Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-07-14
WEST VIRGINIA FLOODS.

There were heavy floods between
this and Wheeling Monday. All the
Western mails came by way of Pitts
burg. One span of the Cheat River
Bridge at Rowlesburg was washed
out. Hundreds of acres of growing
crops and harvest fields along the
Ohio and Kanawa were deluged.
Families had to leave their houses,
the water reaching as high as the
beds. There were several deaths by
lightning and drowning. AT Pied
mont the tracks were under water, and
many trestles washed away. The
Potomac was high. The West Va.
Central roadbed and telegraph lines
were much damaged.
In Piedmont and Westernport
many streets were flooded. and many
families were compelled to move from
their homes. The river at Cumber-
land did not reach its highest point
until Tuesday evening, and has not
been so high for many years. I'M
LlCiloC tlCCCs ca w AOS,o fshtA OeAANA oOoA AZ
were caught in the mad whirl of the
waters of the dam, and, as though
seized by some giants hands, were
tossed to and fro, now rising their
full length from the water, and then
falling back, burying their black
trunks in the foam. A quantity Of
wheat and rye came down with the
torrent.
A special dispatch to The american
from Grafton, w. Va, says: "The
Cheat aud Tygart rivers are the high.
est ever known. While the people in
the low lands were preparing to move
out last night, those living on higher
ground retired only to be awakened
at midnight to fee for their lives.
The water rose higher than ever
known before by eight to ten feet.
| The houses on the river streets in
| South and West Grafton are flooded
to the second stories, and the people
are being taken out in boats. At Fet-
terman, one house and large double
wagon bridge were carried away at
an early hour this morning. AT Fair
mont large mill on the river bank
floated out, and was smashed like an
egg-shell against the Morgantown
bridge. which, owing to its substan-
| tial construction, was not damaged.
Morgan & McGill's planning mill here
was carried away. Clarksburg suffer-
ed great damage, losing all the bridg-
es in the vinicity, including one on
the Western narrOw-gauge road and
two between the town and depot, A
dozen houses were washed away.
Cairo and CORVALLIS at midnight
were partly submerged, and the oper-
ator at the latter place was compelled
| to leave his Office. No particulars
from there. Rowlesburg. foot of the
Allegheny mountains, suffered much,
the railroad bridge being damaged,
| but not washed out. Fifteen to
twenty houses and saw mills were
washed away or damaged. e. b.
Stone, one; Charles Pugh, two; w.
w. Shock, one and four thousand dol
lars worth of lumber Mrs. Baugh-
ner, of Morgantown three houses A.
HI. Bowman, five houses; Criss Baugh-
walter, one house; Hinkleking d Co.,
one house and 900, 900 feet of lumber;
Charles Macomber's saw mill, eight
or ten houses, turned upside down.
The loss cannot be estimated, but will
be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The saw-mill men are the greatest
sufferers, as the boom went out, and
the Tygart and Cheat rivers are run
ming full of logs and lumber.
The destruction to crops in some
parts of Ohio and West Virginia is
unparalleled. Whole fields of corn
have been swept away.