Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-23
FLOOD ECHOES.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE VISIT Elm GROVE
AND TRrADRLPHIA
Ysstsrday-Ths Relief Committee Getting in Shap
10 Systsnsteally Help the Suf,rsrs-ln!sr-
sstng Notes AbOu. the Dsluga.

sstng Notes AbOu. the Delugs.
There never was such procession Of We
hicles between Wheeling and Triadelphis
as was witnessed on the National Road
yesterday. The curiosity to see the devas-
tation and wrecksge had been aroused
among the people to the highest point by
the graphic accounts Of the havoc and ruin
recorded in the papers since the dire cal
amity, and yesterday being Sunday and
nice day, everybody went that could get
there, some going out as early as hve
o'clock in the morning. The vehicles
were of all kinds-carriages, buggiee, dog
carts, spring wagons, farm wagons, express
wagons, and in fact everything on wheels,
was ont the pike. 1t was not uncommon
10 see a solid line of vehicles going and
coming for several hundred yards, while
the entire distance was thickly dotted with
conyeyanees. These were supplemented
with horsemen and pedestrians, many OF
the latter going out on the motor line to
the terminus, and footing it the rest OF the
yay: 30 that altogether there must have
been at least 5, 900 people who visited the
scenes of disaster yesterday.
Just east of Elm Grove, and on entering
Triadelphia, there were committees OF
citizens stationed with contribution boxes
and the travellers were attended to so well
that at six o'clock last evening the COM
mittee at the Grove had secured something
over $500, and the one at Triadelphla
about 500. The idea WAS q good one and
the harvest reaped will 90 great way TO
wards alternating the distress OF the SUI
erers.
The sightseers on the pike were so thick
at times that a lady counted over hVe
hundred vehicles passing one point from
three to five o'clock, and gentleman
counted 400 people passing q given point
in thirty-six minutes. The visitors not only
came from town but there were
paople there from all over the
country for miles around and they came on
horse back, in wagons and on shank g mare.
Anyway so they got there, and they Ger
tainly got there.
People have read great deal about the
terrible devastation and have been told OF
il by their friends, but all who visited the
scenes agree that no description either
written or oral, could begin to give them
an adequate idea of the devastation and
rnin caused by the waters. As one passes
through the wrecked town and glsnees
into the houses where the water has left
nothing but damaged building and few
uieces of broken furniture, and looks from
these to the faces of the inmates, especially
of the wives and mothers, and notes the look
of uneasiness and sorrow that Is settled
there il makes his heart ache and causes
him to feel like going down into his pocket
and delivering up his last cent to the sui
ferers. =,
A large force of workmen were buslly
employed on the B. K o. Just above the
s, bridge and the track is rapidly being
put into shape
General Manager Clements, Superintend-
emit ]. T. Legge and other officials went
out along the road yesterday to leave in
struetions, &c.
The train that was belated at point
lust back of the town is still standing
where il was, as it has no room to move
either way and couldn't if it would.
When people see the exact position In
which the train was left. the remarkably
lucky escape il experienced is magnihed.
Between two bridges, one Of which swept
AWAY three minutes after the train passed
over it, and another that swept away
about the time the engineer had de-
termiped to stop, it was left in position
of comparative safety with seventy-fye
souls on board. Engineer McMshsn is
eartainly to be commended for the splen-
did Judgment he showed in stopping where
and when he did, as are all the other menu
bers of the train crew who did everything
they could to make the passengers COM
Portable. The piece of track the train stands
on is about the only piece in that vicinity
left uudamaged, and had it not been for
the drift and debris washing against the
locomotive and turning off the force OF the
water, it is more than likely that some OF
the cars would have been washed away.
A force of 100 men, many of whom are
rived last evening, will be put to work
around the train this morning and after
the debris is sll cleared away they will
proceed to rebuild the track on up the
creek. A cook was busily employed last
evening in boiling hams and getting other
provisions ready for the men.
The citizens of the town were pretty
we'll tired out yesterday and they were
resting as best they could in their dam.
aged houses. One noticeable feature OF
the scene, was that the people generally,
especislly the ladies were dressed in nice
simmer costumes and all looked neat and
clean, quite in contrast with the general
appearance of the town.
The terrific force of the water is apparent
on every side, especially Is this 90 at the
| iron railroad bridge about mile
and q quarter above the town. Steel
rails are literally wound around trees
and almost tied into knots, while I'M
mense stones have been moved, culverts
torn away and everything that the water
got fair sweep at WAS moved. The old
government bridge at the upper end OF the
town il totally destroyed, and when one
looks at the heavy stones that were swept
away like chips, he can get some IDEA Oh
the irresistible force Of the torrent.
But most of the ground has been cover
ed and q great many of our people have
seen the desolated districts, withithe prob
abilities that many others will do the
same in the next few days, and all that
uoy remains to do, is to turn in and help
the sufferers as much as possible.
The Relief Committee Meeting.
The County Relief Committee, composed
of President Cruise of the Board of Com
missioners, chairman; J. Shriver Woods,
secretary, and Messrs. J. W. Maxwell, W,
H. Tyler, S. G. Terrell and ]. A. Nc
Cardle, met at the County Infrmary yes
,erday afternoon. The Committee was
called to order at o'clock and immed-
lately proceeded to map out a line of pro-
ceedure in the matter Of distributing pro-
visions to the food sufferers.
The Committee has already been at
work and has succeeded in max
ing out . partial list Of those
VINO have met with severe losses,