The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-28

way viii get it's lire open through to-
morrow or next day.
New York. June 24-Mayor Lans OF
Bluefeld, w. Va wires as follows:
1T is estimated that 200 lives were
lost in the Eskhorn flood. The damage
TO the Norfolk and Western Railroad
Company Is estimated at $500. 600 and
to the coal companies and individual
companies at 81, 000, 900. Their is no
communication with any point further
down the valley tha Elkhorn. I am
unable to tell whether outside assist
ance will be needed until further infor-
nation comes in"
Columbus. o.. June 24.-Representa-
tives of a local lumber firm at Will
hanson have wired that asst OF Pan
ther. w. Va. the railway tracks have
been washed out for a mile. About 200
feet OF roadbed will require a fill in of
ten feet.
Governor Nash today wired Governor
White the sympathy of the people of
Ohio and inquiring as to how he can be
of assistance.
Huntington, w. Va, June 24.-Gov-
| ernor White has received no informa-
ton from the flood districts. He thinks.
however. the state Will be amply able
to take care OF the sufferers without
outside aid.
Charleston. w. Va, June 24.-Adju-
al General Baker, who resides in
| Parkersburg, and Governor White
reached the city tonight from the same
place. While there has beer no de-
mand made upon them yet for troops,
| either on account of the miners strike
or to prevent looting in the storm
| stricken district, they are both consid-
ering that emergency may arise. This
evening General E. L. Boggs, the gov
errors private secretary, left for the
II pnnah nnTaC district RI ayornina int
conditions. Upon the report he makes
all will depend. Assistant Adjutant
General A. S. HutSon. who has practi-
cal charge of the %adjutant generals
office, also left this evening for the seat
of the roubl 1t is the general opin-
ion round the state u hat the ex-
tent of the calamity will be to quiet the
miners. 1t is almost impossible to get
communication through from this
point. The receipt of a telegram to-
day from Governor Nash offering aid
and extending sympathy was appre-
ciated.
Huntington. w. Va. June 24.-The
tremendous high water in the Tug river
auSed by a loud burst along the head
waters of that stream on Saturday is
a thing unprecedented in the history of
that section and the destruction of
property along the Elkhorn and Dry
fork and down the Tug river to the
mouth is somthing appalling. Though
it comes far short of rivaling the fam
Gus Johnstown flood it serve as a
vivid reminder of that terrible deluge
and it will, do doubt. be many a day
ere such a disastrous result is witness
ed again from a like cause. Owing to
the fact that wires have been down
and no other means of communication
was available with the sections of
country where the greatest destruction
u-oc u-r0,,rIf ror,ah &c loft TO hn C11r-
missed. yet lower down the river where
the river was wider and the volume Of
water had to be much greater in order
to submerge the valley, the wreckage
which has been carried by the flood
furnishes ample evidence of what has
taken place up the stream.
Bluefield, w. Va, June 24.-Details
of the food in the PocahontaS fla top
coal region fully bear out the worst
fears of the extent of the damage done.
The work of repairing railroad tracks,
telephone and telegraph lines is being
pushed with the vigor that the occa-
sion demands. Thousands of people
are homeless and it is feared are with
out food, or at the best with only food
enough to last several days, until rail-
road communication is established.
Men are at work clearing away the
debris recovering the bodies of the
dead. The dead are being augmented
hourly. Relief trains are running be-
tween this city and the stricken dis
trict, and everything possible is being
lone to relieve the suffering and desti-
tuition.
The latest estimate is that it will AXE
ten days to repair the Norfolk and
Western track.
Information from the Tug river dis
trict as to the damage to the coal oper-
atoms in that region is that it is not
so great, but that the lumber interests
nave suffered considerably.
Over one hundred miles of track be-
longing to the various coal operations
are practically a total loss. The rails
are ben and twisted like wires. Even
the heavy Orders of the collapsed rail-
road bridges were rendered useless.
The force of the Hood is better under
stood when it is explained that by rea-
son Of a long fill and a low iron bridge,
the flood was damned and a monster
body of water accumulated, probably
as large a volume as was contained in
the famous dam at Jamestown. When
this obstruction gave way it let down
an immense volume of water on the VIII
lagos and mining camps below.
William Miller a drummer from Phil
adelphia, jumped from a passenger
train when it was overtaken by the
flood and was severely injured by the
floating logs striking him. He was res
cued and is in a serious condition.
A colored miner named Harper float
ed dow astride his cabin and after it
was demolished miraculouSly escaped.
DR.. Hatfield, a prominent physician
and a kinsman of the famous feudiSts
of this section and Kentucky, was COM
PEELED to shoot two negro plunderers
who were robbing defenselesS flood
sufferers. The negroes were George
Wade and Alex Watts, both desperate
characters.
The ~recoveries of the bodies in the
past twenty-four hours has been slow. |
The reason assigned is hat the corpses |
of the missing are hidden in mammoth
piles of debris. Some of these piles are
thirty feet high and in some in
stances as much as a half acre of
ground n it is the work Of days to
search through them. 1t has been sug-
gested that the best plan would be to
burn these masses of debris, but the
friends of the dead are lOn6 in their /