Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-06-26

The Mad Waters Came Upon People
of keystone Almost Without Warn.
Ing and Quickly Engulfed Them, To-
gether With All Their Belongings.
KEYSTONE, w. Va, June 25.-The
following story is told by an eye wit
ness of the great flood:
keystone is the metropolis of the
Elkhorn mining country. 1t has but
one narrow street, and because of lin
tied space many buildings were built on
piles or walls over the Elkhorn or close
up against the mountains. The town
follows the meanderings of the stream
for a mile.
son Friday night at IL o'clock the
storm struck the mountain, and for six
hours rain descended in torrents. At
baybreak the thousands of people along
the Elkhorn and its tributaries realized
that great flood was upon them, but
they little suspected the disaster soon to
follow. By 8 a. III. the narrow valley
was raging, seething angry torrent.
| Houses, barns, bridges, fills, live stock
and human beings were swept away by
the mighty current and dashed on the
rocks or trees below.
Story of Eyewitness.
81 was an eyewitness of the disaster
| at Keystone, being guest at the Ma
tional hotel. This hotel faces the noun
| tain, with narrow spot between it and
&Inh hr1i1 1il 40 0f
the street. AT the first warning many
| of the inhabitants took refuge on the
mountain side. overlooking the town
and river. More than a hundred peo-
pie, however, remained in the town to
look after the women and children, who
did not escape early. The bridge lead
ing to the depot was soon swept away;
then the angry waters rushed through
the only street in the town, and we
found hundreds cut off from the noun
tain retreat, and the hotel was made
fast to the telephone poles by means of a
line.
Like an Avalanche.
Hundreds of lives were saved. But
in attempting to cross the muddy, surg
ing waters which swept like an ava
lanche down this street many lost their
hold and in plain sight Of friends were
carried on into the river and drowned.
Houses plunged and danced in the
mighty stream, with screaming women
and children on the roofs. Horses, cat.
tie and other animals went down in
droves and singlY, struggling for life
"Ihe Norfolk and Western railroad
fill at this place gave way, and more
than mile of track now lies in the bed
of the river, while large fills on either
side are all gone; in fact. it is hard to
tell how many miles of track and how
many bridges have been swept away.
The destruction is disastrous, and it
may be many days and weeks before
trains can be run.
'The loss of life cannot be estimated
from here. Eight lives were lost here.
Six bodies have been recovered at Eek.
man, miles below here Several were
drowned at Shawnee and a good por-
tlon of the town swept away.
A Personal Experience.
"All the women were conveyed from
the hotel to the mountain side by means
of the lifeline. Then the men left, as
the place was unsafe When it came
my turn ] seized the line and plunged
in the muddy current In an instant
my feet were swept from under me,
and it was the fight Of my life to reach
the house on the south side of the street.
The distance was not great and the
water not more than feet deep, but the
current was almost irresistible, and even
COWS and horses were swept past me as
clung to the rope, which was the only
hope. Friendly hands pulled me out,
more dead than alive. The hotel is still
standing"