Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-17
DOWN THE RIVER.
The DesoIat!on frem Wheeling to
ParksrsburU.
Thrilling Sights and Scenes of Horror on
the Way - The lncaisulable
Damage Among the
Small Towns.

burg In skill. What they saw was WIFI
ten up fer both the evening papers and
that of the Tribune is appended.
Leaving Bellaire IN skif at noon, on
the 10th instant, We made the run ~ Mats'
moras, Ohio, a distance OF nearly sixty
miles in six hours, which SURPRISES the
time made ~ the ordinary Ohio river
steamboat. The scenes all along the river
were certainly OF a most distressing me-
ture. Bellaire's condition was bad enough,
but the suffering of some OF the smaller
towns was far worse. Moundsyille was
alrnc st completely out of sight, but the
comfortable cottages on the Camp Ground
loomed up in the dim distance, and ma.
iority of the populace we're enjoying the
novelty Of a winter camp.meeting-with
the exception of the preaching.
PowHATTAY
wss badly drenched, but from all reports
the far lies who had been driven from
their homes were kindly cared for BY
their more fortunate country cousins, who
lived on the mountain peaks near where
"Old Monroe" locks lands with Belmont
County.
CLARINGT0S
presented very picturesque scene, with
the steamboats, Courier, Durnal and Tele-
gram clear up in the streets with their guy
lines caught on the church steeples.
BAERsvILLE
looked much like floating city, and re.
minded one very much of the City OF
Venice on small scale. Quite number
of houses were washed out here, but no
lives were lost.
NEW MAETINsvTLLE,
situated on the West Virginia shore, was
in a fearful plight, the water reaching
bsck towards the interior country as far as
the eve could see. In this little city vigi-
lance committee has been organized. They
stationed themselves on the roof Of q house,
and had fair sized cannon with them,
which they loaded with stones, nails and
oihey missiles. This apparatus was used to
protect the town by preventing steamboats,
from passing, and it is said that it had
verv marked effect in several cases. Sew.
ersi lives were lost in this place.
sIsTERsvILLE
presented the appearance OF floating drift
pile. hut one of the ex inhabitants of the
drift pile informed your reporter that the
FOLKS were all up town, just as happy as
spring chickens after sunset. Ot course
we don't know how chickens feel at that
hour.
The most woe begone, in fact, house be-
gone place along the whole river Is
CoCHRANsvILLE.
,roro Forty bnuSan
stores ard church there but nov ouly
the church and two houses remain, the
balance Of the structure having been pressed
out into the resistless stream. Amos Bros
store, filled with a miscellaneous stock,
was swept away. Miss Amos was staying
with her aunt, Mrs. Carson, below town,
and when she saw the store passing, eS-
claimed: My God, there goes our house"
The words had no more than passed her
lips, when her aunt lay corpse at her side,
she having died of fright.
NATAMoRAS
is the banner town" along the Ohio. She
was high and dry. The inhabitants had
raised provisions and were looking after
the sufferers in the neighborhoCd. John
Shrake and son, formerly Of Bellaire, were
the leaders in the good work at this point.
After leaving Matamoras night set in
and
THE SCENE By MOONLIGHT
simply beggsrs description. The idea OF
being out in the midst of this mass of
rspd.tlOwipg water, (some places four
mics from bank to bank was bad enough,
but when the eye wandered of and would
discover light in house seemingly in
the middle Of the stream, it was horrible.
The water rushing against the willows and
mosniDg of women and children. Some
times an up-turned skitf would be seen,
and our imagination could picture a brave
man attempting to rescue those dear to
him, who, by some mishap, had upturned
the boat and all were dashed into the surg
ing water, never again to be heard Of till
that last great day.
rescbed, srd fearful sight met our gaze.
The water extended into that beautiful lit
tie city for over a mile, and in the lower
part of the Town not a house was to be seen.
Both the large bridges across the Mus.
kipgum bad gone out, and all communica-
tioB with the outside world was cut off The
elegant new residence Of Joseph Grafton,
formerly OF Bellaire, was considerably
damaged. Stephen Sheets also an ex Bel
lairean, lives on high ground, and was not
went Out, aud the loss will be heavy.
Every business house in Marietta was sub
merged, and most of them had water in
the second story. No lives were los,
here. Belpre and Parkersburg Jared
about the same as Marietta. The Ohio
River Railroad from Wheeling TO Pdrkers.
burg is complete wreck. The majority
Of their cars are on the Ohio shore Of the
river or 10 ged well up in the limbs OF the
trees on The islsnds. where they will prob
ably remain until long after our Ohio Val.
lev Road is completed. Such scenes as
were witnessed on this trip will probably
present generation, and we'll may we hope
they never will.
We do not think We are overestimsting
it hen we ssy1hat twelve hundred houses
have been wrecked between Bellaire and
Parkersburg.