The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-26
OUT OF THEIR GRAVES.
Flood Causes a Cemetery to Give Up
It's Tenants.

Roanoke, Va, June 26.-Persons COM
ing in from the flood stricken district
in West Virginia, place the number of
drowned at 60 persons, but have no def
mite or detailed information on which
to base their estimate.
A gentleman arriving in this city
from the stricken section gives an ex-
PLANTATION of the report first circulated
that great masses of human bodies
were to be seen floating around in the
water. He says that there is a grave
yard between North Fork Junction and
keystone, which towns are about mile
apart, and at which point the storm
was very severe. This graveyard is
near the bank of the river. When the
food came the graves gave up their
dead and added greatly to the number
of bodies seen.
J. b Francis, of Roanoke. who is in
keystone, and who was reported dead,
has written his wife telling her he is
safe and sound He has the following
to say about the disaster;
"A big flood struck the town last Fri
day night Everybody had to go up Oh
the mountain. Men, women and child
rem were drowned in the streets and
houses went floating down the streams
with people in them. All our crowd are
safe We are entirely cut off from the
outside world and provisions are get
ting short. There is now no water in
the town.
Another letter today from keystone
says between 10 and Is people were
drowned and 40 houses washed away at
that place. The people are hard at
work clearing up the town and repair
ing damaged buildings.
The report received here that the
father, mother. one sister. two brothers,
and a sister-in-law with two children
of j. w. Crotty, of the Norfolk and
Western railway were drowned was q
mistake Mr.. Crotty is now in the coal
fields, and telegraphed today that they
were ali safe.
Tazwel, Va, also suffered from the
cloudburst. The house of Paris Van
Dyke, four miles west in a gorge If
mountains was washed away. VanDyke
heard the roar of water and started
home from the field When a short dis
lance from the house he saw the water
rushing down the mountain sides, tear
ing up and twisting off giant trees as il
shrubs, the water leaping 40 feet high
and travelling with frightful speed. Van
Dyke rushed for the house to warn his
family, but the water overlook him and |
swept the house and all its inmates
away. Two children were instantly kill
ed, their brains being dashed out
against the rocks and timbers. The |
bodies were washed to the lowlands. A !
little girl holding a young sister in her !
arms was carried 200 yards. Another |
member of the family died yesterday /
afternoon and Mr.. VanDyke is still IN
conscious and can not live.
At Cedar Bluffs, 16 miles west of Taz-
we'll II dwellings were swept away. but /
no lives were lost.
At Pounding Mill four lives were lost. |
Knobe. a small town seven miles west /
was alomst completely destroyed Raw
ems, two miles west, was badly dani-
ged, and many business houses were
destroyed. The damage to country \
roads win be not less than $4,000 A /
notice was posted in the boiler depart
ment of the Norfolk & Western rail-
road in Roanoke this morning announc- /
ing that the shops would be closed from /
12 O'Clock today until further notice.
The bulletin card said that the shut
down was on account of the destruc-
ton by the flood and the fact that no 1
traffic was passing over the road.
There are about 1000 persons en-
ployed in the Norfolk & Western shops
here.
Four persons were drowned at Pound
ing Mill. Tazwell county:
Mr.. Ttate. 30 years of age.
Mrs. Hoop and two children.
Eight bodies have been found be-
tween Burke and Ekman. There is no
doubt that many persons lost their
lives from being intoxicated. One white
man got on a section of sidewalk and
left town with his arms folded, remark
ing that he was going down below to
find out how everything was. His body
was recovered.
Below are given the names of some Of
the dead so far recovered:
Joe White white.
Nellie Smith, white.
Anna Smith, white.
Charles Shelly, white.
Mrs. Mccoy, colored.
Sam Poindexter, colored.
John Ballard colored.
Betty Brown colored.
=" Trigg. colored-
Jacob Rifin. coiored-
John Bannister, colored-
Mother and babe, unknown
The colored man Trigg f1oated down
stream on the roof Of his shanty. When
near the railroad. he jumped and struck
his head against the rail. dashing out
his brains.
The loss of life. it is now conserva-
lively estimated. will not exceed so.
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