Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-07-26


From the Intelligencer, Saturday.
BY NO MEANS EXAGGERATED.
The work of the fearful flood was but
feebly portrayed yesterday. Indeed
language can at best but feebly portray
the ruin and desolation East of the city
from Elm Grove almost to West Alex
ander The line of the Pittsburgh di-
vision of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road will have to be practically rebuilt
from Elm Grove to the Pennsylvania
State line. Six large and costly bridges
were washed away, the track lifted from
the road bed and twisted and twined in
to all conceivable shapes, for miles at a
stretch. AT some places it is impossi-
bic to discern where the road bed had
been, while with the exception of only
an occasional gap on high and solid
ground, the entire bed is badly washed.
THE LOSS OF LIFE.
OF course interest centers in the wreck
of the Baltimore and Ohio bridge over
Wheeling Creek at Main Street and the
fatalities which, though there is a strange
lack of definite knowledge concerning
them, necessarily attended that disaster.
This lack of definite knowledge is not so
unexpected as it might seem when it is
reflected that there were a number of
picnic parties and excursions out of the
city, some of the members of which have
not vet returned. Persons whose friends
have not turned up are at a loss to know
whether they were out on one Of these
trains and are safe though cut off from
the city, or went down into the seething
| flood. Others of those on the bridge
were doubtless strangers in the city at
tracted by curiosity and their absence is
not noticed. So far as can be definitely
! known there were four men and three
boys not since heard from on the bridge
when it down.
| THE VOLUME OF WATER.
The volume of water that fell Thurs
day evening has been variOusly estima-
ted, but conservative judges placed it at
inches in the city When it is reflect
ed that rainfall of 2 inches is cOnsid-
cred heavy storm the immensity of
the storm can be appreciated.
That this estimate was not far wrong
is established by an observation made
by Mr.. W. NJ. Dunlap on his premises
at West Liberty, where the rain filled a
tub to depth of 81 inches, standing in
an open field, though some of the water
was seen to splash out.
At Triadelphia the rainfall was so ter
rible that Capt. w. A. Mccoy, a well
known resident of that place, says that
while he was walking through the rain
with child in his arms he noticed the
child strangling, and had he not thrown
his coat over its head he believes it would
have drowned in the sheets of descend
ing water.
A story is also told by Captain Nc
Coy which as forcibly illustrates the ter
rifle character of the rainfall. He went
into house to assist a woman out |
When he entered there was about two
inches of water on the road. As he |
came out three minutes later the water |
was up to his arm pits! The flood came
down like an advancing wall.
When the Elm Grove train stopped |
just beyond the Woods run bridge, |
there was little water, but before the
passengers could alight the cars were
surrounded by water.
SOME OF THE LOSSES.
It is impossible to give anything like
an estimate of the losses at this time
Those who suffered can not themselves
form an opinion of what their loss will
be. The main loser will be the Baltimore
and Ohio r. r. Co., which suffers dam
age variOusly estimated at from $780, 900
to 100000. The latter is probably
ha N 70 %hn
ty, districts and State on the National
and other roads, bridges, school houses
and other public property will reach
$60,000. The Elm Grove Company loses
at least $4,000.
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
The Baltimore and Ohio Chicago
Philadelphia express train which left
Wheeling at $40 P. NJ. on Thursday
stands on the track at Triadelphia. The
piece of road on which the cars are is
about the only whole piece of track of
equal length left. About the head of
the engine is piled high logs, pieces of
houses, furniture, grain in the shock dead
chickens and clay, the whole forming a
sort of bulwark which shed the water
from the cars. Had this fortress not
been formed it is hard to say what effect
the waters might have had.
The passengers, many of them ex-
cursionistS bound for Atlantic City and
other Eastern points were variously af-
fected. Those in the sleeper preserved
their equinimity fairly well, but those in
the day coaches, especially the ladies,
were soon panic-Stricken, and it required ,
strenuous efforts to prevent them from I
plunging headlong into the water.
Some of the women insisted on leav-
ing the cars, and in some cases were as
sisted by the men to the ground after the I
waters subsidized, but were obliged to re- ,
turn, as the cars were about the only hab-
table places in the vicinity. 1t may be {
doubted if any of the passengers slept :
much in that novel situation. There G
were an unusually large number of pas /
'engers aboard, and among the number G
we're three bridal couples. They receiv-
I'd the sympathy and attention of every
body on board.
Early yesterday morning a number of a
jhe men who were alone on the train l.
started and walked into town. Friends 4
If ladies who were aboard drove out =
rom the city in carriages and wagons !
md brought them home. Later the n
Baltimore and Ohio officials sent out n
,mnibuses for the passengers and wag- S
ms for the baggage, express matter and
nail. They were brought into the city d
md sent East over the main line of the q
Baltimore & Ohio last evening. Il
1t is safe to say that it will be at least
/ month before the roadbed can be re-
laired, the bridges rebuilt and the ties Il
md rails replaced. n
The radical reduction Of the duties i'm \
)oSed upon rG1C material used IN mGRu- a
'dctHreS, or its free importation, is, Of =
'OurSe, an important factor IN an effort .
o reduce the price Of these neceSsarieS. = =
y Such reduction, or free impor- E