Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-21
THE COUNTRY.
RUIN OUT THE PIKE.

The Beautiful Valley of Wheeling Creef
Devastated.
All who drove, walked or rode ''out tht
pike" yesterday concur in the statement
that there was never any thing like it.
From Peasants Valley to West Alex
ander is one mass of wreck and ruin.
The scene at Trisdelphia, and for mile
up and down the creek on either side, ID
simply indiscribable. No one would rec
oguize the place. The whole town seems
to have been turned upside down by the
unprecedent flood and left so by the reced'
ing waters.
The scene is pitiful in the extreme.
Hundreds Of people are left absolutely
destitute and dependent upon the Kind
ness of more fortunate neighbors for food
and shelter, their homes, if not entirely
demolished and swept away, are rendered
entirely uninhsbitable by being moved of
their foundations and filled with mud.
| 10 the low lands not vestigs of the re.
Gently luxurious fields and gardens re.
mains and on these the people mainly de.
pended for food at this time.
But the unfortunate people are plucky,
and men, women and children apparently
imbued with an indomitable spirit Of
''never say die' could be seen yesterday
from dsybreak till long after sundowr
working like beavers in mud and water
frequently waist high, repairing their
wrecked fortunes and even smiling in the
face of cruel fate.
The B. & o. tracks are torn and twisted
out of all shape and scattered about in all
directions, and nine railroad bridges art
missing between Wheeling and Wes,
Alexander. The motor line Jared the
same way in places, although the motor
was running last evening between Wheel
ing Park and Woods run, where trans
fer was made to the city.
The sight-seers out the pike yesterday
were thick and carriage after carriage Wal
driven from Wheeling as far up the creek
as upper Trisdelphia, or Germantown, a.
it is called, where the county bridge ID
washed away barring further Progress in
vehicles.
Scenes of wretchedness met the eye al
most as soon as the city limits were passed
and increased as progress WAS made.
At Fulton little damage was done be.
yond that which would be occasioned BY
the ordinary severe washouts. Crops alons
the bottom lands there are more or les
devastated by inundation and the corn
field of Mr.. Joe Ms.shall, on the point Op
posite Fulton, is completely destroyed.
At Leatherwood the damage is more
severe. The water was three feet deep OIL
the National Pike, in places completely
running crops on the lower portions
Among the losers, who lost almost every
thing, were George Conrad, George Miller
and William Henry, whose gardens snd
fields were destroyed and houses flooded
The corn field of Mr.. Rhineacker was also
washed out.
At Peasants Valley the damage WA,
nominal excepting of the crops along thu
creek bank which were much injured and
in places destroyed.
At Elm Grove the wide spread disaster
begins. At this point the force of the wa
ter was so great that the bed of the creek
above the bridge was turned fifty feet &c
the right and yesterday afternoon the
change looked like it might be permanent,
forming a miniature island. The people
were taken completely unawares and scores
of men, women, and children were forced
to flee for their lives as the macs of water
came rushing upon them. Dozens were
caught by the food and only rescued by
heroic efforts of those living on higher
ground.
An incomplete list of the individual
and approximate losses Of residents OF
Elm Grove is as follows: w. 7. Chambers
& Co. lost their coal tipple and suffered
losses in other ways amounting in all to
about $4,000. w. T. Chambers lost in
personal property $500. Mrs. Robert b.
Woods in damage to house and furniture
lost $500. W. J. Brown, blacksmith,
loses $500. David Hill in house and ru-
iued crops loses $500 David Nickerson
lost everything, consisting of house and
crops, amounting to ST. 900. James Bedil-
lion suffers to the extent of $500. G. T..
Hsrtlieb, proprietor of the Elm Grove
Hotel, had his extensive garden
ruined, great holes washed in the
stone wall abutting the creek
and the foundation torn from beneath his
stable. His loss amounts to fully 81, 600.
Henry Helfenbine loses 5000. George
Black, $3.50 in ruined crops. Five or six
houses in Red Row were washed out and
practically ruined, the losses there
amounting to $500 at least. Michael
Madden who occupied house owned by
the Natural Gas Co., lost all his furniture
and crops, $500. Hiram Schilling will
also have to begin live anew, $3.50 poorer.
J. S, Woods, hardware dealer, loses over
800. DIR. Will Cracraft loses over ~, 500
on his house and land. John McCurdy,
wagon maker, loses $1,000. Henry Roth
had his butcher shop and slaughter houses
flooded and ruined, and he and his family
barely escaped with their lives. HIS loss
loss will foot up 81, 900. The establishment
of Thornburg, Bros, undertakers, was
completely ruined and almost overturned.
Their loss is very heavy and VIM
Rodocker, who lived in house
owned by James Ryan, Of Wheeling,
lost $50 in personal property and Mr..
Ryan loses $500 on the house. Hannibal
Forbes loses $3.50 in fences and garden.
August Petzinger's loss, in ruined stables,
outhouses, fences and damage in his store
and to goods, amounts to $500. Mr.. Askew
loses in corn and damaged fences 500
The elegant property Of Mslof Loriug wss
severely damaged by wsshouts, and his
losses, including tenement belong
ing to him, which was swent away.
will amount to probably $500. The
Hill family lose everything, their
house being completely demolished. They
were taken from the roof by Mr.. Askew.
Chalmers Henderson loses S.. 600 on his
furniture and the stock in his store, the
owner of the latter building, Mr.. Andrew
Kimmins, losing on it about 81 500 The
telephone office was almost completely
wrecked. The County Infrmary iron
bridge was moved from its abutments, but
as it connects the two portions Of the town
the most strenuous exertions were made to
save it aud the structure was successfully
moved back safely.
During the terrible night two men were
seen coming down the creek on the roof OF
house. Just above the county bridge II
struck Q large sycamore tree and was
demolished, the two men disappearing,
and ut neither Elm Grove nor below has
ANYTHING been heard of them. Following