Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-06-01
In THE STORMS EDGE.
lBRRlBLBL0SS To LIPB AND PROPERTY In
WBST VIRGINIA
The Havoc Wrought by The Elements at Pisdmont-A
Young Woman DOwnsd-Ths Blk 0ul It's
Banks-0yelone at Fall
ing Waters.
- T.-.ran b II Rgals.lr.


heavy clouds wearily dragged across q
threatening sky yesterday afternoon, aud
scraping against the tops of the mountains
which hem in the town on every side,
broke in a tremendous rain. 1t began
about o'clock in the afternoon, and from
that time until 10 it continued uninter-
ruptedly, save at short intervals. Then it
settled down into steady hard rain,
which maintained its volume until this
morning. In the mountains the rainfall
was general. Georges creek rose rap
idly, and the water soon spread be-
yond its natural channel. Mt. Sav, re
river, a mile above the town, was
affected in the same manner, and both
added their torrents to the flood Of the
North branch of the Potomac. a thou
sand tiny streams swollen as never before
tumbled furiously down the mountain
side AT 6 o'clock this morning the
North branch had risen four feet 10 ITS
channel, and the memories Of the great
flood of 1876, when the angry waters
swept through the town, came to mind,
and the people in intense alarm watched
the encroachments Of he stream.
At niue o'clock Water street, Ash6eld
street and Second street were all flooded
The gauge stood five feet in the middle of
Water street, and the families living on it
hurriedly moved their goods up stairs. and
anxiously waited for the Hood 10 recede.
Many of them prepared TO abandon their
homes A wagon was hauled in front Of
Mrs. William Bells residence, on Back
street. aud she with her three weeks old
baby were taken from the house. Mrs.
Bell started acroes q plank which reached
the wagon, when she suddenly became
faint snd fell into the water. Fortunate
ly assistance was at hand, and she and her
babe were rescued badly frightened, bat
not hurt
A PRIESTS PERIL.
Alto o'clock Father Weider, the CsthO-
hc priest, walked across the West Virginia
Central railroad trestle from WesternpOrt to
theisland opposite Piedmont, to assist one OF
his parishoners, who had some live stock
fastened there. Fifteen minutes later the
trestle gave way to the great pressure Of
the iood and broke up with great crash
Father Weider found himself prisoner on
the island bound in by the restless rush OF
waters. With him were John NJ. Gingan,
Ell Kearns and q colored man. They
shouted 10 the men on the shore, but their
voices were lost in passing over the tumul'
tuous waves. A house on the island stood
6ftv feet away from them but it was sepa-
rated by a current that had set IN. The
spot which they occupied was eighteen
inches above the flood and rather neryously
they awaited developments. Their ex-
citement kept hunger away and the din
ner hour passed without being noticed
/ Long before supper time they saw that the
waters were receeding and they knew that
their rescue was but q matter Of time.
/ shortly before dusk q strong rope was tied
/ 10 KEY. which was thrown into the cur
rent above the island for few minutes
/ it was tossed about in the stream and then
cast upon the island near enough to be
reached by the imprisoned men. They
made the end secure A primstiye
/ breeches buoy was rugged mp by fastening
a skid with a slipping knot to the taut
rope. The current gracefully swept 1t to
. "a
/ shore end of the cable was carried below so
I that the current could carry the skif 70
/ land. The scheme worked faultlessly and
the father and his comrades were landed
safely.
DAMAGE To THE RAILROADS.
The flood was at its height at l O'Clock
in the morning. When it began to recede
/ IL went down very rapidly, although the
stream was still much swollen. Cellars
were flooded, aud the part Of town that
I had been submerged was marked with
deposit of mud. Then it was that the
tbs damage to the railroads began to be
estimated. On the West Virginia Central
I the wires we're all down, and information
/ at first was very meagre. 1t was known
that a piece Of track at Window had been
washed away, and that the iron bridge at
/ Potomac had gone. A similar fate awaited
/ the iron structure at Seymour. The aP-
nrosch 70 the bridge at the West Virginia
I Central junction was badly damaged, while
/ the bow on the WesternpOrt side and at the
/ junction fully 100 feet Of track was washed
away. Large bOulders loOsened by the
heavy rains tumbled down the mountain
sides upon the tracks. Later IN the day
reDorts from beyond Window indicated
that the damage there was not so great as
in last wears freshet on the West Virginia
Central. The greatest damage was done
between WesternpOrt and Cumberland.
The trestle at the both ends Of the Island
here ia wholly washed away and the road
ia badly wrecked. It is said that one-third
of the track was under water
this morning and that IN many
niaces the road is obliterated
where the force of the current was felt.
The track Was washed in half 9 dozen
directions, while the big steel rails we're
bent like pieces of tin. Several trains
were caught on the road and had to be
abandoned. but no accident on account OF
the flood mas been reported.
Ex-senator Davis, President of the West
Virginia Central, arrived here tonight,
and immediate steps will be taken to get
the road in condition again. The extent
of the dsmsge cannot be even spproxi-
mstelv estimated, but some railroad men
mt il at more than two hundred
thousand dollars. The running Of trains
will be suspended for perhaps week
from the western part up the river, but II
is believed that the road to Cumberland
cannot be put in order within month.
THE b. a o. WASHED OUT.
The flood has also seriously effected
traffic on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road. At Everett's tunnel, eight miles
west one track was undermined by the
water and caved in, while the other was
completely covered mp. Between the
tunnel and Piedmont there were eight
Sins on the road Gangs Of men have
bsen at work all day, and soon after mid
night train will probably be able to get
through. Six passenger trains from the
east are now held here, beside the Wheel
ING accommodation. Capt. Hume brought
NE accommodation here this morning and
returned to Cumberland this afternoon.
Five hundred AMI fifty German emigrsnts
eDroute to Chicago, have been detained
here all day.
FALLING WATER TRAGEDY.