The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-04-07
WIND AND RAIN
Threaten to Add to the shawneetown Dis
aster-Two Score OF Victims Recovered
From the Fiood-Hundreds Are Home less
Partial List of the Dead and Missing.

says: Two hundred and fifty persons
were drowned Sunday by the inunda.
tion of Shawneetown, six miles from
this place.
The north levee broke at 4:20 o'clock
Sunday afternoon and the Ohio river
flowed over the town many feet deep.
Scores of houses were floating about
Sunday night and many persons were
clinging to the wreckage in the hope
that rescuers would soon appear with
boats to take them to places of safety
RIDGwAY, H., April 8. 5.-Monday
night almost two score bodies of vic.
Tins of the Shawneetown flood have
been recovered and hundreds of home
less people are dependent upon charity
for food and shelter. The death list is
likely to be largely increased when
definite information from the Negro
quarter, which suffered most, is Sc
cured. The food burst upon these
people without warning and owing to
the weak construction of their shan
ties they toppled over in the rush OF
water, leaving their inmates no means
Of getting out of danger. Hundreds OF
people who lived farther from the river
front sought safety on roofs and in
upper stories, or made retreat to the
hills at the west. These are being re-
moved as rapidly as possible to places
where they can be given proper care.
The following is partial list that
has been gathered up to midnight
Monday night OF those who are miss
ing and possibly dead
Col. Callicott, Wash Callicott, Mrs.
Callicott, Mrs. Galloway, Dora Gallo
way, Mary Galloway, Mrs. Holly, Mrs.
Greer, Mrs. Ed Flake, Charles Clay
ton, Mrs. Clayton. four Clayton chill
dren, Annie Riueholt, Clarence Rine'
holt. Mrs Paul Phalen, three
Phalen children, nephew Of the
Phalens, Mrs, McClain, Florence
Evans, Ellen McAllister (colored)
Mary McAllister (colored), L. B.
Hooker, telegraph operator at Louis
vile and Nashville. Ed Flake, whose
wife was drowned came to Cypress
Junction Monday and said that there
were u people in his house when the
food struck the building. Only him
self and one other succeeding in es
capinr before the building toppled
over. Mr.. Flake was hysterical from
grief and could not give the names OF
the IL who were lost. Marsh Callicott
the son of Wash Callicott and wife
who pcrished. made u heroic effort &c
save his parents. He secured row
boat and got within 40 feet of the homo
where his mother and father were i'm
prisoned. The swift current prevented
him from coming nearer. The pa
rents stood in the yard in water tC
their armpits awaiting the arriva
of the boat. Suddenly a wave swep
them into the current and they
were drowned before their sons eyes
George IIarrclson. a merchant selze'
his little granddaughter when the
water struck his store and, holding hel
above his head, waded armpit deep
toward higher ground A boat pickc'
them both out of the water. DAVE
Roolendoffer and his wife were II
their home, directly in the path OF tn'
huge wave that swept through th'
broken dixie. Their little sol
in the ward saw the wave coming an'
hurriedly climbed tree. The fathe
and mother had time to rush up STAR
when the house was swept from II
foundations They climbed on tn
roof as the house foated of and hear'
their little son IN the tree crylnl
Good by, papa and mamma IN
agonized parents were powerlesS 10 &c
to his assistance and IN few moment
the house had been carried beyond tn
reach Of the boys voice. They noa'
ed from the north levee TO III
south levee, the distance of mi!
and were taken off in safety. The III
tie son was subsequently, rescued II
the tree top 10y boat and The tlmli.
reunited. Mr.. Rookendotfer SAID tina
as he tloated down the current on IN
house TOP he saw people drowning Oh
all sides. The coiorcd quarter OF IN
citv known as Negro Flats. wa
completely inundated 10y the rush O
water 1t is believed that large mum
ber of colored people pcrished. a. IN
ground was Hooded in II twinhhhS
and Monday night the water Ntoo
25 feet deep in that locality n
fort ha, been made to recover IN
bodies. Every means of assistance
rs .d to provide food and shelter TO IN
hundreds or homeless refu se1S. SnH
dav night the Catholic academy, III
,chool house, city hall AMI the hlV'i
s,de hotel. all situated on hg
nround above the water. wer
crowded with homeless peopi,. HUI
dreds Monday night slept on tn
river banks under such rude she
ter us they could construct irol
the floating debris. Absolutely notl
ing has been saved in the city.
stores and other business houses al
flooded TO the second floors. all u
streets are under water from ~ 10
feet. Provisions are constantly
irving from all the neighboring toWn
At II o'clock Monday night n tel
phone message was received iro
Shawneetown saying that the soul
leyec was cracking and threatening
po at anf minute 1t IS about sur
that 1t will break before morning
democrats Won In Cincinnati
CINCINNATI. April 5.-Edward
, DEMPSEY. dem. was elected judge
the superior court Monday, by'a IN
;ority OF l6Ss over John Calvin rer
, his opponent. The total vote was %
ass.