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

AT Cedar Bluff sixteen miles west or |
Tazwell, seventeen dwellings were |
swept away but no lives were lost. At |
rounding mill. four lives were lost |
knobe small town seven miles west
was almost completely destroyed. |
Ravens, two miles west. was badly
damaged and many business houses
were destroyed. The damage to county
roads will not be less than $4,000.
A notice was posted in the boiler de-
partment of the Norfolk and Western
railroad in Roanoke this merning an
nouncing that the shops would be
closed at Il o'clock today until further
notice. The bulletin stated that the
smut down was on account OF the de-
struction by the flood and the result
tnat no traffic was passing over the
road. The notice stated that the shops
would probably resume work in three
or four days. There are about 1000
employed in the Norfolk and Western
shops here but not all Of them will be
affected. All the men are out except
a sufficient number to keep up repairs.
AS the road is doing no coal business,
which is its chief traffic, few trains are
on the road
Roanoke, Va, June 25.-The damage
in the coal fields begins at Coaldale,
which is fifteen miles west Of Bluefield.
AT that place great embankmentS sup
porting the railroad tracks have been
washed out. At Mayberry, from the
train can be seen five houses upset
and partially demolished.
The branch road leading from this
has sustained heavy damage. The track
point to the Norfolk and Delta collieries
| is washed out in some places and COW
cred over in others, and those left Of the
long row of valuable company houses
have an unsightly appearance on ac-
count Of material washed in their yards.
The loss here and at Lick Branch is
| $4,000.
At Lick Branch the water was very
| high and at this point damage to the
main line of railroad begins and de-
struction of coal company property in
creaSeS.
At Ennis can be seen the remains of
valuable house, and on down below
| lumber from many buildings is collected
| high against bridge abuttments and
other unmovable structures. At this
point the eastbound track begins to en-
| tirely disappear and at some distance
| further the road bed is entirely gone
| from both tracks. The iron bridge
| structures remain, but the approaches
/ to either end in most all cases have
been entirely washed out, by reason Of
| lumber from demolished houses and
| other material being wedged against
the abuttments. causing the water to
flow around. All wooden bridges are
| SOue. IH0 turkey zap COllleIieS loSS 10
| $29, 600. The tipple is slightly damaged
| and the coke tracks gone.
The damage at Houston is $4,000.
| At the Upland Company, the boiler
house and tipple are partially washed
| away. Along here coal company houses
! have been moved and destroyed. Be
| tween this operation and Kyle all
tracks are badly damaged, nearly
everything having exchanged position
| with the former creek bed.
The great fills which the railroad
companies have been making and rip
| rapping ever since the high waters OF
| 1897 have been leveled. All operations
have had heavy loss and weeks will
have passed before they can work again
to advantage.
| Heavy damage was done at Lynch
burg operation, mostly to the tracks.
Up Northfork branch ruined houses
can be seen besides a lot OIL building
| material which was lodged against
Northfork bridge. The water has
| changed it's course at this bridge by re-
moving the embankment at the east
approach. The Northfork operations
all sustain considerable damage.
Elkridge lost number of houses,
| coke ovens and trestles. The power
house and their tracks were washed
out. The tipple is also damaged. Loss
$4,000.
| AL A6ySlOIle lHc SlTStlS are WdSASu
irregularly and debris is everywhere,
floors of buildings standing are cover
ed with mud and water has been all
over the town to a considerable depth.
Had it not been for the jamming Of
three or four buildings at the upper
end, near the suspension bridge, no
doubt the entire property of the town
would be a total loss. Just opposite
Calhoun's buildings, on the other side
of the creek, all houses were entirely
swept away including the most OF
Belchertown. Property is undermined
and badly damaged at Burke. The
whole FILL on which the two tracks pass
through keystone is entirely gone. The
wagon bridge and the tracks on the
company side are gone. Many persons
had narrow escapes with their lives,
and men, women and children succeed
ed in escaping through water waist
deep, while others were carried away
A Mr.. Abbott succeeded in rescuing a
man named Lockwood on Main street
by fastening himself to a post by
means Of a rope and making a dive in
the swift water just as Lockwood was
sinking from view. Many similar res
cues were made.
Eight bodies have been found be-
tween Burke and Eckman. The loss
at Peerless is estimated at $4,000 and
at Shawnee at $50. 600.
The loss of life, it is now conserva-
lively estimated, will not exceed fifty.
The railroad company is using every
endeavor to quickly repair the damage
Every available man from Norfolk to
Columbus and all the working crews
have been rushed to the scene. A
Westinghouse car fitted up with a COM
plete electric plant and apparatus has
been taken to the devastated coun-
try from Hagerstown, in order that
Work may be prosecuted at night.
The telegraph company has eight
gangs Of men working to get their wires
| up and the telephone company has a
large force OF men at work on their
| lines.
New York, June 25.-The Norfolk and
Western offices in this city have receiv-
ed the following telegram from the
general passenger agent at Roanoke
| Virginia:
Latest information as to the storm
at Pocahontas coal field. is: Damage
to property $4,000; loss of life abou,
sixty; no loss Of passengers or trains
We expect to resume running of trains
| on Wednesday"