The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-24
WHOLE VALLEY DEVASTATED.
Loss Of Life at Keystone Alone May
BE Fully Two Hundred.


an awful flood and cloudburst had swept
over the Elkhorn coal region in West Vir-
ginia. This territory is near the Virginia
line, and is about 125 miles west of Roanoke
and some twenty-five miles west of Blue
fields. w. Va. The region visited by the
food is said to be devastated and the Poca-
hontas coal fields are reported to be in
ruins. More than thirty miles of the rail-
road tracks of the Norfolk & Western Rail-
in to the general officers of this system in
this city reporting washouts on the various
sections of lines in the Hooded districts.
One of the breaks in the track will require
at least a thousand laborers and several
days work TO repair. The railroad yards at
Vivian, a small town in West Virginia.
were destroyed and it is reported most Of
the town was washed away. North Fork
Junction and a few other smaller towns
suffered greatly.
Saturday night is pay night in the coal
fields. and it is supposed that the coal
miners had flocked into the towns in the
district to do their trading and there is
no telling how many of them were caught
in the flood and drowned. 1t is stated that
the greatest damage so far as known is at
Keystone, w. Va. one mile from North
Fork and thirty miles west of Bluefeld.
From the meager reports describing the
force of the storm at keystone it would
appear that the damage rivals that of
Johnstown, and is equal to the Galveston
horror. There is no telegraphic communi-
cation west of Buefeld as the telegraph
lines were swept away along with the
railroad tracks. 1t is said by the telegraph
officials that the lines are useless between
Kenova w. Va. and Bluefed. a distance
of two hundred miles. 1t may be several
days before the telegraph lines will be
restored sufficiently between these two
points to obtain full report of damage
done in that territory. 1t is stated, how
ever, that every building in the town of
keystone was demolished or carried away
bv the water save one. and that bar
| room which stands on high hill.
The normal population of Keystone IS
night there is no telling how many miners
had gone into the town to swell its popula-
ton. 1t is estimated that 200 lives were
lost at keystone alone.
The flood seems to have extended over a
vast area of mountain country, and the
hundreds of mountain streams becoming
river until it overhowed and carried de-
struction in its wake. Railroad ties and
tracks, small buildings of all descriptions,
trees. telegraph poles. huge powders and
every imaginable movable thing that came
within the sweep of this mighty torrent of
maddened waters went down the noun
famous district in a seething, roaring mass
of debris Dead bodies could be seen float
ing along the valley by those who had
All day Saturday the rain fell in sheets,
and IL was evident that if il did not cease
there would be flood and great destruc-
ton must result from it, but 1t was not
until after darkness had enveloped the coal
regions that the great catastrophe was
upon the country and was making clean
of ha al for mil
Shortly after midnight Saturday night it
seemed If the heavens had opened their
flood gates over the town Of Vivian, W. Va
Here a passenger train was caught in the
flood and the lives of the frightened pas
sengers were saved by the use of ropes
which were quickly thrown over from the
at Vivian. The passengers were glad to
catch the ropes, and willing hands dragged
them from the submerging train and over
the oven barricades to point of safety.
Owing to the fact that the telegraph lines
had been prostrated by the storm, the
Norfolk * Western officials detailed mes
StuScIS NY lOOt " NONCl TIC lcIIltOIy dS
best they could. they returning in a short
time with reports oil the terrible destruc-
tion which had been done in their respec-
tive territories. One of these messengers.
in walking over the devastated district
came back and reported having seen thirty
eight dead bodies. There are supposed to
be many who will never be accounted for
The loss of life will probably reach 500 or
GOO. and possibly this number will be
swelled when fuller details are obtainable
Many people in this city have relatives
in the coal regions which have been struck
by the flood. but not word can be heard
from them, as there is positively no way
Of communicating with them The tele-
graph Offices. railroad Offices and ofacials
and telephone Offices are besieged by many
eager people seeking information of their
relatives and friends. The Norfolk e.
Western Railroad general Offices in this
city are. as is generally the case when rail-
road property is damaged. reticent, but
they admit that at least 200 lives have been
lost. the town OF Keystone destroyed and
millions of dollars worth OF property de-