Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-25
A DISASTROUS INUNDATION
Heavy Rains in West Virginia Cause Much
Damage.
Trains Delayed, Crops Destroyed and
Thousands of Dollars In
Value Swept Away.

The worst storm for years ragged yester-
day all the morning in the mountains of
western Maryland and throughout West
Virginia. The doWnpour was something
tremendous. especially on the plateau on
top Of the Alleghenes, but 1t would not
have caused the damage it did except for
the fact that steady rain, with only in
termissions of few hours or so, has been
falling in that section for the past ten
days. AS result all communication was
stopped and the last train to arrive over
the Wheeling and Cumberland division OF
the Baltimore and Ohio reached this
city about o'clock last night. eight hours
late. The passengers on this. the Gin
c1nnatl limited, had an exciting experience,
which many of them will not forget for a
long time. In the first place. the train wes
compelled to go around by way OF Co
lumbus before 1t struck the Wheeling divi-
sion, by reason Of the rise in the Ohio
and it's tributaries. From this time con-
tinual delays occurred, the first being at
Grafton. Here a boom Of logs burst and
carried down the stream at least $4,000
worth of fine timber. The train got
through to Oakland just three hours and
half late. The mountain torrents at
that time were undermining sluiceways
placed to carry them under the tracks.
A little after 1920 q landslide brought the
train to a complete standstill. To make
matters worse word was sent that a cu-
vert or sluiceway near Swanton, and passed
few minutes previously, had washed out.
There the passengers We're few miles east
Of Altamont, on the very summit Of the
Alleghenies. and able to go neither forward
or backward.
Repairing the Damage.
A couple CT heavy freight engines. with
section men, worked at the slide which was
made up principally of rock, weighing two
tons, and. after four hours of labor sue
ceeded in removing it to the west bound
track. At this time the dam at Mt. Lake
Park burst, swelling the little Youghiogheny
10 enormous proportions and Overlooking
the road between that place and Oakland
The lake had just been completed at a cost
OF $S,oOo and covered thirty acres 1t was
the property of the Park Association the
win of this city.
At Piedmont the Potomac did a large
amount OF damage, flooding the lower part
OF the town, carrying away the contents
o1 several lumber yards. swapping the
lower floors of nearly all the factories and
breaking the big dam which furnished
power for the mills. The Potomac there
makes sharp bend and in it's onward
rush 1t weakened the west-bound track
nearest the river considerably In places.
Over n Weak Spot.
AT bridge p, just beyond Keyser, occur
red the most exciting incident of the trip.
One OF the central cribs supporting the
structure had given away, but after con-
sultation it was decided to risk sending the
cars across. The passengers, however, set
out on foot to cross the trestles ladies as
well as gentlemen, and then the train fol-
lowed, making a safe passage. 1t is
thought, however, that good deal of mon
ey will have to be spent before the bridge
is rendered entirely reliable. Between
Cumberland and Washington the river did
not appear to be so much swollen, and con-
sequently the remainder of the passage to
Washington was made without incident.
All along the Potomac and it's tributaries
crops IN the lowlands have been wiped out,
besides bridges being swept away and
other damage done to property.
Cloudburst in Garrett County.
destructive cloudburst visited Garrett
county, Nd. yesterday, after a fearful
night of rain. The small creek leadin, by
the property of Judge Wilson, down Sd
street, through the town Of Oakland. was
noticed to be rising rapidly, and at 10
O'Clock it came through the town like
raging torrent. soon inundating the BUSH
ness portion of the town. The large furni-
ture store of ShartZer & Bolden on Main
street, was entered by the flood and great
loss sustained. Dixon & Kelso lost large
part Of their stock. The water ran into the
Garrett County Bank and the flood was SO
rapid that it was with difficulty that the
bank officers could escape.
All Of the business houses on Main street,
Oakland, were injured and the loss will
run into many thousand dollars. The
bowling alley near the bank building was
carried completely off of its foundat ton and
turned over on its side, while the sidewalks
and bridges were all carried away, the
street being now filled with great piles of
debris and closed to traffic
Reports from the county indicate that
there will be large loss IN bridges,
many Of them have been swept away.
The Flood in West Virginia.
TIE great fall of rain has swollen
every stream, and is now causing the
water to rise to 4 higher point than ever
before. There be no estimate made of
the extent Of the damages which have been
caused by this flood.
Every railroad leading out of Grafton,
W. Va, has suffered to such an extent as
to make 1T impossible to trains over the
roads. The east and west-bound trains of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad are all
tied up owing to the carrying away Of many
bridges and the blocking of tracks caused
by landslides This Is especially true of
the Wheeling division. The depot and ho-
tel are filled with travellers who have been
caught in the storm.
The first train to reach Grafton over the
Parkersburg branch of the b. and o. came
in at $50 yesterday afternoon having left
Parkersburg at $50 o'clock in the morning
On board the train were large number Of
delegates who had been attending the state
convention. One of them, when asked what
kind of trip he had, replied. Thank God,
I am SAFE
A Perilous Trip.
The run from Parkersburg to Grafton
Was made between two dangers, one from
water and the other from being crushed
by falling rocks. All along the route could
be seen the devastation caused by the flood.
On the bosom, of the Hughes river, which
runs along the side of the b. and o. road,
could be seen every kind of farm product
floating down in the flood.
Tomatoes and wheat were carried along
size by side. while heavy logs. carried down
by the rushing tide could be seen bobbing
along like huge sea serpents.
Bridges, and, in fact everything NOV
able was swept along, until, stopped by
some sudden turn in the river, they were
damned together into barrier, over which
the muddy torrents dashed until they
whipped themselves into a mass Of white
spray.
At Salem station, where the train was
stopped in order to await repairs to a
washout, the people of the village could be
seen going to the store on horseback, SWIM
ming the animals along the streets.
AS result Of yesterdays storms in West
Virginia, which extended over a wide area,
he roll