Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-20
Swept by a Delugge.
A Great Flood Disaster Visits
West Virginia.
THE CLOUD BURSTS WILD HAVOC.

Large Number of People Drowned and
Heavy Loss of Property-The Kanawha
Rises Six Feet and Carries Destruction
Along With Its Observation-Disclosures
Totally Destroyed-A Lesser YOUNGSTOWN
Cataclysm-Fatal Explosion of Port
able Boiler-Minor Mishaps.
PARKERsBURG, w. Va. July 20.-The
greatest disaster which ever befell the Little
Kanawha valley came Thursday night in the
completely flooded the country, destroying
many lives carrying off thousands of dollars
in property, and running the crops for many
miles The deluge began here about dusk.
The worst of the storm struck the lower side
Of the Kanawha, filling small tributaries
from bank to bank, and ending in the worst
food ever known here. In three hours the
Kanawha rose six feet and ran out with such
AT this point thousands of logs aud a number
of boats went out were sunk.
Three Lives Lost
Mrs. Isaac FL Tucker, Martin Lawless,
and an unknown ma N were drowned Above
here the destruction was still greater.
Property in the Big Tygart valley is ruined
The big mill near its mouth went out and
took the Tygart bridge with it, 1u the val-
ley all the fences, crops, and much live
stock were lost At Chestsrviie, small
town about ten miles above, hale the resi-
iences were carried off bodily and left IN
corn fieliS In Clay district a fine church
and three dwellings, We're wrecked.
steamers sunk and General Havoc
About noon information was received that
the steamer Oneida hal been wrecked and
sunk at Enterprise. Still later a report
came that the steamer $ c. Martin was
sunk at Burning Springs Everything IN
the little Tygart valley Is also reported
ruined. Heatherington's store, Capt Span-
GERS residence, c z. Cooper's residence, aud
that of J. W. Smith were demolished, but no
Inv are yet reported lost
Similar to Johnstown's DeluGe-
The worst story of all comes from Morris
town, small village near the head of
Tucker creek, where the cloud concen-
trated in ali its fury, coming down on the
village about midnight and totally destroy
ing II, together with many of its people,
The first report gave the loss of life at
eleven, but later news seems to fix the loss
Al greater nutnuSF- ne houses OF tue
citizens are said to have been picked up AMI
hurled against each other in such a short
time that no chance to escape was given the
people.
Some of the Victims.
Among the lost at Morristown are Jake
kiger, his brothers Joseph and Thomas, a
man named Bailey, Orvilie West, wife aud
child The body of a man believed to be an
other Morristown victim was found on Rich
ardson's farm yesterday morning. At Pill
Brush sll bridges and culverts are washed
away and it is impossible to reach or COM
ndnicate with that point or any other
the upper waters. Its impossible now to
anumerate the loss even here, the river Is
sill rising and tearing every thing loose
A Bost-Load of People Adriit-
A family boat containing three or four
persons went out during the night and it is
believed that all are lost, as the last seen of
them was when a woman held up child in
her arms and beckoned for assistance as her
house disappeared in the fool
A freight train on the Ohio River railroad
broke through trestle at Harris Ferry,
completely wrecking the train and fatally in
iuring William Neptune, an employee The
wreck was caused by heavy washout
A Baltimore and Ohio train, delayed by
| washouts at Kanawha station, has reported
that lock No. l, above the city on the Little
Kanawha, had given way before the flood