Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-02


curbstone, and produced dagger.
Screams of Jack, the Ripper, and muir
der attracted crowds of men and women
from all directions. When the police
reached the spot the man was cut and
bleeding profusely from wounds Inflicted
by the crowd, who, had raised cry OF
lynch him." and were throwing all kinds
OF missiles at him. Under strong escor:
of police he was got to the police station.
He said he was sailor an 1 gave Scotch
name.
West Virginia Devastated by Food.
The greatest disaster which ever befell
the Little Kenawha valley of West Vir-
ginia came in the shape of terrible
cloudburst which completely floode Il the
country, destroying many lives. carrying
running crops for mile. A deluge
fell about dusk of the 10Th and continued
to fall in torrents. The worst Of the
storm struck the lower side of
Kanawha. filing the tributaries from bank
to bank and ending in the worst food
within the recollection of the oldes: in
habitant. In three hours the Kanawha
rose six feet, and ran out with such veloci-
ty that it carried everything before it. At
Parkersburg thousands of logs and num-
Der of boats went out or were sunk. Mrs.
Isaac H. Tucker, Martin Lawless an an
unknown man were drowned. Above, the
destruction was still greater. The Big
sTygart valley is completely ruined. The
big mill near its mouth went out and took
the Tygart bridge with it. In the valley
nil fences, crops and much live stock was
lost. 1T Chesterville, small town about
ten miles above, half the residences were
carried OFF bodily and left in corn fe DIS.
In tie Clay district, a fine church and three
dwellings we e wrecked. Several ste mers
| on the river were wrecked.
Tie worst story of all comes from
Morristown, small village near the head
CT Tucker creek, where the cloudburst con-
centrated in all its fury, coming down on
lie village about midnight, totally destroy
ing it. together with many of Its people.
I IL
later news seems to fix the loss at greater
number. Houses are said to have been
picked up and hurled against each other
Ill such short space Of time that no
chance to escape was given the people.
AT Pill Brush oil the bridges and culverts
were WISHED away. it is impossible now
to enumerate the loss as the river is sill
rising and tearing everything loose. A
freight train on the Ohio river railroad
broke through trcstle at Harris Ferry.
completely wrecking the train and fatally
injuring William Neptune, an employe.
The wreck was caused by heavy wash
out.
A later report of the dissster says that
while complete estimate Of damage done
is not yet obtainable, enough is known to
mark it as the most destructive in life and
property ever occurring in West Virginia.
The scene of the greatest disaster was on
the Pond creek, Writ county. Pond creek
rose twenty-five feet in an hour from the
cloudburst. The water spread from hill
to hill and carried all before it. Four
men took refuge in the Thomas mill. The
mill was washed away and Edward Boss
was drowned. Thomas Black and his
newly welded wife were washed from their
home and persisted. Thomas Hughes, his
wife and four children fed from their
home, but the water overlook them and
none escaped but Hughes. On Tucker
creek seven lives are reported lost, but no
definite information can be obtained. The
loss of property is immense and will run
up into tie millions.
| West Virginia Flood Aftermath,
Complete news of the flood from West
Fork and Henry Fork gives sad story of
wreck and ruin. Every store from the
head to the mouth of the forks is gone or
ruined 10 tell the story briefly, it can be
state that not a SINGLE farmer or resident
escaped damage. Hundreds are bankrupt
and viii! have to be supported. Temporarily
by the county. The commissioners esti-
mate the loss in Lee, Tygart, Slate and
STEELE counties at s50o,0o0 At Salisbury