New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-25
THE WEST VIRGINIA FLOOD.

The effects Of the disaster which overlook a
valley I'm the SouthernmOst county OF West Nir-
| ginia last Saturday night are not yet fully
known. As often happens i'm similar cases esti-
mates made by equally competent persons differ
widely. But il seems probable that something
like one hundred lives have been lost, perhaps
more. Governor White thinks that the num-
Der may be much larger. but it is 10 he
hoped that his fears will not be- confirmed.
Thousands of survivors have been left homeless
temporarily and are in danger of starvation.
And the work OF sending food 10 the latter and
providing some sort of shelter is hampered by
the damage done 10 the branch railway that eX-
tends up the valley from the main line of the
Norfolk and Western This injury is serious
enough 10 constitute n formidable item in the
catalogue of property losses. The others con-
sist mainly OF wrecked dwellings in two or
three villages and the dsmantling of more or
less machinery.
This catastrophe naturally calls 10 mind that
which almost annhilated JohnstOwn n dozen
years ago Fortunately. however IL is already
evident that the later tragedy is not comparable
with the earlier one Neither does IL parallel
the experience of Galveston last September.
Still ID Is noteworthy that, as at JOhnstown.
the food in the POcahontas coal region was due
10 a cloudburst and came AT an hour when its
victims were peculiarly helpless. On the other
hand, the abnormal downpOur which wrought
such devastation in West Virginia was not
companied by any breaking of an insecure dam.
like that which has rendered Conemaugh Val
ley historic. Indeed, IL is not clear that human
vigilance and caution could have done anything
10 avert the occurrence.
A clOudburst Is one Of those meteorological
disturbances which arise under the same gen
eral conditions as wind squalls. thunder show
ers and tornadOes They come AT a season
when high tempe allure enables the atmosphere
10 carry in Suspension mach larger quantity
of water vapOr than at other times. And al
though large and widely scattered brood OF
local storms may be Matched out slmulyane-
ously. each particular member of the family is
small and short lived. This is especially true
Of the clOudburst. Another characteristic OF
the latter Is that il almost invariably occurs I'm
a mountainous district The accepted explana-
tion of the phenomenon is this: A storm cloud,
which otherwise might give rise 10 only mod
crate shower, is forced upward by striking a
barrier. and. thus being chilled abnormaIly, is
compelled 10 surrender an exceptionally large
share of its moisture The topography of the
region in which Vivian keystone and Elkhorn
are situated is highly favorable 10 the develop
ment of these watery avalanches. The valley
is bounded on the north by line of lofty hills
and a storm sweeping up the stream could
hardly fail TO encounter that obstacle From
the fact that the villages along the North Fork
of the Big Sandy have not suffered I'm the same
manner before one might suspect that some
other factor which is not yet fully recognized
enters into the production of such disturbances.