Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-06-05
FROM HARPER'S FERRY.
Immense Destruction OF Property About
Harper's Ferry.
Special Telegram 10 the Register

Immense Destruction OF property ABOUT
Harper's Ferry.
Special Telegram 10 the Register.
HARPER's FERRY, w. VA, June A.
The second section of the first trains bound
East, which left Cumberland this morn
ing, just arrived here. The damage TO the
town and railroad by the flood is very
serious The water was four feet above the
track on Hsrper's Ferry bridge, higher
than ever known. The trestle work was
com pletely carried away from the Govern
ment bridge TO the railroad bridge, dis
tsnce of half a mile, sng the force
OF the water and drift was 80
great that one OF two of the stone piers are
twisted, and the pulp mill is badly dam
aged, besides losing much timber and pulp,
and the mill on the Shenandoah is also
badly damaged. The loss to both mills is
estimated at $4,000. Many houses sre
injured, foundations damaged and carried
away between Patterson creek and Han
cock. The damage to the growing crops,
orchards, barns, dwellings and outhouses
is enormous. The wster in many places,
noticeably between Great Cacspon and
Cherry Run, was from ten to twenty feet
on the tracks. Houses, railroad stations
aud other property were carried away
bodily. Most of the water station at the
big band, on the north track, is complete
ly washed away, in many places
Tne seething mass of water here on Sun
day night and Monday must have been
something awful. Residents say that here
tofOre that they had to contend with only
one river overhowing its banks, so that
little damage comparatively was done.
This time both rivers came out together
and only those present can have any con-
cep.ion of the force of the rushing waters
or the terrible grandeurs of tho scene. The
county bridge across the Shenandoah is
gone, alsoone of the piers. The flooring is
the railroad bridge is torn up and the
lighter iron braces that were under water,
bent. If it had not been for the eleven
engines stationed on the structure TO
weigh it down it would have gone sure.
The Chesapeake and Ohio canal is y
complete wreck. Locks, fills and dams
seem to have had little power to resist the
torrent. Opposite here the fine locks and
approaches are badly used up. An old
canal boat is lodged on top Of what is lett
of the stone work. doubt if this losing
investment will ever be put in repair
again. The State of Maryland owns it and
it is pretty sure that she will either give
or sell it to the Henry G. Davis road, if it
will agree to continue the line through the
State. For years neither the stockholders
nor bondholders have been getting any
thing out of it, Truly, this great water
course of former days has lost its useful
ness and must give way to more modern
methods of transportation.
At the point of the rocks the Potomac
was eight feet higher than in N. The
damage there is very heavy. Houses and
cars have been washed away and upset.
The loss to families in furniture, stock
and growing crops is estimated in the
thousands. The fine iron bridge spanning
the river there had four spans carried
away. 1t belonged to private corpora
tion and they had Just finished putting
the last span in places on Saturday.
Trains are now running on the B. q o.
brauch to Winchester and StauntOn. Pas
sengers, however, are conveyed in vehicles
from Harper's Ferry to point mile or
two above the town, on account OF damage
to the tracks between there and the
bridge.
The B. &. o. management deserves all
praise for the energy and expediency shown
in repairing damages and restoring travel.
To illustrate the rapidity with which
they executed the herculean tack, shall
mention the trestle here. 1t was just half
a mile long it was all swept away as COM
pletely as if it had never been built. Two
hundred men were put to work replacing
it Monday morning. They worked all
night, and by o'clock this morning
train passed west over the north track.
The same vigorous dispatch has been dis
played everywhere, and as result, the
east and west will miss but one of their
great arteries for traffic. and condition
that is fully appreciated BY the public
since the four days blockade, which begun
on Friday and terminated to-day.
additional details of the effects Of the
food in West Virginia rH be found on the
second page Of the REGISTER