The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-06-27
SOME ESTIMATES MAKE IT 600
Others Get Down as Low as 200, but
the Catastrophe Is Awful.
NO ROAD LEADS TO ELKHORN
All Means of Communication Having
Been Cut Of-Danger Now Is
Starvation and Suffering
-Johnstown Ri. o.
-. vailed.

Roanoke, Va, June 24.-Allowine
for probably large number of people
lost in the West Virginia floods who
will never be accounted for, the esti-
mate of the loss of life made here
puts it at from 500 to 600.
Roanoke, Va, June 24.-Passengers
on a train from the west report that
about 800 people were drowned Satur-
day evening along the Elkhorn divi-
sion of the Norfolk and Western rail-
road and that miles of track and
bridges were washed out. All wires
are down over the devastated section.
Tazewell, Va, June 24.-1'he train
master of the Norfolk and Western
railroad walked the track between
Vivian and North Fork, distance of
twelve miles. He discovered thirty
bodies floating in the river.
Bluefield, W. Va, June 24.-This en-
tire section has just been visited by a
flood the extent of which, in all prob
ability, will equal or exceed that OF
JohnstOwn in 1889, so far as the loss of
property is concerned Early Satur-
day morning-shortly after midnight
"a heavy downpour of rain began, ac-
companied by severe electric storm.
which violently increased in volume,
and continued for several hours This
continued throughout all Saturday and
Saturday night, and at 10 a. M yes
terday. while the storm had abated,
the lowering clouds indicated another
terrific downpOur at any moment
Death Roll viii Reach zoo.
Many miles of the Norfolk and West.
ern railroad track, bridges and tele-
graph lines are entirely destroyed. and
communication is entirely cut off west
Of Elkhorn, so that it is Impossible to
learn the full extent of the loss of life
and property, but officials of the coal
corporations located in the stricken
district have sent ont messengers to
Elkhorn, the terminus of both teIe-
graphic and railroad communication,
sentative estimate as to the loss of
life will easily reach 200. Some of the
drowned are among the most prOmi-
nent citizens of the coal fields.
Topography of the Country.
The POcahOntas coal field is located
In basin, with high mountain ranges
on either side, Elkhorn creek flowing
through the center of the basin, which
f0xr, % -
width. From Ennis, W. Va, to Vivian
Yard, W. Va, distance of ten miles,
miners cabins, coal company commits
saries and coke plants line this basin.
ElkhOrn creek, being fed by numerous
small streams coming from the noun
tain side, rises very rapidly, and this
downpour came so suddenly that the
entire basin between the two mountain
ranges was flooded, and before the ter
ror-stricken people realized what was
upon them they were carried down by
the flood, which swept everything in
its path.
One Town Entirely Washed away
The town of keystone, with popu.
lation of about 1000, seems the great.
est sufferer. practically the entire town
being washed away. This town is the
principal one in the Pocahontas coal
fields. and is located near its center
1t was to a great extent headquarters
from which the mining population pur-
chased supplies, and was also the only
place in the field where whisky could
be purchased. At this place there
were some twelve or fifteen saloons
all Of which were washed away. The
report comes that the mining popula-
-