off the road which approaches the toll bridge. He lost all his baggage, which he watched float down the swift current.

After being rescued Mr. Deaton came to the Spencer Y.M.C.A. and dried his clothing as best he could and went to Charlotte on No. 35 Sunday night. He expects to return to Spencer by Tuesday morning and recover his car provided the waters have receded. The river, which was 13 feet above normal, began falling Sunday at noon. It lacked about nine feet being as high as the record of July 1916.

Railroad traffic has not been interfered with so far as the high waters, though work trains with section crews have been making almost hourly inspections along the road where washouts were liable to occur.

The work of the Hardaway Construction Co., contractors on the new concrete highway bridge started some days ago, has been somewhat interrupted by the rampages of the river which overflowed the banks around the works. A number of carts, hoisting engines, derricks and smaller machinery were submerged for a time, though Superintendent J.L. Taylor states that the river will not retard the work as there is plenty for the large force of workmen to do on the hill sides.

During Sunday afternoon several thousand people from Spencer, Salisbury and many other places visited the scene on the river, took a look at the big stream overflowing the bottoms, inspected the preliminary work at the new bridge and seemed to enjoy the outing. While this was going on, another large crowd hung around the toll bridge and watched a number of automobiles in an attempt to cross the fill on the Davidson side. Several machines “drowned” in the effort and had to be pulled out.

From the front page of the Salisbury Evening Post, March 19, 1923. In one instance the newspaper lists Deaton as Dr. In all other references, he is Mr. Deaton.