Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-06-28
A west VIRGINIA FLOOD
Swept With Terrible Fury ThrOug5
the MIXING 6 IIit6
FIFTY TO SIXTY LIVES LOST.
Only Ten or Fifteen People Drowned
and Forty Houses Washed Away at
KeystOns-TerrIbIe Experience Of
the Vandvke Family

and Forty Houses Washed Away at
KeystOns-TerrIbIe Experience Of
the Vandyke Family.
Roanoke, Va, June 26.-Persons
coming from the food stricken district
IN West Virginia place the number of
drowned at so to so persons, but have
no definite or detailed information on
which to base the estimate.
A gentleman arriving in this city
from the stricken section gives as an
explanation for the report Arst circu-
lated that great masses of human
bodies were seen floating around in the
water that there is a graveyard be-
tween North Fork junction and Key.
stone. which towns are about a mile
apart, and at which point the storm
was very severe. This graveyard is
near the bank Of the river. When the
hood came the graves gave up their
dead and added greatly to the number
Of bodies seen.
J. r. Frances, a Roanoke man. who
lie In Keystone installing a water plant,
and who was first reported dead, has
written his wife telling her he is safe
and sound. He has the following to
say about the disaster:
"A big flood visited the town last
Friday night. Everybody had to go
up on the mountain. Men, women and
children were drowned in the streets
and houses went floating down the
streams with people in them. All our
crowd are safe. We are entirely cut
OF from the outside world and prOvis-
ions are getting short. There is now
no water in our town"
Another letter from Keystone says
between 10 and Is people we're drown
ed and 30 houses washed away at that
place. The people are hard at work
clearing up the town and repairing
damaged buildings.
The report received here that the
father. mother, one sister, two broth
ers and a sister-in-law, with two chill
dred, of ]. w. Crottey, of the Norfolk
and Western railroad. were drowned
was q mistake. Mr.. Crotty is now in
the coal fields and telegraphed today
that they we're all safe.
TsEewell, Va. also suffered from the
cloudburst. The house of Paris Van
dyke, four miles west of Tazewell, in
a gorge Of the mountain, was washed
away Vandyke heard the roar of wa
ter and started home from the field
When a short distance from the house
be saw the water rushing down the
mountain sides, tearing up and twist
ing of giant trees as If shrubs, the
water leaping 40 feet high and travel
Ing with frightful speed, Vandyk'
rushed for the house to warn his fam
lily, but the water overlook him ant
swept the house and all it's inmates
away. Two children, and year
old, were instantly killed, their brain
being dashed out against the rocks ant
timbers. The bodies were washed t,
lOwlRnds. A little girl, holding
young sister in her arms, was carried
200 yards. Another member of tn
family died Monday afternoon, and MI
Vandyke is still unconscious and can
not live.
At Cedar Bluff. 16 miles west 0
Tazewell, II dwellings were swep
away, but no lives were lost.
At Pounding Mill Mr.. Tate, Mri
Hoops and two children were los
Knobe, a small town seven miles ives
was almost completely destroyed. Ri
vens, two miles west, was badly dan
aged. and many business houses d,
stroyed. The damage to country road
will not be less than $4,000.
( The Norfolk and Western Railwa
company will lose. at a coRservativ
: estimate, $1.5OO,OOO. not taking int
S consideration the delay to traffic. ct
4 Their double track is practically wasl
ed away for a distance of six mile
r and at least $500 men are at VOL
Y day and night repairing roadbed an
4 removing drift The loss to the CO
! operators will reach about $4,000
: outside of the delay at the mines
loading, etc. The property loss
private parties is very heavy and ca
not be estimated at this time. It
thought it will reach the million doll
mark.