The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-08
The Greatest Flood Ever Known
in the Beautiful Valley
THE NEWS is LONG DELAYED
But Arrives at Last-FaFms Laid
Waste and Crops Destroyed-A
seethIng Torrent Mile and a
Half WIde-GFaphIc Story,

NAAN AASot NAasA0hAbAka AANbA RNPA AA1MA ~
the South Branch OF the Potomac, no
even excepting that OF 1871 though tn
rise here was twenty-one inches beloV
high water mark as determined by tha
Z memorable ireshet. Near MooTefeld
however, as well as along the line OF thl
: Potomac sproper, the water had neye
| been so high within the memory OF th,
Oldest inhabitants. In this section II be
gan raining on Wednesday night, ant
during the next two days the fall o
. water was something phenomenal. /
did not In any respect resemble o cloud
burst, but was steady, persistent down
pour, that soon flooded the streets anC
changed to roaring torrents runs which
at this time OF the year, are often dry
The river rose slowly but steadily or
Thursday, and In the evening OF thai
! day a telephone message was received
from Mooreleld, stating that a heavy
rain was falling there, and the water
were really dangerously high. Friday
morning came news from the same
point, 10 the effect that the rainfall and
the rise In the South Fork was unpre.
cedented, aud fearful damage was being
done TO corn aud growing crops. The
toot-bridge over the run at the eastern
end Of town had been washed away,
and tho river was widened 80 that It ex.
tended from Mullen's Hotel 10 Mr.. Mac.
Inskeep's, The people living on the
lsland had been forced TO fee for their
lives, and iivers OF waters were running
through the principal streets Of the town.
A house was also reported to have been
washed away, but whose II was could
not be ascertained. The telephone wires
between hooreaeld and Petersburg were
down, 80 little was known OF the dam.
age done In that section, but from the
swollen condition OF the North Fork It
was evident that II was doing It's full
share Of the work OF destruction which
has earned for the South Branch the ap.
proprlate title Of the Nice OF West VII.
gini9,N
AT Romney the river reached It's high.
est point about 7 o'clock Friday evening.
Notwithstanding the drenching rain,
hundreds Of people, many Of them with.
out umbrellas or waterproofs, were as
sembled In the cemetery, from which
elevated position q magnificent view Of
the mad, rushing stream could be had
for miles In both directions, 1t was a
spectacle never to be forgotten, but one
which, alasl our farmers have been 60
unfortunate as TO witness twice il the
short period Of only twelve years. For
the setond time sinpe 1871, the valley Of
the South HranGh was completely over.
flowed, from mountainto mountain, and
in appearance resembled nothing so
much as q great, turbulent, storm.beaten
lake, OF indefinite length and ranging
from half q mile To mile In width. A
vast expanse Of turbld, roaring, seaward-
rushing water-a mountain stream, usu.
ally as placid and beautiful as still ST.
Mary lake, but now distended far be.
yond the limits Of It's natural bed, whose
banks were outlined only by two thin,
parallel lines Of swaYing tree tops In
tue middle Of its raging Curreht-a
yellow, angry, furious hesom OF do.
struetlon, rolling wildly onward in It's
headlong course, with a force as resist.
less as that Of the waves OF the ocean,
absorbing In It's remorseless breast great
fields OF waving wheat and sprouting
corn, and IN tho tYlnkling al an eye
gathering within its AightYsWeep broad
acres OF tho alluVion Of centuries. II
was upon such scene as this that men
who own, and whose bread is to come
from, the fertile farms along the Branch,
could but stand and gaze, Friday even.
Ing, with forced levity more pitiiul than
despair, and which but III concealed the
encouragement they would not confess.
Poor men with large famiNeS ashe y
greater fhSR sHeir vboIeH STesldiy ss posses. tal
slons, and who had, al great EXPENSE Tor
help, Just finished their spring planting,
exultant at the prospect OF bounteous
harvest, saw, In few short hours, the
result OF mauY t1pltls oi tollsome labor
suddenly '0bllterated and themselves
and their loved ones left with no guar.
anty Of their daily hrehd, sayethe prom.
ise oi Him Who has aaId Tthe Lord will
provide! Surely such men deserve the
sympathy and Indulgence OF landlords
who would do unto Others as they would
that others should do unto them,' and
are promised the richest blessings Of Tho
Eternal for go doing. 7" '"'
.AEiV slRayg thafcaae In OatastropheB
oil this kind " Ia almost impossible 10
estimate accurately tho damage 10 any
particular farm, but the following flg.
ureB, as 10 the losses sustained BY the
farmers named, are thought TO be Ep.
p5ro1x:i1mE9ItslE p 1:1E SstSst CT WlrSmGh,
! ", ,0l0f JaGes A, Pancake, S3l ,50Oi John
.. Pancake, &,00Oi William Ts;.,1jir .,,jr,
$1,000. The Glcl," ,. iarm also suffered
severely, though we have no estimate Of
the injury done II, From other tarmd
along tho river we have not heard, OK
Cept that they were, OF course, all more
or less damaged. In fact, from the
Chesapeake 10 franklin, In Pendleton
county, II is the same Btory-grasg, corn
and wheat ruined, and land washed away
or covered with from one 10 three feet
OF sand and gravel. There was, also, ol
course, great destruction Of fencing, and
from many places farming implements
were carried away But little, II any,
loss Of live stock Is known 10 have oC,
CURED. Mr.. Charles Harrison had
eight colts and steer that were caught
by tue rising water on the island on bill
farm, but Ike animals they made FOL
tho highest point Of land on II, where
they remained all Friday night Ry
Saturday morning the water had iallbf
considerable, and lhey succeeded 1t
swimming satoly to tho eastern ahote o
the river.