River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-26
SCENES OF pEsoLAIloN.

They Are to Be Witnessed In tifs Track
Of the Late Storm in West Virginia.
Twenty-Three Lives Thought to HsvS
Been Lost.
WHEELING, W. Va, July 2I.-The dam
sye caused by the late storm can hardly be
imagined from the meager accounts al
ready sen out Investigation SHOWS a
wide area of desolatiou. in which the loss
IF life and destruction Of property il
great. The line of the Pittsburgh division
II the Baltimore a Ohio railroad will
have TO be practically rebuilt from Elm
Grove TO the Pennsylvania State line Six
large and costly bridges were washed away,
and the track was lifted from the road-oed
and twisted into all conceivable shapes Tor
miles at stretch. At some places it is i'm
possible to discern where the road-bed has
been, while, with the exception of only an
occasional gap on high and solid ground,
the entire bed is badly washed
Interest centers IL the destruction Of the
Baltimore 6 Ohio bridge over Wheeling
creek at Main street AND the fatalities
which attended that disaster. Several of
those on the bridge were cou6tkess stran-
gers in the city, and their absence
is not noticed. SO far as can
be deiinitely known there were four rlen
and three boys Eot since heard from on
the bridge when il went down. The 10
year-old son of Daniel Richie and IL
year-old boy, Eddie Hathaway, are miss
ing So far there have been recovered
fourteen bodies.
Il is thought now that twenty three PER
sons have been drowned at various places. ,
Among them are Charles caulbell. of the
Wheeling Ne,cs Letter. aged 30 years,
who was found amOng the driftwOOd
.4..T-.
and the sheriff of Marshall Coun-,
Is. The destruction of life and
property at Trjadelphia was awful. Fiji
teen families arc homeless and saved
nothing but what they had on. Half the
buildings Of this village of coo inhabitants
&ere swept away. The storm extended
sixtetg, miles east OF West Alexander, Pa,
and the scene all along the way is one
of desolatiOn and inconceiyable hOr-
ror Where the TriadelPhia schOol-house,
a large building of six rooms, Stood the
creek is now a raging food and not a yes
tiee OF even the foundation remains The
whole south half OF the town has disar-
reared - clear as if it never existed. Two
cemeteries Were washed out, and the COT
fins with bodies ficated down the river.
1t is impossible 10 give any details of
losses for the reason that those who SUI
Tered can NGE estimate lltN4A oh ii Auoo a.
vet, and every resident of low grounds in
the entire valley suffered damage ranging
from 500 10 slOO0d, while even
those on the hills los, valuable
crops. fences, etc. The Baltimore
& Ohio's loss win reach S35O,O00 at . low
estimate. The county's loss in roads sud
bridges and school houses win lie at least
SEQ 900. The Wheeling Natural Gas Com
pany loses $4,000 and the Natural Gas
Company of West Virginia S6,50o Other
known losses reach a total of about $500
The Wheeling relief committee, which
recently raised funds for the ROwlesburg
sufferers. expended the balance for pro
visions and sent il TO TriadelPhia.
For distance Of fifteen miles between
West Alexander and Wheeling, where the
storm hurst with fury, the track Of the
storm presents scene Of devasta
tiou and destruction. Trees lie
across the track where they were
blown. Wires are down and frequent
land slides impede the worlSmen who are
trving 10 clear the tracks. In this stretch
of territory which suffered the greatest
damage there ave five short bridges cross
ing creeks TO be repaired, and the office in
this city estimates tho number Of land
slides TO be cleared at twenty