Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-07-25
SCENES or DEsoLAT,oN.

They Arc to BE Witnessed in tho Track
Of tho Late Storm In West v1rginia-
rwenty-Three Lives Thought to Have
Been Lost.
WHEELING, W. Va, July 21.-The dam
age caused by the late storm can hardly be-
imagined from the meager accounts al
ready sent out Investigation shows a
wide area of desolation. in which the loss
Of life and destruction of property il
great. The line Of the Pittsburgh division
Of the Baltimore & 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 bed
and twisted into all conceivable shapes for
miles at q stretch. At some places it il 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 in the destruction of the,
Baltimore & Ohio bridge over Wheeling
creek at Main street and the fatalities,
which attended that disaster. Several Of
those on the bridge were doubtless stran-
gers In the city, and their absence
Is not noticed. So far as can
be definitely known there were four men
and three boys not since heard from on
the bridge when it went down. The b.
year-old son of Daniel Richie and 12-
year-old boy, Eddie Hathaway, are miss
Ing. 30 far there have been recovered
fourteen bodies.
1t 10 thought now that twenty three per-
sons have been drowned at various places.
Among them are Charles Caulbell, of the
Wheeling Ne,ps Letter, aged so years,
who was found among the driftwood
near Triadelphia; two German brothers
and the sheriff of Marshall Coun-
ty. The destruction of life and
property at Triadelphia was awful. Fiji
teen families are homeless and saved
nothing but what they had on. Half the
buildings Of this village Of 600 Inhabitants
were swept away. The storm extended
sixteen miles east of West Alexander, Pa,
and the scene all along the way is one
of desolation and inconceivable hor-
ror: Where the Triadelphia school-house,
large building Of six rooms, stood, the
creek is now raging food and not YES
tige of even the foundation remains. The
whole south half Of the town has disap-
peared as clear as il it never existed. Two
cemeteries were washed out, and the cof-
fms with bodies doated down the river
1t is impossible to give any details of
losses for the reason that those who SUI
fered can not estimate their own loss as
yet, and every resident of low grounds in
the entire valley suffered damage ranging
from 500 to $4,000, while even
those on the hills lost valuable
crops, fences, etc. The Baltimore
& Ohio's loss will reach s35O,0O at low
estimate. The county's loss in roads and
bridges and schoolhouses will be at least
600. The Wheeling Natural Gas Com
pany loses $4,000 and the Natural Gas
Company of West Virginia g, 500 Other
known losses reach total of about SIS 600.
The Wheeling relief committee, which
recently raised funds for the Rowlesburg
sufferers, expended the balance for pro-
Visions and sent it to Triadelphia.
For distance of fifteen miles between
West Alexander and Wheeling, where the
storm burst with fury, the track of the
storm presents q scene of devasta-
ton and destruction. Trees lie
across the track where they were
blown. Wires are down and frequent
land-slides impede the workmen who are
trying to clear the tracks. In this stretch
of territory which suffered the greatest
damage there are five short bridges cross
ing creeks to be repaired, and the Office in
this city estimates the number Of lRc5-
slides to be cleared at twenty.