Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-26
THE DEATH LIST
In West Virginia Floods Has
Fallen to Fifty.
Thousands of Men at Work Repairing
the Damage Done.
People Are Terrorized and Almost Helpless
Many Bodies Recovered.

Bluef1eld, w. Va, June 25.-An-
other "a hours has passed and the full
extent of the vast damage done by the
food cannot yet be accurately stated,
yet it is believed to be at least so.
Many Of the missing who were
mourned as dead by their friends have
turned up. Six bodies We're found. yes
terday, but they were discolored and
swollen beyond recognition. 1t IS now
highly probab BILE that very few of the
dead whose bodies are found at this
late hour will ever be identified.
The Norfolk & Western Railroad Co.
continues to make every effort to mas
| ten the opening of communication. La
borers are going in continue stream
and many hundreds more could be
used. The work Of repairing and clear
| ing the debris goes on night and day.
| The electric light plant, consisting of
three cars, is capable of furnishing 40
arc lights of great power and has
search light that sweeps the country
| for a mile Wrecking trains completely
manned continue to arrive. Covered
| wire like that used by the army is be-
| ing laid on the ground to complete the
broken lines of telegraph wires.
| Inc BtODIt vi tilt SUI III sNtpt SCt-
ton appear terrorZed and their ex-
| element is so intense that they are
really helpless as far as work is con
| cerned. Each fash of lightning and
peal of thunder is enough b cause a
panic. The dead as fast as found are
| being hastily buried. and many times
| the spot is not marked.
Bridges on the Simmons Creek and
| Flippine- branches are with one eXcep-
ton all replaced by Temporary tres
| ties. At Bramwell the bridge over
| Bluestone is being erected by a force
| of men under the direction of Supt.
Needles.
a great many people are Missing and
| are supposed to have been Mept away.
| There are great piles of d,bris and it
will take many days to ind all the
bodies.
The Norfolk & Western lailroad will
| lose, at conservative estimate, $780,
| 900, not taking into consideration the
delay of traffic. etc. heir double
! track is practically washsd away for
a distance of six miles md at least
$500 men ore at work d3y and night
| re pairing the road bed md removing
drift. The Cumberland Wiley electric
light car arrived. today. and will be
| USED to prosecute the wrk at night.
4 1t will be four days BEIGE any traffic
| can be resumed.
The loss to the coal peratOrs will
| reach about $500, 600 OUTSIDE of the de-
l lay at the mines in loading, etc. The
property lost by private parties. it is
| thought. will reach the &,O00,0 900 mark.
Gen. Boggs and Col. Hudson of Gov.
Whites staff arrived. they. to hold
| confer renee with the geieral superin-
| tendent of the Norfolk & Western to
! ascertain what assistane is needed by
| the state authorities.
The wires are deugd with press
| dispatches and hundres of messages
are received hourly from anxious
| friends in all parts # the United
States.
Gen. Manager L. f. Johnson was
seen on his private Cal at North Fork
Junction. where he is PERSONALITY super
| visins the work and he stated that the
| loss was much less than accounts
heretofore given out. He says that il
nothing unforeseen occurred his force
of 5000 men would hav the road open
| ed for traffic on single track by to-
morrow night and tint freight trains
would be running in tyO or three days
This. Of course, does rot indicate that
regular traffic will b. the result, but
coal came east over the road. today.
| Five operations hav, resumed work
| They are: Mill Creek Coaldale. Delta,
| Pocahontas Colliery 20. and POwhat-
| tan.
1t is believed by Ar. Johnson that
| the road will be put n it's normal con-
dition within two weeks. Mr.. Johnson
| says he will send loci trains with sup
plies from Bluefield to Vivian. tomor-
| row, and relieve any suffering that
| may exist. The distlnce between Key
stone and the point reached, today. by
local trains is 20 nils. This section Is
covered with debris md ruins but only
two bridges are goR. The whole line
| was inspected by al operator who re-
ported the conditions.
Gen. Boggs and Colonel Hudson of
Gov. Whites staff, visited the section,
today. They went % Keystone to as
certain If the destitute needed help
from the state. hey were informed
Continuation page 2)