The day after

Investigators haven’t determined
cause of Ninety Six cotton mill fire

March 12, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER and SHAVONNE POTTS
Index-Journal staff writers

NINETY SIX – As smoke and embers continued to rise Friday from the rubble of Ninety Six Plant No. 10, area emergency officials, mill village residents and other onlookers began to arrive to get their first views of the destruction in the daylight.
Residents who were evacuated from the area surrounding the fire, which officials believe began about 6:30 p.m. Thursday on one of the top floors of the mill, were allowed to return to their homes early Friday.
No cause for the blaze has been determined.
Hot spots and small flames could still be seen burning Friday afternoon near the center of the mill, which was gutted by the intense fire. Much of the mill’s interior structure was incinerated, and many exterior walls collapsed, scattering charred bricks, twisted metal and other debris at the site.
Although most of the large fires were extinguished by daybreak, firefighters remained on the scene with gear and trucks overnight.
Lower Lake Greenwood Fire Department Chief Jerry Roberts, one of the firefighters who spent the night at the scene, said Friday’s gusty winds also caused some concern that smaller fires still smoldering in the remains could spread.
“Most of the fire is out, but there is still a lot of smoke, and the winds are (picking) up. We’re just sort of sitting out here and watching,” Roberts said. “I’ve got some men walking and riding around the building, looking for anything.”
Roberts said firefighters were able to contain the blaze during the night.
“Our job was to protect the houses (around the mill),” he said. “We just put the least amount of water on the mill as possible and let it go.”
Roberts said firefighters have plans for situations such as the fire at the No. 10 plant, and he felt that good communication among fire departments on the scene helped to prevent chaos at the scene.
Ninety Six, Greenwood County and City, Laurens County, Newberry County and City Fire Departments responded to the scene Thursday night, with others on standby.
“We weren’t going to stop that fire – we just tried to keep it contained,” said Bob Ousley, retired chief with the Northwest Volunteer Fire Department, adding that fires in empty mills such as Plant No. 10 are a somewhat common occurrence. “With the oils on the floor, it spreads really fast. Once it starts to spread, it’s hard to stop.”
Officials with the State Law Enforcement Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were on the scene throughout the day, but Maj. Jeff Miller, with the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, said that, at this time, the cause of the fire has not been determined.
“We have no plans to go inside the plant,” Miller said, adding that any samples and evidence that could be gained by entering the remains are likely destroyed.
Miller said that, according to the owner, asbestos in the mill had been abated, and workers were in the process of moving it out.
Mill village resident Lanier Williams, who lives on Lowell Street, just blocks from the mill, said he was concerned about possible pollutants in the air.
“I am concerned about chemicals that might be in the air, but I think it will be OK,” he said.
Williams, who was evacuated from his home about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, returned home late Friday morning, after spending the night at a relative’s house. He and wife Joan previously worked at the mill, and Williams said he was shocked to see it go up in flames.
“We had been watching it come down, and we thought it would take years to finish,” he said. “But this is heartbreaking. There are a lot of memories there. I have a lot of friends that live around here and worked there – I know people that were brought up in that mill.”
Duke Street residents Jim and Mary Bright, whose house sits just across the road from the mill, said embers from the blaze ignited small patches of grass in their front yard.
“There were embers landing in our hair,” said Mary Bright. “I could hear the floors dropping inside the mill and it made tremendous booms, but when the wall fell, it scared me to death. I couldn’t believe it when it collapsed.”
Bright said she saw people working inside of the mill just prior to the fire, “throwing pipes around” at approximately 5:30 p.m.
In August, the building’s owner, Martijn Van Zadelhoff, president of Vintage Building Materials of South Carolina Inc., said “deconstruction” of the mill was being delayed from its original Sept. 1 date because of asbestos inside.
Van Zadelhoff had said the mill’s bricks were going to be salvaged, and had been slated for reuse for a shopping mall near Jacksonville, Fla.
Ousley, with Northwest Volunteer Fire Department, said he thought a majority of the bricks could be salvaged.
“They lost wood and steel content, but the bricks are about the only thing they’ll get out of it,” he said.
American Red Cross officials were also on the site Thursday, and Greenwood and Abbeville Service Center Manager Barbara Turnburke said two shelters were opened for residents who could not return home Thursday night.
Temple Baptist Church was the first shelter to open, but was too close to the fire and officials had to move people to First Baptist Church of Ninety Six. Sixteen residents remained at the shelter overnight, but returned to their homes Friday morning.
“The Emergency Response Vehicle will be here as long as they need us,” she said, adding that Red Cross volunteers will be providing food for firefighters and other emergency personnel at the site.
Harold Stewart, 71, a native of Ninety Six, worked at the mill for 38 years holding different positions within the company.
“There’s a lot of history gone. It’s a lot of history gone down the drain,” he said.
Stewart recalled the look of the inside of the mill including the work environment.
“The floors were hard wood. It shined like glass,” Stewart said. “It was something else.”
For many residents, the burning of the mill marked the end of an era.
“We’ve always dreaded something like that happening,” said Ninety Six Mayor Tim Griffin. “As mayor and council we’ve discussed it numerous times — what it might mean for the people that live around it. It really could have been a lot worse than it was.”
Griffin is a former employee of Ninety Six Plant No.7, and said the fire robbed the community of “years of history.”
“Most of this town, at one time or other, worked in the plant or had family that worked in the plant,” he said.
Each day when Ninety Six resident Linda Havird walked out of her front door, she saw the mill. Now, she said, when she walks out of her front door, she will see the ruins of the mill.
“I’ve lived here 14 years. The mill was the back bone of this community — the livelihood of the town,” Havird said.
Brad Roakes of Ninety Six couldn’t help but take one last look at what was left of the mill.
He reminisced about a time when he and father J.D. Davenport shared a quiet father-son moment on the roof of the mill.
The two were repairing the heating system a number of years ago, but then decided to go the roof of the building just to “sit and talk.”
“We sat on the roof looking around and it was relaxing, just talking about old memories,” Roakes said. “It’s a shame this place went down like this, luckily no one got hurt.”
Ninety Six Superintendent Dan Powell said the mill fire had minimal effect on the school district. However, he said, a small number of students whose families were evacuated, did not attend school.
Rhonda McDowell, assistant superintendent, said the mill was a part of the community.
“Even if you didn’t grow up in the mill village, it was still a big part of the town,” she said. “It was an integral part of everyone’s life in the community.”

Environmental concerns arise in aftermath of fire

March 12, 2005

By WALLACE McBRIDE
Index-Journal senior staff writer

NINETY SIX — Thursday’s mill fire likely could have negative consequences for the surrounding environment for months to come.
Ninety Six Plant No. 10 closed in 1989 and was scheduled for demolition last September, but excessive amounts of asbestos found in the facility halted those plans. The Department of Health and Environmental Control had already begun removal of asbestos at the site, but the process was incomplete when the fire occurred Thursday, said DHEC spokeswoman Clair Boatwright.
Finding and identifying the remaining asbestos amid the building’s wreckage will be a difficult task, she said.
“Water runoff is the greatest concern,” Boatwright said. “We’re making sure it’s not going to affect the environment or streams and that runoff is contained. The floors were probably heavily oiled over the years and that could possibly become a contaminant to the environment.” Asbestos does not burn, so there is little chance that carcinogenic fibers could find their way into the air in Ninety Six.
“Water also surpasses fibers, so it is unable to become airborne,” she said. “Chances are it would remain wrapped around the pipes and hopefully not be disturbed.”
Even if asbestos fibers were carried away by air currents, it would probably not create a breathing hazard.
“Asbestos is never going to produce an acute problem, it is a chronic problem that develops over the years,” she said.
Thursday night’s effort to contain the fire was collaborative of several fire departments from around the region, with an “all call” going out early in the evening for all volunteer firefighters.
Greenwood’s city fire department was asked to join and dispatched its 100-foot aerial ladder truck to the scene.
“Due to the intensity of the fire, the water that was being put on the structure was probably very ineffective,” said Greenwood Fire Chief Terry Strange. “The fire gets so intense that, even though you put in large volumes of water, it turns to steam before it gets to the base of the fire.”
The aerial truck was able to position a hose above the building, he said, giving firefighters a different route to attack the fire.
“When I got on the scene last night the walls were collapsing,” Strange said. “The entire front of the mill looked like it collapsed.”
Officials shut off electricity and natural gas lines as a precaution during the fire.
“We had people present at the site and shut the gas off,” said CPW General Manager Steve Reeves. “There was no gas active in the mill that I’m aware of.”
CPW no longer provided gas services or was responsible for maintenance of the lines at the site, he said.
While the decision to close off gas lines to the site had no effect on nearby residences, Duke Power customers were not so fortunate.
“We had to de-energize a line that was feeding the plant itself,” said Duke Power spokesman Lee Lewis. “That line also fed a couple of circuits that fed residential customers. Because of safety issues we kept a small part of those residents in close proximity to the plant de-energized.”
The decision was a joint effort by Duke personnel and fire officials, he said, and power was restored to all customers by 10 a.m. Friday.
The number of customers affected by the power outage was not known, Lewis said.
The Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at First Baptist Church to accommodate residents who were evacuated from the mill village. More than 40 people sought aid at the shelter, while 15 of them stayed the night.
Red Cross officials also provided canteen services to emergency workers and evacuees, serving more than 100 meals during the night and following day.
State Law Enforcement Division agents are on the scene this weekend assisting local authorities in an investigation of the fire, but additional information not was available Friday from SLED.
A concern of fire officials on the scene Thursday night was the possibility of wind-blown embers falling onto neighboring houses and burning the roofs. For the most part the wind cooperated and did not spread the fire through the mill village.
However, on Friday, winds picked up and the State Forestry Commission now has issued a Red Flag Alert for all South Carolina counties. For the next few days, the Forestry Commission warns, debris burning and other outdoor activity could compound the problem posed by wind and dry surface fuels. While a Red Flag Fire Alert does not prohibit outdoor fires, the Forestry Commission asks that burning be postponed if at all possible.

Wallace McBride covers Greenwood and general assignments in the Lakelands. He can be reached at 223-1812, or: wmcbride@indexjournal.com

Albert Agnew Jr.

WARE SHOALS — Albert Agnew Jr., 64, of 5 Wilson Court, husband of Naomi Jones Agnew, died Thursday, March 10, 2005 at Self Regional Hospital.
Born in Abbeville County, he was a son of Ida Mae Griffin Agnew and the late Albert Agnew Sr. He attended Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, after returning to Greenwood County from Virginia.
Survivors include his wife of Ware Shoals; his mother of Hodges; five sons, Alvin Agnew of Greenwood, Master Sgt. James Kelley Agnew of Okinawa, Japan; the Rev. Robert Earl Agnew of Ware Shoals, Donald Cornelius Agnew of Honea Path, and Charles Lamont Agnew of Hodges; two daughters, Margaret Singleton of Anderson and Mary Alice Jones-Agnew of Ware Shoals; two sisters, Mary Alice Jones of Hodges and Magnolia Jones of Greenville; a brother, J.B. Agnew of Anderson; 22 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals.

Barbara Anthony

CHARLESTON — Barbara Jean Williams Anthony, 42, wife of James Anthony, died Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at her home.
Born in Greenville County, she was a daughter of Annie Mae Cole.
Survivors include her husband of Greenwood; her mother of Danesbury, Conn.; two sons, Jonathan Lee Williams of Greenwood and Eric Lamont Williams of Charleston; two sisters, Bethia “Bert” Williams and Elizabeth Jackson, both of Greenwood; two brothers, Robert Cole of Danesbury, Conn., and Christopher Cole of Norfolk, Va.; and a grandchild.
Services are at 2:30 Monday at Gadsden Funeral Home in Charleston.
Announcement courtesy of Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood.

James Crawford

BATESBURG — James Robert Crawford, 91, died Friday, March 11, 2005.
Services will be announced by Milton Shealy Funeral Home, Batesburg-Leesville.

Dashawn K. Gaston Jr.

Graveside services for Dashawn Kamill Gaston Jr. of 129 Elm Court, infant son of Dashawn K. Gaston Sr. and Jamisula Carter, are at 1 today at Cross Road Baptist Church, Promised Land, conducted by the Rev. Willie Williamson.
Visitation is from 10-11 today at Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc.
The family is at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood, is in charge.

Bill Hinton

GREENWOOD – William Ray “Bill” Hinton, Sr., 81 resident of 201 Brook-haven Drive, widower of Martha Rush Hinton, died Friday, March 11, 2005 at his home.
Born in Greenwood, June 27, 1923, he was a son of the late Varcel Hewey and Sudi Mae Canfield Hinton. He was a US Army Air Corps Veteran of World War II, and was retired as a Captain with Security Forces at Mathews Plant of Greenwood Mills. While serving with Security Forces he was awarded an Outstanding Service Award in 1994, and a 20 Year Loyalty Award. Mr. Hinton had previously owned and operated Bill Hinton Texaco Station on South Main Street followed by Bill Hinton Shell Station on the Bypass.
A member of Hyde Park Baptist Church, he was also a member of Greenwood Masonic Lodge #91, A.F.M.
Surviving are a son, William Ray Hinton, Jr. and wife, Myrna of the home; two brothers, Jerry Hinton of Florida and Harry Hinton of Simpsonville; one grandson, William Ray Hinton, III; three granddaughters, Kayla McAllister, Amy Roland and Anne Marie McDowell; one great grandson, Drew Hinton; five step-great grandchildren, Faith, Hailey, Michael, Kaylyn and Brady; a special friend, Shirley Matthews; and his sitter, Penny Ritter.
He was predeceased by a brother, Dudley Hinton and a sister, Joyce Hinton Simmons.
Graveside services will be conducted 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens with Rev. Tommy Thurston officiating.
Pallbearers will be Greg Moon, Jeff Broome, Kirk Boland, Benji Norris, Caleb Rush, David Williams, Carol Riley and Ray Gentry.
Honorary escort will be current and past employees of Security Forces along with Dr. David Bridges, George Dorn, Butch Barton, Jim Ravencraft, Billy Rush, and Barry Mayfield.
The family is at the home in Woodfields and will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home from 2 to 3 Sunday afternoon before the service.
In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to Hyde Park Baptist Church, 330 Deadfall Road. W., Greenwood, SC 29649.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhom.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE HINTON FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Alma Holtzclaw

GREENWOOD – Alma Louise Roberson Holtzclaw, 92, resident of Quiet Acres, widow of Charles Cape Holtzclaw, died March 10, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in LaGrange, GA, November 7, 1912, and a former resident of Kannapolis, NC, she was a daughter of the late Joseph James Monroe and Martha Jane Rush Roberson. Mrs. Holtzclaw was well known in the community as a local artist and a longtime member of the Greenwood Artist Guild. She began painting at age 65 under the tutelage of Ruth Martin. She was a frequent contributor to the Flower Festival Art Shows and exhibitions and some of her paintings have been distributed as far as Paris, France. Mrs. Holtzclaw was also of the Baptist faith.
She is survived by a son, Charles Ancel Holtzclaw and daughter-in-law, Brenda, of Greenwood. Five grandchildren, Rick Holtzclaw of Abbeville, SC, Mike Holtzclaw of Smithfield, NC, Stacey Holtzclaw Forrester of Greenwood, SC, Janice Holtzclaw Gassaway of Raleigh, NC and Jon Brogden Holtzclaw of Easley, SC. Seven great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Holtzclaw is predeceased by three sisters, Adelaide Roberson Wooley, Mattie Lee Roberson Cantrell, Theodonia Roberson Benton and two brothers, J.T. Roberson and J.W. Roberson.
The family is at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, 130 Oxford Road, Druid Hills and will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home from 5:00 to 7:00 Saturday evening.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646 or to the charity of one’s choice.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home is assisting the Holtzclaw family.
PAID OBITUARY

Myna ‘Mae’ Mitchell

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Myna “Mae” Hill Mitchell of Philadelphia, Pa., died Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at her home.
Born in Greenwood County, S.C., she was a daughter of the late Eugene and Alice Hill. She was a retired health care worker.
Survivors include a daughter, Dr. Soyena Ayanne of Philadelphia, Pa.; two sons, Nathaniel Mitchell and Morris Mitchell, both of Philadelphia; a brother, George Hill of Greenwood, S.C.; eight grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.
Services are at 10 Monday in Philadelphia.
Announcement courtesy of Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood, S.C.

Elizabeth Mundy

ABBEVILLE, SC – Elizabeth “Lib” Loftis Mundy, 83, resident of 116 McGowan Ave., widow of David Lenwood “Doc” Mundy died Thursday, March 10, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood, SC.
Born in Abbeville Co., SC, she was a daughter of the late Herman Reid and Lillie Smith Loftis. She was raised in the home of her aunt and uncle Alonso and Pearl Densby.
She attended Winthrop College and was very active with the Girl Scouts of America. She was a member of Abbeville Presbyterian Church where she was very active within the circles of the church.
Survivors are: 1 son, Len Mundy and his wife Libby, Abbeville, SC; 1 daughter, Jane Lunsford and her husband Horace of Elberton, GA; 1 brother, Herman Loftis, Abbeville, SC; 3 grandsons; 4 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted Sunday, March 13, 2005 at 3:00PM from Long Cane Cemetery with Dr. Rodney Schultz officiating.
The body is at The Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 PM Saturday evening. The family is at the home, 116 McGowan Ave., Abbeville, SC.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, C/O Mrs. Conway Shirley, PO Box 566, Due West, SC 29639.
The Chandler - Jackson Funeral Home, Abbeville, SC is in charge of arrangements.
PAID OBITUARY

Louise H. Williams

ABBEVILLE — Louise H. Williams, 84, of 33 Oak Lawn Drive, widow of Leevonia Williams, died Thursday, March 10, 2005 at McCormick Health Care.
Born in Abbeville County, she was a daughter of the late James and Willie Carson Hill. She was a member of St. Peter AME Church, and retired from The Naval Home in Philadelphia, Pa.
She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Services are at 2:30 Sunday at St. Peter AME Church, conducted by the Rev. Clinton J. Hall.
Burial is in the church cemetery. The body will be placed in the church at 1:30.
The family is at the home of her brother-in-law, Rev. A.G. Brown and Mary Brown.
Brown and Walker Funeral Home, Abbeville, is in charge.

It’s high time to prove athletes not above law

March 12, 2005

Steve Spurrier, new University of South Carolina football coach, has inherited problems ….. several problems. From all indications, though, they aren’t more than he can handle.
Players committing crimes, failing such things as drug tests and not going to class have already learned a hard lesson the hard way. They’ve found out early that Spurrier will not tolerate such offenses against the University and the team.
One thing more, and it’s important. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a star player who is involved. If he steps out of bounds it more than likely will end his career.
IT SHOULD. MAYBE A lack of insistence in the past that rules be followed is why there are problems in the first place.
Spurrier ought to be supported by the USC board, the athletics director and president as he cleans up the mess he had no part in making. If that support falters, maybe a few others ought to be kicked off the team, too ….. the leadership team.
The University of South Carolina, Clemson University and others are not strangers to troubles among their athletes. There have been too many. Trouble, it seems, begets trouble. It’s time to get tough or get out. It’s the coach’s duty to run a clean program. From all appearances, Spurrier intends to do just that at USC. More power to him.