Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-18

fearfully severe, resulting not only in I'M
mense destruction of property ofall kinds
but in the loss of at least five lives.
Early in the mOrningit became rumOred
about the city that the storm of the pre-
vious night had wrought great haVOealong
the railroad, and during the entire day ru-
mons were rife that lives had been lost and
the Baltimore and Ohio seriously crippled
through the loss of bridges. Enquiry at
the B. < D. office in this city confirmed
these rumors rs far rs the railroad was con-
cerned, it being stated that at least two
bridges were down, one ut LittletOn and
the other farther east, and that traffic be-
tween this city and Grafton was at a
standstill. The early train east, which
leaves this city at 5:25, and the Cumber-
/ land accommodation, at 7:35, were COM
PEELED to 20 around by way of the Pitts
burg division to GlenwOOd, and thence
over the Connellsville line to Cumberland,
while freight trains were either side
tracked, or were compelled to 90 and come
the same way. Through trains from the
east and west were also run around by way
of Pittsburgh, but rs the distance to Cum
berland is only about ten miles farther, by
way of the COnnellsville road, than it is
over the main stem, no very serious delays
occurred, mails arriving generally but an
hour or two late.
The telegraph lines were, OfcOurse, down
all along the main line Of the road, and 1t
was with extreme difficulty that any relia-
BILE data could be obtained, the railroad
people themselves being in about as much
darkness rs outsiders regarding the
exact situation along their line.
Early in the evening, however, the large
force of repairers succeeded in restoring
communication by wire, and trustworthy
reports from the scene of the disaster were
soon at hand, corroborating and in some re-
ports enlarging upon the rumOrs previous
ly anoat in this city.
The havoc wrought by the elements
seems to have been greatest in the northern
part of Marion county, north of the rail
road, and along the valley of Buffalo
creek and its tributaries, in Warrington
district. Buffalo creek runs west
from point on the Mo-
nOngahela, just north Of FairmOnt, the
country being very rough and broken
up into numerous narrow val
ley through which run streams varying in
size from mere brooks to mountain torrents
of considerable volume, but all capable OF
being augmented to a dangerous size by
heavy and sudden rains. One of these
tributaries, locally known as Duncard
Mill run, enters Buffalo creek from the
north about two miles east of Pennington,
and near the little village of Barracksville
On the banks of this stream, and elevated
but a short distance above its bed, stood
the house of John SnOderly, the family
consisting of husband and wife,
six children, and Mr.. SnOderly's aged
mother The storm broke over the local
ity about eleven o'clock and ragged with
violence for an hour or more, when the
descending torrent of rain was suddenly
increased many fold, as though a water
spout had burst in the vicinity, and mo-
ment later the rushing stream by the cabin
door was changed into q mighty flood,
sweeping before it logs, brush, rocks, and
all manner of debris.
The inmates of the house heard the APP
proach of the torrent, and Mr.. SnOderly,
realizing that his house was too close to
the stream to escape the descending flood,
seized four of his children and placed
them on a table, and then started with the
remaining two to carry them to place of
safety. Just rs he left the house,
however, the torrent burst upon
the building, sweeping the I'M
fortunate inmates out of the dwelling.
The elder Mrs SnOderly succeeded in seiz-
ing projection of an outbuilding, and
held on until rescued, some hours after
ward, but the wife and her four little ones
were swept away, and all drowned. Mrs.
SnOderly and two of the children were
found, after daylight, lodged against a
fence, but the other two children were car
ried into Buffalo creek and thence into the
MOnOngahela, being caught twenty miles
from the scene of the disaster.
At Barracksyille, at the junction of Dun
cards run with Buffalo creek, number Of
houses were swept away, and the whole
surrounding region is devastated, the ag-
gregate loss being very large. From along
the valley of Paw-Paw creek, in the north
ern portion of Marion county, and on the
numerous mountain streams which empty
into it and Buffalo creek, the same story
of destruction comes, houses, stores, barns,
fences, crops, timber and everything ex-
posed to the fury of the water being
swept away. A large amount of stock was
also drowned.
Along Piekett's creek, in the eastern pOr-
ton Of Marion county, the general destruc-
ton was equal to that in the north and