Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-21

~ N@Dy VI tne MONIES or the people
Oh mat section being situated Immediately
Along the banks of the stream.
whsre they have stood for year,
without molestation, but Thursday even
lng.s Hood made sad havoc with them.
The flood came so unexpectedly, and its
devastation was 50 complete, that people
were simply appalled,, and little could be
peril.
The first unfortunate sufferer seen by
the REGTsrKR representative was
Mr.. JOHN SPRINGER,
whose house stood on the run bank imme-
diately below the point where Eoff street
crosses that stream. The turbulent waters
poured in upon him, and it was only by
speedy action that he and his family es-
capped with their lives. Mr.. Stripger
thinks his building would have with
stood the force Of the water
had not a tree and large
amount Of drift ran in against it. He lost
his house, and everything it contained. The
Eof street bridge, just above his house,
afforded some protection, and did not 20
out for some time after his building was
swept away.
Ksisley & Brooks extensive wagon, har-
ness and blacksmith shop, on Wood street,
was
CGMPLErELY WRECKED,
the entire south side of the building being
torn away by the mad torrent Of water
which rushed down the valley. The firms
losses, including losses on their brickysrd,
in Ritchietown, it is estimated, will reach
5000. The house of Andy Hotter, q
German, living on MeColloch street,
sustained considerable damage, the
building being undermined and
badly wrecked. The chimneys were
Knocked down, and the building left
in 8 very dangerous condition. No esti'
mate of his damages could be sscertained.
At the second county bridge on the run,
the stream makes an abrupt curve, and il
was near this point that the
MOST DISASTROUS RESULTS
Of the flood occurred. Against the bridge,
which withstood the force of the torrent
pouring down upon it, a vast amount Of
drift and debris accumulated, and the
water left its channel and cut across to the
opposite bank, flooding buildings and
tearing away about eighty feet Of stone wal
along the run hank, and carrying away
the house of Herman G. S;entzel. The
building contained at the time Mrs. Bar
bara Stentzsl, an aged lady, Misses Annie
and Alice Wengert, two of her pieces,
Of Ohio, who were visiting her at the time,
and Herman G.. Stentzel. The building
was quickly carried of its foundation and
wrecked, and John Homsn, in his vain eff
forts to render assistance TO the family, al
Of whom persisted, lost his own life. Mr.
Slantzel owned and managed the Blue
Grass Dairy, and besides losing his Owl
life and that Of his mother, sustained s
money loss of perhaps 81 COO,
LOSING EVERYTHING
he possessed excepting his cows, horses snC
wagons. The body Of Mrs. Stentzel wa
recovered yesterday near the mouth Of thu
run, and that Of her younger niece wa!
found in the run Just above Eotf stree
crossing.
The next unfortunate family was tina
Of Mr..
THos. HowLEY,
whose house, containing his wife and fou
| children, three boys and girl, WAS car
ried down the turbulent stream until i
struck bridge, and went to pieces, anC
the whole family persisted. Mr.. Howley
who was but short distance from tn
house when it started on its wild caree
down the run, made q desperate anC
heroic effort TO save his family, and cam,
very nearly losing his own life in the en-
deayor.
The next sufferer met with was Mr.
Henry weidbush, who, with his aged wife
occupied building jutting out upon tn,
run bank. They kept little grocery anC
the old gentleman carried on the shoe
/ making business. The entire front por
ton of the old couples house, containing
the stock of
GROCERIES, HOUSEHOLD GOODS,
ETC.. was carried away, leaving the old peo
nile with little or nothing of their forme
Possessions. Mr.. Weidbush thinks hi
Elosses will aggregate $500 or $500.
Il At the toll gate, where the Left Hand
kFork of Caldwell's run joins the man
tbrsnch, the scene yesterday simply beg
gars description. The Fairmont pike
which runst along the main branch OF tn
run, at tina point was filled with grea
stones and boulders, some of which woul,
weigh hundreds of pounds, together wit
all kinds of debris and wreckage, whicl
had been tumbled pell.mell down to tina
point by the great. volume of water rush
ing out of the Left Hand Fork. Whel
the reporter passed along large force o
men were employed clearing the roadway
but were making very slow progress.
The slaughter houses located Just above
the toll gate came in for some damage
but it was light as compared with tn,
surrounding property.
MT. ZION CEMETERY
was next visited, and there, as elsewher
along the stream, were plainly visible thu
rsyasss of the destructive torrent. Tn
cemetery is located on the right bank o
the stream, extending considerable dis
lance up the mountains side. Al
that portion lying in the bottom wss over
flowe d, the fence carried away, and tn
building used as waiting room and too
( house, was moved of its foundation, ant
wrecked 30 bsdly that it will have to b
rebuilt. The coal house and the bridg
spanning the run from the pike TO the GENE
tery, were also carried away and destroyed
and the stone wall along the margin OF tn
run met the same fate. A large sewe
pipe leading from the mountain side allow
the cemetery became choked mp
ard large volume Of waite
passed down through the grounds, dom
great damage " the rosdwsys and shrub
berry. Little if any damage, however, wa
done the graves. Sexton Andrew aaldsn
whom We foand busy repairing dsmag
about the grounds, thinks the csmeter,
sustained damages which will foot n
nearly $1,000.
APassing mp from the cemetery the re
porter met with
ALpEET GRIFFITH,
who resides in what is known as the "ol'
toll house." Mr.. Griffith wss sesiousl.
damaged by the food, the water comm
into his house to the depth OF fifteen inches
Fortunately his family were away iron
home at the time, and the only thing ths
saved his house from destruction was tn
stump Of large tree, standing just aoov
the building, which caught the drift an,
| \ - g ~F, ,a cprroof Nv Griffill