The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-17
WASHED BY THE FLOOD
Great Destruction in West
----...- Virginia.
%ailroads Suffer by Having Bridges and
Trestles Washed Away-Stories of
Suffering-Liyes Lost.

PARKERsBURG, W. Va, July 1.-THE storm
on Monday night was the most disastrous of
the many which visited this region during the
past week, and the loss Of property in range
pf twelve counties hereabout is estimated at Il
Quarter of a million dollars. A bridge worth
$4,000 was swept from It's moorings here yes
Serday. All day immense quantities of wheat
and timber tioated past in q tangled mass. Al
most every farm in the valley of counties adj
Soining this has been swept clean of its prod
ucts. The Middle Island Tie company lest
$4,000 ties last night, valued at S13,500.
number of trestleS and bridges on the Column
bus and Northern road, running into Harmar,
on the Ohio side, are washed away, and travel
Us indefinitely suspended. The GAINESVILLE and
Ohio river road just put into operation, is
badly washed out, and it will be several days
before travel is resumed. No train has come
from the east on the Baltimore and Ohio since
Monday morning. The town of Salem is
entirely under water, and the people have left
their homes!
PITTsBURG, July 1.-THE latest estimates
OF damage puts the total loss at over million
dollars Wheeling reports the damage in the
vicinity of Grafton, West Virginia, at not less
than $4,000, and about Fairmont at as much
more. The loss at Brownvile, Pa, is reported
20 be over Sl25, GOO; at Rowesburg, West Vir-
Blnla, S125, 600. In this neighborhood it will
exceed S1o0,000, and it is not eXaggerating to
say that with the above a fair estimate, the
total loss viii exceed one million dollars as
the flooded district covers an area of fully two
aundred and fifty miles.
AT AlcKeesport all the mills are closed and
hundreds are homeless and destitute. The
Charteries natural gas main, eros ing the river
at that point was broken during the night, and
anlmnense pressure OF gas forced into the air.
iWatchman Knight, OF the Pittsburg, Nc
Aeesrort and Youghtogy railroad, crossed the
Grestle at Salisbury a short time after, and his
lantern ignited the gas, causing a tremendous
explosion. Knight was fatally burned and
the bridge set on fire, but the flames were not
eXtinguished before it was destroyed Traffic
has been almost suspended on the PittSburg,
Virginia and Charleston road. No trains are
cunning south of Peters creek, nineteen miles
from here.
A Wheeling dispatch says the freshet was
Ghe greatest ever known. The destruction to
property is beyond computation, but enoughi is
known to warrant the declaration that nearly
every house and most of the fencing on all low
nands between that point and Clarksburg, on
She west, and as far at least as Grafton, on the
VALLEY river, have been swept away. From
early dawn until dark the Monongehela con-
sinued to rise and during that time the channel
was full OF houses, fences, timber, saw
j1ogs, SHOCKS oil wheat, parts of bridges and
other debris, denotng the havoc of the rush
ing waters. The water is now falling at head
waters and the worst is over. Since midnight
She river at Brownsville has receded five feet.
in this city there was twenty-five feet of
water at o'clock this afternoon, and still
rising.
AT p. M the water was falling at all 20 nts
Between Pittsburg and the head waters of the
Monongahela and no more damage from the
freshet is apprehended. The highest point
reached here was % feet and at 6 O clock had
fallen % feet at Brownsville, California and
other towns along the upper Monongaheia.
There were three feet more water than ever
Before The current is still running at the
rate OF nine miles per hour, but the river is
comparatively clear OF debris, everything hav-
ing run out. Coal men are now getting
Gheir coal tow in readiness and tomorrow about
1O,0O0,000 bushels will be started down the
Eiyer
A dispatch from California says that during
The highest point of the flood the long trestle
works Of the Pittsburg, Wheeling and Charles
lSon railroad spanning Pike Run creek turned
lover from one end to the other submergng
Western Union wires
A later dispatch fromWheeling SAYS, from re-
Eports received from the flooded district of West
Virginia, it looks as il the money slost by
tMonday's rain would reach nearly $780,
900 At least three lives have been lost. Tne
water IS now falling rapidly at all points and
st is becoming possible to get detailed reports
from small towns and villages in the noun
tains. Not less than fifty bridges are gone in
Marion, Harrison, Taylor, Wetzel, Wood,
Writ, Richie, Lewis and adjoining counties,
and hundreds of houses have been swept away
or are badly damaged.
In Taylor county the loss is $25O,OO0: in
Harrison as much more; in Wood
all through the flooded districts. In
Grafton and vicinity the loss will not fall short
OF quarter of a million. In addition to wash
4DS away iitI!e IAdnGW!!a Dfidg6 at HarkefS-
burg, the flood has done other severe havoc.
All Baltimore ard Ohio trains are stopped
from the east. Two tunnels between Parkers-
burg and Grafton caved in, and the new
GAINESVILLE and Ohio road is reported to be badly
damaged. The Ohio river was damaged
to great extent below Parkersburg.
Great losses of crossties and timber are re-
ported The destruction to property all along
the little Kanawha and Ohio rivers is greater
than in 1864 when the great flood came.
PITT5BURG, July 12.-The waters that have
been sweeping the valley Of the Monongahela
and the waters of its tributaries for the last GOO
hours ARE again falling into their natural chan
nels. They leave intheir track scenes of DESC
lation and ruin that have never had their coun-
ferpart in the same localities From PittSburg
TO the mountain Businesses of Randolph county,
West Virginia, towns have been ravaged ,Inanu-
factories inundated, boats sunk, houses and
growing crops have been devastated Families
have been driven to the hills for shelter, and
in many instances accumulations of years of
toll and self-denal were lost in an hour.
The losses entailed by the flood will not fall
short of three million dollars, large proper
ton of which falls with crushing effect upon
the people of the thriving counties of Mo
Barbour, Upshur and Randolph, in West Vir-
ginia.
In Pennsylvania. the losses are in the coun-
tiles of Allegheny, Washington, Westm0re-
land, Fayette and Greene, the heaviest being
in Allegheny, Washington and Fayette.
These losses fall most heavily upon owners of
coal property, railroad companies and farmers.
Notwithstanding the suddenness of the COM
ing of the water and area of distribution,
losses of fats baTges and smaller river crafts
have been comparatively small and nearly all
boat owners are congratuating themselves on
their good fortune.
TWO BOYS KILLED.