St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-07-28
THE WHEELING DISASTER.
Further Particulars of the Terrible De
struction Wrought by the Storm q,
Wheeling and Vicinity.

Further Particulars of the Terrible d.
struction Wrought by the Storm g
Wheeling and Vicinity.
} WHEELING, w. Va, July 21.-Thursda
nights storm extended sixteen miles eas
of West Alexander, Pa, and the scene al
along the way is one of desolation and in
conceivable horror. Where the Triadel
phia school house, large building of si
rooms, stood, the creek is now a ragin
flood and not even a vestige of even tn
foundations remains, while the who'll
south half of the town has disappeared a.
clean as if it never existed. The Wheel
ing relief committee, which recently raised
funds for the Rowlesburg sufferers, ex
pended the balance for provisions and sen
it to Triadelphia.
The Baltimore & Ohio, Pittsburgh di
vision, is practically destroyed for fifteer
miles, while the Western Union Telegraph
Company lost forty miles of wire and
most of the poles.
Reports from all parts of Ohio County
indicate that the storm was more disas.
trous to life and property in the country
than in the city, but it can not be stated at
this hour how many lives have been lost
| The loss in this city is known to be ten,
~
CaldwelPs run, which passes through
the Eighth ward of this city, was the
scene of the greatest havoc. Three houses
were swept away and all the inmates were
drowned. They were: Mrs. Barbara
Stencil, Herman Stencil, Alice and Annie
Wlngert, of Miltonsburg, O., nieces of
Mrs. Stencil; John Homan, Mrs. Thomas
Hawley and four children.
in fho 4
hundred yards down the stream, but
managed to reach the bank in safety.
Only two bodies have been recovered
Alice Wingert and Mrs. Stencil. Great
damage is reported at Elm Grove and
Triadelpha. The drowned at these points
were: Mrs. Jane Fay and two daughters,
William Warren and wife, Cal Bell, two
young man named Bowman. Mrs. John
Oxford, widow, aged sixty years, living
at Clinton, this county, died from fright.
The greatest loss of life was along
Wheeling creek and at Triadelphia. A
search this morning resulted in the dis
covery of number of bodies near the lat
ter place. Most of them were found
among the drift which collected at Elm
Grove.
The body of William CASTOR, aged sixty
was found near Elm Grove His wife's
Grove hanging ON barbed wire fence.
Charles Caulbell, of the Wheeling Neecs-
letter, aged fifty years, was found among
drntwood. Mrs. Jane Fay and her two
grown daughters, Alice and Nav, were
discovered short distance below Triadel-
phia, and the bodies of two brothers named
German were found in meadow.
Twenty three persons are known to have
County.
Two cemeteries were washed out and
the coffins with bodies foated down the
river.
The line of the Pittsburgh division of the
Baltimore & Ohio will have to be practic-
ally rebuilt from Elm Grove to the Penn.
sylvania State line. Six large and costly
bridges were washed away and the track
fitted from the roadbed and twisted into |
Ill conceivable shapes for miles at a |
stretch. At some places it is impossible to
liscern where the roadbed had been, while. |
With the exception OF only an occasional |
zap on high and solid ground, the entire
bed is badly washed.
Interest centers in the wreck of the Bal
ihioio . ~ oHio UiluSo over Clo w neeIlng
reek at Main street and the fatalities
which attended that disaster. Several of
hose on the bridge were doubtless
in the city attracted by curiosity
nd their absence is not noticed. So far
IS can be definitely known there were
our women and three boys not since heard
rom ON the bridge when it went down.
he thirteen -year-old son of Daniel Richie
nd twelve-year-old boy named Eddie
Hathaway are missing.
1t is impossible to give any details of
'sses for the resson that those who suf-
cred can not estimate their own loss as
ct, and every resident of low ground in
le entire valley suffered damage ranging
ON 500 to $4,000, while even those on
ie hills lost valuable crops, fences, etc.
he Baltimore & Ohio Company's loss will
Zach 1880, 900 at a low estimate The coun-
rs loss in roads and bridges will be at
asst 100000; the Wheeling Natural Gas
ompany, $1,000; the Natural Gas Com
any Of West Virginia., $1,000; w. T.
hambers & Co., Elm Grove coal works,
200; Kimmins & Hutchinson, Elm Grove
erchants, $1,000; city, on washes and
'idges, 5000; Pittsburgh, Chicago & st.
'uis railroad, $500; Wheeling & Elm
rove raj road, $4,000; Fl, c. Hunter, Tri-
telphia brick manufacturer, $4,000.