The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-21
Tales, Seemingly Incredible,
Which Leave Much to Tell.
How the Torrents Came Out OF
the Angry Skies.

The latest and most authentic reports
from the localities where the storm was
worst Thursday night show a state ot
affairs scarcely guessed at before day
lirht yesterday. The worst scenes oil
dcsolation are to be Witnessed in those
places not accessible the night of the
storm. \ personal visit to all the flood
stricken sections OF the vicinity by IN
rELLlGGScER reporters yesterday showed
that so iar as it wus possible to cover
the field the night before the accounts
obtained, even from hearsay, were more
nearly correct than was to be expected,
considering the excitement and Confu-
sion which prevailed, and the wide area
which suffered devastation.
But as was feared, the points not
reached the night OF the storm showed,
Il possible, worse state OF affairs than
those that were accessible. The work OF
the fearful flood was but feebly portray
ed Yesterday. Indeed, language can at
best but iccbly portray the ruin and des-
olation east OF the city from Elm Grove
almost to West Alexander. The line OF
the Pittsburgh division of the Baltimore
4 Ohio Railroad will have to be praCtic-
ally rebuilt from Elm Grove to the Penn.
sylyNnia State line. Six large and costly
bridges were washed away, the track
lifted from the road bed and twisted into
all conceivable shapes, for miles at n
stretch. At some places it is impossible
to discern where the road bed has been,
while with the exception OF only m oC-
casional zap on high and solid ground,
the entire bed is badly washed.
THE LOSS OF LIFE.
OtCoursc interest centres in the wreck
of the Baltimore & Ohio bridge over
Wheeling creek at Main street and the
fatalities which, though there is a
strange lack Of definite knowledge con-
Ccrning them, necessarily attended that
disaster. This lack OF definite knowl'
edge iB not SO unexpected rs it might
seem when il is reflected that there
were anumbcr OF picnic parties and ex'
CursiOns out Of the city, some OF the
members OF which have not yet return
ed. Persons whose friends have not
turned up are at II loss to know whether
they were out on one OF these trains and
are satc though cut oil from the city, Ol
went down into the sccthing flood
Others OF those on the bridge wcrt
doubtless strangers in the city attracted
by curiosity and their absence is not no
ticcd So far as can be definitely knowr
there were four men and three boys no
since heard from on the bridge when i
went down. OF these but two ART
known, both boys, one the lS-year.OlC
son OF Daniel Richie and the other /
l2'yeaf.oId boy named Eddie Hatha
way, All the men had umbrellas owe
them and il they were known to any o
those v ho saw them they were not rec
ogni2cd.
The revised list OF the persons whc
persisted is as follows:
HERMAN Stencil, milkman, drowned
IN his house on Caldwell's run.
Mas. BARBARA Stencil, aged 65, wild
owed mother OF Herman.
ANSA WiSGERT, a niece OF Mrs. Stem
lel, visiting her; lived at Miltonsburg
Ohio, aged 10.
ALICE WINGERT, q sister OF ANN
Wngard, an inmate OF the Stenze
household, employed as a domestic
aged 81.
Mrs. THOMAS HowLEY, and her fou
children, one boy and three girl.
drowned in their house on Caldwell
run.
JouN HoWWAX, drowned while a
tempting to rescue the Stencil famil
with n raft,
MRS, JANE FEAY, and her daughter
Alice and Belle, single, aged respectivel
% and 2l; drowned at Triadelphia.
WILLIAM GAsToN, OF Point Mill
body recovered at Elm Grove.
1t was reported chat in addition
those here named, family OF thr'
brothers and their father, named Boy
man, were drowned near Point Mill
but this was fortunately untrue. The
was also u report that the family OF
man named Johnson, near Clinton, HI
lost their lives, but this could not
authenticated.
THE VOLUME OF WATER.
The volume Of water that fell Thu
day evening has been variously estim
ted, but conservative judges placed it
$ inches in the city. When it ia l
tlceIed that rainfall OF . inches is co
sidercd heavy storm the immensity
the storm can be appreciated.
Tha! this estimate was not far wro