Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-04
A RICE WITH \ CLOUD-BJRST'
The Awful Flood Travelled with Greater
Speed Than the Man,
And He Saw His Dear Ones Perish.
The House Was Carried Away
and with 1t the Lumberman's
Wife iand Daughter-A Terrible
Visitation in Kentucky-Every =
thing in the Path Of the Raging
Waters Was Swept Away.

LEXINGTON, ky, April S.-Ciay and
Owsley counties, which lie about one hun
dred miles east of here, were visited by
cioudburst yesterday, which was fatal to
life and unusually destructive to property.
Wade Marders and several Of his neigh
bors were preparing to raft some logs on
SErton creek, in Clay county, yesterday
mCzning.. a rain storm came up and they
sought shelter under large, overhanging
clkf, about one hundred yards above the
bed of the creek The men were gossip
ping about the rain and other things, when
suddenly they were startled by terrific
roar. They saw what appeared 20 be a
solid volume of water pouring down into
! the creek about two hundred yards up
stream from where they were sheltered
The water rose in the stream so rapidly
that it seemed as if il were a solid wall
fifteen or twenty feet high. The creek bed
is very narrow almost a gorge, and the
waters boiled and Kissed in a most terrify-
ing manner.
Marder's house was located on the banks
Of the creek, about 500 yards below where
he had been a work and when he saw
the mighty wall of water rushing toward
his little home, he realized the danger III
which his wife and siX-year-old daughter
We're lie saw trees, bouiders, logs s-umps
and fences rushing down on the flood
toward his house. and he ran along the
mountain side trying TO get near his loved
ones, but the flood Travelled faster than he
Whe he arrived on the hillside, just
above his house, the water was lifting #
from its foundation and he saw it turn over
on its side and carried down the stream
just as it disappeared from view ne saw
his agonzed wife grasp the door iamb
Then the building was eugulfed. and Mar
ders has not seen his wife and child since
An this time The rain was falling in tor
rents, and the wind blowing hurricane.
The storm swept over into Owsley county
practically following the course of Sexton
creek.
Widow Smiths house, which was about
half a mile below that Of Marders. was
also swept away but she had gone to a
neighbours and escaped. Everything in the
house, together with the building, was car
ried away.
William Caudiu lived a little further
down the stream, but his house was high
er up on the side of the hill. and the water
only succeeded in moving IL from its foun-
dation. leaving it sitting on the hillside.
the floor being at an angle of forty-fve de-
grees. Mrs. Caudiu and her three chill
! dren We're nearly drowned. and everything
in the lower part of the house was badly
damaged
Diagonally across the creek from Caud-
il's stood the i.tle log hut OF Rush Combs.
Rush was out on a logging expedition and
his wife and ten-year-old boy were the only
occupants of the house The flood carried
the house away, hut Mrs Combs succeed
ed in climbing into the loft and, breaking
through the roof, the mother and son man
aged TO keep their heads above water until
! the house lodged on the side OF he noun
tain at a turn in The creek, some distance
below.
Several other farmers lost all their pro-
visions and provender and there Will he
great restitution I'm the little valley.
Everything in the path of the raging wa
ters was swept away as Clearly as if a
connagration had passed over the country.