The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-29

Great storm uT the RiVer..DlSaS-
irons IpjuTy 10 the Bed Of inc r.
W, Il X. RallToad'


creat Storm uT the RiVer..DlSaS-
tTous Ipjury 10 the Bed Of the r
W. Il X. RallToad'
The storm which visited this region
wednesday afternoon was much more
severe q few miles above the city than
here Great damage was done, we re-
ore, to learn, along the line Of the Pitts.
6urgh, Wheeling s. Kentucky Railroad
and not a little on the other side Of the
river 10 the G. & P. Road. Mr. CARR
engineer Of tho P. W. & K, went up yes
terdsy as far as Beech Bottom, above
Short Greek, and from him elearn some
particulars concerning the severity Of the
storm and the damage done. No injury
was done the rosd bed below Glen's Run.
From there nurthWard for a distance OF
seven miles II Is badly washed. The
rain fell for three hours, "ln sheets" those
say who witnessed It. Tho fall was 30
heavy that objects could not be distin'
gulshed at fifty yards. The whole face
Of the country was q sheet Of water.
Little hollows and raVlnes ordinarily
drywere converted into raging torrents.
In many places where cuts had been
made, these poured down on theroad bed
and cut 1t away. One stone culvert was
torn out. Several others were filled up
with trees, stones and other debris so that
the water was thrown across tho road and
washed II out. In one place about thou.
sand yards Of the road was washed away.
Such was the fury ofthe torrents that ran
down from the hills that the stones were
torn from the beds Of the rAvines aud car.
tied down and lodged against the culverts.
Where one oI the culverts was obstructed
deposit Of stones and trees filled the hol.
low to q depth Of eight feet tothe level Of
tue road. Mr.. CARR saw stones that
would weigh ton that had been brought
considerable distances by these streams.
Great trees were torn out by the roots
and carried down 10 tho bottoms. Short
Creek was raging flood and great dam.
age WAS wrought along It's banks. The
dam short distance above the mouth Of
the creek was torn out and the mill oonsId.
erably injured. About an acre at the mouth
of the creek was carried away by the
Jury of the waters cutting in towards but
not injuriDg the railroad bed. The bridge
over the creek had fortunately just been
finished. If It had not 1t would have
been destroyed, as the trestling still un-
der it was swept away. The county
road was wOshed and rendered impaSsa'
BILE in four places. Tho house OF Mr.
JuNoMAN this side OF Short Creek was
nearly swept away by rush oi water
from the hills. A part OF the porch was
torn away, but tree carried by the water
lodged near the house and turned the cur
rent 80 as to save it. The house Of Mr..
Burnes half mile this side Of Short Greek
was threatened at one time in q similar
way. The storm was accompanied BY
vivid lightning which did some damage.
Streams Of FIRE played for some time over
the lightni ng rods on the house Of John
BAIus above Short Greek, and killed a
horse In bis stable. In plowed fields the
crops and soil were often washed of OF
large areas down TO the hard clay. Mr..
Carr says it Is the worst wash by storm he
has ever seen and that It Is worth trip
up the river too see II. What surprised
hin most was TO see the great quantity Of
rockS-snd rocks Of such sizs-that were
torn from their beds and carried long dis
tances by the fury oI the waters. He says
il Is difficult to estimate the damage done
10 tho road bed, but he Is sure It will take
two thousand dollars TO restore II be.
tween Glen's Run and Beech Bottom.
What injury had been done above that
be did not know. We incRne to think
from Mr.. CARR's report that s., 900 is
very small estimate Of tho damage done,
snd that he thinks so. This food will set
back the completion OF the Road two or
three weeks. The ground is so wet that
nothing can be done this week but to get
ready. We understood Nj. CARR 10 Say
that he thinks the injury to the road from
this storm, on that part Of the line trav.
ssed by him, equal to all the dam
Sge from similar causes from the begin.
ming of the work up 10 this time