Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-24
Lives LOst-Property Destroyed.
A BIG FLOOD IN THE KANAwHA RIVER.
Especial telegram to the Dispatch.l

A Big FLOOD IN THE KANAwHA RIVER.
Especial telegram to the Dispatch.l
WHEELING. W. Va, July 19.-It has
been raining for two days in the Valley OF
the Little Kanawha river, and the floods
are sweeping all before them to-day. The
river is far over its banks, and immense
damage has been done to property and
great many lives lost. At Parkersburg
Mrs. Isaiah Tucker was washed from her
home and drowned. A washout on the
Ohio River railroad, at Kanawha station,
sent thirty cars over a trestle, making
complete wreck and seriously injuring Fire
man Neptune. Martin Towless, farmer,
and two unknown persons were drowned in
Pond creek. There are numerous washouts
on the Baltimore 6 Ohio and the Ohio
River roads near Parkersburg, and traffic is
suspended. The county bridges are wash
ed away, and the county roads are impassi-
BILE.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
PITTSBURGH, Penn, July ia special
from Parkersburg (W. Va.) says: The
greatest disaster which ever befell the Lit
tie Kanawha Valley came last night in the
shape of terrible cloud burst which has
completely flooded the county, destroying
|
lars in property, and running crops for many
miles.
In three hours the Kanawha rose six
feet and ran out with such velocity TT at it
carried everything before it. At this point
thousands of logs and number of boats
went out or were sunk. Mrs. Isaac ID.
| Tucker, Martin Lowless, and an unknown
man were drowned.
Big Tygsrt Valley is completely ruined,
a big mill near its mouth went out and
took Tygart bridge with it. In the valley
all the fences, crops. and much livestock
were lost
At Chesterville, small town about ten
miles above, half of the residences were
carried off bodily and left in the corn-field.
In Clay district fine church and three
dwellings were wrecked.
About noon information was received
that the steamer Oneida had been wrecked
and sunk at Enterprise, above. A still lat
er report comes that the steamer G: Omar
tin was sunk at Burning Springs. The Lii
tie Tygart is also reported completely ruin
ed.
The worst story of all comes from Nor
ristown, small village near the head OF
Tucker creek, where the cloud-burst con.
centrated in all its fury, coming down in
the village about midnight and totally de-
stroying it together with many of its peo-
pie. The first report gave the loss at eleven,
but later news seems to fix the loss at a
greater number. The houses of citizens are
said to have been picked up and hurled
against each other in such short space of
time that no chance to escape was given the
people. It is impossible now to enumerate
the loss, even here, as the river is still ris-
ing and tearing everything loose. A family
boat containing three or four persons went
out during the night, and it is believed all
are lost, as the last seen of them was when
the woman held up child in ter arms and
beckoned for assistance as the house dis
appeared in the food.
Later freight train on the Ohio River
railroad broke through trestle at, Harris s
Ferry, completely wrecking the train and
fatally iniuring William Neptune, an EN-
ploye. The wreck was caused by heavy
washout.
1t is just reported that Lock No. l., above
the city on the Little Kanawha, has given
away before the food.