The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-07-26
THE WEST VIRGINIA HORROR.
The Unprecedented Rainfall aud Appalling Loss
Of Lie. 49,

OF Lille. :4"
A personal visit to all the food stricken
sections Of West Virginia by areporter showed
if possible, d worse state of affairs than those
do justice TO- the ruin and desolation eastofthe
city of Wheeling from Elm Grove almost to
West Alexandria. The line Of the
Pittsburg division of the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad will have to be
partially rebuilt from Elm Grove to the
Pennsylvania state line. Six costly bridges
were washed away, the track lifted from the
road bed and twisted into almost all con-
ceivable shapes for miles at q stretch. OF
course interest centers in the wreck Of the
Baltimore & Ohio bridge over Wheeling
creek, and the fatalities which attended
that disaster. Several of those or
the bridge were doubtless strangers in the
sence is not noticed. So far as can be definite.
'ly known there were four men and three boys
not since heard from on the bridge when it
went down. The revised list of the persons
who persisted is as follows:
Herman Stencil, Mrs. Barbara Stencil, An
ME Wingard of Williamsburg, Ohio. Alice Win
gard, an inmate of the Stencil household,
employ ed az a domestic; Mrs. Thomas Haw-
ley and her four children, one boy and three,
girls; John Holman, Mrs. Jane F1ay and her
two daughters, Alice and Belle; William Gas
ton of Point Mills. K
There was also q report that the family OF
a man named Johnson, near Clinton. had
lost their lives, but this could not be authen-
ticated. Mr.. Wingard, the father of the two
girls, has arrived in the city. He had no
knowledge of the drowning of his two daugh-
ters until after his arrival.
Later and authentic details from Triadel-
phia show the destruction there was more
appalling than anywhere else. Fifteen families
are homeless and saved nothing but whatthey
had on. Half this village ofGOO inhabitants
were swept away but all but those before
named escaped to the hills. Thestorm extended
about 16 miles east Of West Alexander, Pn.,
and the scene all along the way ia one of des-
olation and inconceivable horror. Where
the Triadelphia school house, q large build
raging flood and not q vestige OF even the
foundation remains. The+whole south half
of the town has disappeared as clear as if it
never existed. 8 .,
1t cannot be stated at this hour how
many lives have been lost. The loss
number reported missing. Caldwell's Run,
which passes through the city, was the scene
of the greatest havoc. Three houses were
swept away and all the inmates were
drowned. Great damage is reported
at Elm Grove and Triadelphia, the
drowned at these points a,oh were
w Illdlu uuSUOH ulu WACs q DOh chN
two young men named Bowman. Mrs. John.
son, q widow aged 60 years, residing at Gin
ton, died from fright. About fifteen bodies
have been found SO far. The greatest loss OF
life was along Wheeling creek and Triadelphia'
A. search resulted in the discovery of q num-
Der of bodies near the latter place. Most Of
them were found among the drift which
collected at Elm Grove. The body OF
William CASTOR. aged sixty years. o prom
inent and wealthy citizen was fonnd neal
Elm Grove. His wife's remains were
found two miles below Elm Grove hanging
on q barbed wire fence. Charles Caulbell
aged fifty years, was found among driftwood
Mrs. Jane Fay and her. two daughters
Alice and Mary, were discovered a short
distance below T%riadelphin, and the bodies
of two brothers named German were found
in a meadow, where they had been hurled by
the furious waters. Among the number
drowned was the sheriff of Marshall county
Two cemeteries were washed and the cofint
with bodies foated down the river.