The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-07-24
DEATH IN FLOOD.
Many Lives Washed Out by the
Raging Waters OF the Little
.Kanawha.


PARKgEsBuRe, July l9.-The greatest dis
aster thar ever befell the Little Kanawha
Valley came last night IN the shape Of a
cloud burst. which has completely flooded
the country. destroying many lives, carry
ing ofT thousands OF dollars ia property and
running the crops for many miles. The del
uge from the clouds fell here about dusk
and continued 10 fall in torrents, doing
much damage ia the city. The worst OF the
storm struck The lower side Of the Kanawha,
filling small tributaries from bank to bank,
and ending in the worst flood within the rec
ollection Of the Oldest Inhabitants In three
hours the Kanawha rose six feet and ran
oat with such velocity that il carried every
thing before it, The worst story ofall comes
from Morristown. small village near the
head of Tucker creek, where the cloud burst
concentrated in all its fury.
MINIATURE JoHNsrowN.
1t came down in the devoted village about
midnight and totally destroyed it, together
with many of its people. rhe first report
gave the loss At IL, but later news seems to
TX the loss at a greater number.
The houses OF the citizens are said to have
been picked up and hurled against each
other IN such a short space OF time that no
chance TO escape was given Among those
lost at Morristown are Jake kiger, his broth
ers, Joseph and Thomas a man named Bal
ley aud Orville West, wife and child. The
body of man believed 10 be another Nor
ristown victim was found on the Richard
son farm this morning in pile OF brush.
All the bridges and culyerts are washed out
and il is impossible TO reach or communi-
cate with that point or any other on the up
per waters. 1t is impossible now to enumer-
ate the loss even here, as the river is still
rising 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 took up a child III her
arms and beckoned for assistance as they
disappeared in the hood.
A freight train on the Ohio River Railroad
broke through a trestle at Harris Ferry,
completely wrecking the train and fatally
injuring William Neptune. The wreck was
caused by heavy washout. b, & o. trains
are delayed by washouts atskanawha sta
ton. Ii is reported late tonight that Lock
No. l. above the city on the Litlle Ksnawha
has given way before the flood.
At this point thousands of logs and a
number OF boats went out or were sunk.
TEREoRs OF THE FLOOD.
In one hour 5000 logs went out. Mrs.
Isaac Tucker. Martin Lawless and an un-
known man were drowned
Above, the destruction was still greater
Big Tygan Valley is completely ruined.
The big mill near its mouth went out and
took the Tygart bridge along with it. In
the valley all the fences, crops and much
live stock was lost. AT Chesterville, small
town about ten miles above, half the resi-
dences were carried of bodily and left in
corn fields many yards distant. In the Clay
district a fine church and three dwellings
were wrecked. About noon information
was received that the steamer Oneida had
been wrecked and sunk al Enterprise, above.
Still later a report came that the steamer G.
c. Martin was sunk at Burning Springs.
Little Tygart was also reported completely
ruined. Heatherington's store, Captain
Spencer's residence, e. Z. Cooper residence
and that OF J. W. Smith were completely
demolished, but no lives are reported lost as
yet.