The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-09-19
ruv WEATHER YESTERDAY was clear and
West Virginia Letter.
al The Richmond Disnatch.I


This town. o:tcrer called Cannelton than
Coal Valley, Is 20 miles freyn Huntington
and 1l6 from tic White SulThcr Springs.
I, is on the kanawha river, and Is The snip
ming point for ten coliericS. Tall and steep
mountains rear their forcSt-coyered heads TO
the clouds iwhicE are usually wiling 10
meet them half-wav), save where the river
has hursf lis wav through the rocky imped-
mcnt and made its own rough bed and
narrow and fertile valley along its banks.
Now as TO how | came here, and Why l
remain:
| par;cd with the councimen at Hunting
ton Wednesday night and resolved to re-
main one day in that town. | left Hunting
ton Thursday night for Richmond. The
Cincinnati boat was late and the train did
not wait for 1t. The rain was falling stead
liz. As il had been dong ali that day and
the night preceding. | was the only pas
scn"cr. and had the sicep!ng-car all to my
self
The coiorcd gentleman who had charge
NJ the bcrrhs said, aS we Left Huntington
=. Boss, wcsc Swinc TO have mite Nv IT."
And wc did.
Ru, having nothing better to do | went
10 sjeep, ard did not wake until we were
within three or four miles OF this place. l
thea saw that IN immense rock had tum-
blch down from the side OF the mountain
1pon the track. BY blasting and hammer
ING. 4 way for the train was soon maze.
That was The fourth slide the tram bad
Dasscd, though the first had seen. by y
O'Clock \. VI. we were IN tue town OF loal
Valley. having consumed twelve and haif
hours making the sevcnty-ninc miles. That
was pretty slow time, some may say. 1t was
immensely fast. | reply, considering that
the tIain had 10 feel it way Conductor
McEvov and Engineer Madden never did
better Job OF work than in bringing their
train. with it precious load, i'll perfect
safety over such perilouS route on night
so dark and stormy. At Coal Valley there
were orders for the train to stop.
They We're unnecessary.
We could 20 no farther.
FATAL ACCIDENT.
At Coal Valley. or Cannelton, we learned
that a freight train which had been follow
in~ Us from Huntington ran into side
near RarbOursyilc and wrecked the engine
and some cars and scaded two men, caus-
Ing their death shortly afterwards. One oil
them Nlr. Whecier) held light for those
who came 10 his assistance to cut him out
OF the wreck Of broken timbcrS. Both
NJessrs. Wheeler and Robcrt>) walked from
The place OF the disaster to HE station. 1t
was we'll that they did not live long, Tor
their sutlcrngs must have been frlghtful.
4 FEARFrI. PLUNGE IL THE DARK.
About the same time OF night a locomo-
tive drawing freight train became disabled
between this point and kanawha Falls. y
train was started from here to its relief. 1t
got about two miics-to Il point where the
track crossed 4 piece OF low-grounds on an
cmbankment.
This embankment had washed out in the
shape OF an arch. The engineer (Mulca-
havl was moving along very slowly, and
was pccring forth, inlently watching the
track. All ahead looked right. 1t seemed
TO him that the track was perfectly good
The rails, ties. and ballast were in place.
This insubstantiaI and unsupported fabric
which satisfied his eye, however. collapsed
lust as the front wheels OF his locomotive
had reached terra frm0. The locomotive
WAS pulled back into the chasm and down
it, and the tender plunged.
The tender shot lis load OF coal out upon
the engineer. and held him tight in his
place. while the steam envclopcd him. Tie
never moved, and must have died quickly.
The other men on the train escaped unin-
jurcd. Deceased was a young man much
beloved. lie had been married ito Hin
ton LADY, only seven OF eight months. His
father is maStcr-machinl>t ut the company's
shops at Huntington.
!uE DEAD BODY.
The BODY OF deceased, greatly diSigured,
was brought 10 Coal Valley and laid out III
the depot. Hundreds OF persons viewed 1t
there. Many OF the miners were not at
work and many who were, believe, stop
ped and came into town to see the sight.
What 4 fascination there is about dead
body! People will 90 to see it-if badly
mutiacd, no matter-though some OF them
know, or ought TO know, that their stomachs
cannot stand it. Crowds stood around poor
Mulcahay til! IN extra train from Hunting
ton brought up coffin and carried him
away.
Since that train left here no train has
passed over the road to Huntington.
FLOOD AT TIE OLD VIRGINIA CoLLIERIEs.
The old Virginia coIlerics OF Williams e.
Lewis are two miles from here, in the Nor
ris-Crcek valley \ railroad track connects
the col!erics with this town. This short
line crosses and recrosses the creek several
times. Ordinarily the creek is a little sill
very stream n.odeStly threading its way
over rocky bed through small fields and
tangled woods down TO the kanawha.
Miners have often cooled their thirst with
It's waters. Down below the patient cattle
stand on its bed and fight Oft the gnats which
infest this couutsy- The creek is generally
:. picture of peace. On Thursday night
this sweet stream, the babhlings OF which
mad made melodous accompaniment for the
mothers OF old Virginia colliers as they
auieted their babes 10 sleep, became fierce
1mG uncomfortable terrent.
The valley here is narrow and the noun
t1ins rise pfecipstately TO great heights.
The .ain falling upon them descends with
raniuitn. So Morris creek rose with aston
fssling eguickness. The silyery thread be-
csane "a muddy mass c9f rushing waters,
Inofe like river than q creek. The bab-
bling chao sed into hearSe roar. One cot
tagc near Ahe creek was inNndated and torn
from its site. The family in terror fec for
their lives. Other cottages were tilted to
one eide. The whole population OF three
or four bEEdred souls was out. many with
lanterns anG torches. saving tAeir property
and keeping out OF the path OF danger.
No lives were lost. The ,mises were Sc
cured to prevent flooding.
But, alas, lie short-line rairoad-the
ereat artery Of business life--Mas almost
ruined Morris creek. once cheerful
frisnd, now a savage enemy, tore up its
ties. washed away its ballast, and carried of
some OF its bridges.
Or. Lewis, supposiDg that the rain was
local. braving many dangers, ana after
some narrow escapes. made his way 10
Coal Valley BY 8 O'Clock OH the morning OF
Friday and felegraphed superintendent
Dunn for help in repairing the track.
AT Coal Valley he learned that the story
a -. L. n fn