The Washington critic., 1889-06-01

lllnt lnTtulpnS ulSdStcI 10 Inc w tSt
Branch Valley. There are over $1,000
900 worth of logs in the Boom, repre-
senting nearly the entire seasons out
put of lumber, and grave fears are en-
tertained for their safety. The Boom
Company has put every available man
to work and every possible means win
be adopted to save this vast quantity of
lumber. Trains from the West on the
Philadelphia and Erie Railroad failed
TO get through yesterday afternoon,
owing to submerged tracks aud wash
outs. Many of the wires are also down.
IN THE POTOMAC VALLEY.
A tornado struck section of country
five miles east of Martnsburg, w. Va,
Thursday afternoon, and after dcmol-i
ishing vast amount of property II
passed down the Potomac River, up
roofing trees, overturning small vessels,
destroying crops and playing havoc
generally with small buildings near the
banks Of the stream. The storm
Travelled over an area of ten miles, and
then passed out to sea. Very few trees
were left standing along the water front.
Those that escaped were twisted out of
shape The house of Martin Boricn,
which stood directly in the tornado's
path, was lifted from the foundations.
Two women, who were in the little
frame Kitchen, were hurled twenty feet
and seriously injured. A barn, in
which George Vogcl and j. Powell had
taken refuge, was blown down and the
two men killed. The damage to the
crops was great.
The destruction by the flood In the
| Piedmont Valley resulting from the
storm is terrible, and the loss will
scarcely fall short Of n quarter OF NIL
lion dollars. and may greatly exceed
| that sum. The north bank of the iPo-
| tomac is higher than ever before, the
nearest approach being twenty-seven
| wears ago, when the loss was tremen.
dous. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail,
road track is blocked in half dozen
places. The West Virginia Central
trae]ois from five to eight feet under
water for miles and many bridges aud
trestles are down or badly damaged.
The destruction of private property is
very great. Crops are ruined every
| where, and houses, barns, fences, lum-
| Der, ETC., swept away. But one case Of
| loss of life, the victim being o child has
| thus far been reported, but others are
| expected as soon as communication can
be reopencd. Numerous narrow es-
capes are reported
A special sent last night from Hagers-
town, Md, says "'The rain storm which
began yesterday afternoon still con
tinues, and Is producing considerable
damage in this vicinity. Buildings have
been blown down and unroofed, trees
have been uprooted. fences scattered,
and acres of wheat have been totally
destroyed. The greatest destruction
was along the Potomac. In that section
the storm was preceded by cyclone,
which approached the river from the
neighborhood of townsville II struck
| and crossed the Potomac at Falling
Waters. Its appearance was that Of a
| cloud about thirty feet in width, and
| during Its passage over the river II
| lifted the water considerable height.
| The,noise of its approach resembled the
| roar OF railroad train. The cyclone
moved across the country in q north
| westwardly direction, tearing up trees,
hurling fences through the air, and
hewing path across fields and through
| the woods. II struck the river again
and recrossed into Maryland at Roth's
warehouse, about three miles above
Williamsport. AT that point the yio-
lence of the storm uprOoted a tree four
| feet in diameter and carried some of It's
branches over mile. The Potomac
River is rising very rapidly, and the
| present indications are that the water
will be higher than during the great
flood of 1877" ~
A Frederick, Nd, dispatch says:
The rain has poured necessarily since
last night. The wheat crop In this
county has been damaged to an extent
that cannot now be estimated, and early
fruit has been destroyed. The water in
all the small streams is rapidly rising
tonight, and great fear Is felt OF flood
in Carroll Creek. The Potomac at
Point of Rocks and vicinity is rapidly
oyerreaching its banks, and the damage
there will be great. The tracks on the
main stem of the Baltimore and Ohio,
between here and Baltimore, are washed
| out and no trains are moving"
News received at Ellicott City, Nd,
is 70 the effect that the lowlands on the
line OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
above Sykesville are submerged, and
the railroad tracks in places are several
feet under water The Winchester
train, which passed there at O'clock
lust cNtniHg, WIS unuplc 10 prOCceu
further west than within few miles
this side of Sykesville, and lad to re-
tuin with its passengers to Baltimore.
The railroad tracks at Gathers, Nor
gan's, Woodbine and Watersville are
covered with water. The rainfall at
Rockville has been unprecedented. The
country is flooded.
A terrible rain storm has swept over
Southwest Virginia, and Thursday
night at Pocahontas water spout OF
the head of Laurel Creek submerged
the place and many people had to be
taken from their houses ON horses Sew
eral bridges are reported washed away
on the New Riv,r Division of the Nor
folk and Western Railroad, aud travel
and traffic are suspended. A number of
| trestles on the Richmond and Allegheny
were carried away, and seven miles
west Of Buchanan an engine and five
cars plunged into the James River.
One car was carried down the river and
collided with a bridge pier at Buchanan
and went to pieces. Over the Shenan-
doah Valley the destruction to growing
crops is inestimable.