Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1870-10-08
Yirginia Loses 5000. ooo.
The james Rirer Canal Entirely Ruined
Tragic Fate eta Youthful Bride.
PrcuNoYn Va. Oct g


RICHMOND, Va, Oct. 8.
Since the flood subsidized yesterday scarcely
an hour passes that does not furnish its quota
of the devastation done in some quarter of the
State 1t would be an endless task to partic-
ularize the distinctions of mills, warehouses,
stores and barns, the damage to railroads, ca
mails and other corporations, besides the ruin
cd crops in the entire northwestern section of
the State with which the HERALD reports have
teemed for the past three days. Suffice it to
say that a rough estimate places the loss in the
State at not less than S25,OO0,OOO. The
James river and Kanawha canal, which Vir-
ginias statesmen have long been endeavoring
to convert into a central water line between
the waters of the west and the Atlantic sea-
board is ruined beyond the possibility oil re-
pair in the next five years unless by national
aid, which, it is hoped, will be gwen.
Further intelligence from Shenandoah valley
states that the waters, rising with fearful ra-
piditv. at noon had become an irresistible
flood, carrying everything before it, rising to
nearly fifty feet above its ordinary depth. 1t
presented a grand and fearful spectacle bear
ing with its currents mills, dwellings, barns,
crops-indeed everything that came in its
way. Large trees that had stood for centu-
ries and marked its bank offered no impedl-
ment to its power, but were swept away as
reeds Its whole surface was covered with
the accumulation from years industry. The
destruction of property in the counties OF
Rockingham, Shenandoah, Clark and Jefferson
has been terrible, including the entire crops of
corn and hay, with the unthreshed crops OF
wheat, rye and oats. Along the river bottoms
almost all the river mills in Warren county
are swept away, with many dwellings. Near
Front Royal the dwellings of Mcssrs. Hill,
Smith, Thomas, Blakemore, Hoskins and 9TH
ers were carried of. Blakemore's house was
torn from its foundation before his family,
consisting of himself, wife and five or six chill
dren could leave it. Mr. and Mrs. Ridgeway,
a married pair ofsomo six weeks, who were
spending their honeymoon with him, were
swept away with the illlated family. Ridge
way clasped his youthful bride and held her
with all the energy of terrible despair, until
she was ruthlesSly torn from his arms by the
driftwood in the madlcned current and quick
ly consigned to watery grave. He was
caught in the branches Of large sycamore
some distance below where he saw his young
WIG VISA 'p'dl ltlNt III olA hOulo hltSi 'h' N'S
he was rescued, in company with man from
Page county, who occupied the top of an adj
joining tree Two Of Bakemores children
have since been reported saved.
The dwelling of Mr. and Mrs. Hoskins was
carried off while they with their child were
asleep and all were lost. The damage in this
region is unprecedented and the Shenandoah
was twenty-eight feet higher than in the great
food of 1852.
The rise of the Potomac is due to the great
volume of water forced into it from the Shen-
andoah.
We learn that the family of Thomas \.
Blakemorc, near Front Royal, consisting of
himself, his wife and two or three daughters,
were drowned near that place on Thursday or
Friday last.
The rise Of the River near Front Royal was
about sixty five feet above low water mark
The water was in the fifth story Of Weston's
new Touring Mil at Confluence.
The bodies Of Mrs. Hoskins, Mrs. Rdgeway,
Miss Simpson, Mrs Blakemore, and Miss
Blakemore were found on Monday some few
miles below the scene Of the catastrophe.
Mr.. Noah Kites family, in Page county,
persisted in the flood.
y number ofpcrsons whose names have not
been learned, have persisted.