The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-24
Torrent Strews Peace
FIJI Basin With Corpses
Of Its Citizens.
Hundreds of Lives Are Swept OPropery Loss Enormous
hontas Coal Field Dasoaed by the Rush of Waters.

BluefeId. w. Va. June 23-This sec
ton has just been visited by Hood,
the extent of which, in al probability,
viii equal or exceed that of Johnstowr
in 1889 so Tar as the loss of property
is concerned. Early yesterday morn
ms. shortly after midnight. a heavy
downpOur OF rain began, accompanied
by a sewers electric storm which in
creased in volume, continuing for sew
oral hours
The storm continued throughout the
entire day and night and at 10 "a, M.
while the storm has abated the lowering
clouds threaten another terrific down
pour at any moment.
Many miles OF the Norfolk & West
ern railroad track, bridges and tele-
graph lines are entirely destroyed ana
communication IS esotf-Siy cut off west
OF Elkhorn so that il is impossible to
learn the fun extent of the loss OF life
and property, but officials Cf the coal
companies located in the district have
f. sent out messengers to ElkhOrn. the
terminus Of both Geographic and rail-
road communication and have received
q report that conservative estimate
as 20 the loss OF life viii easily reach
the most prominent citizens of the coal
fields.
The Pocahontas coal field is located
in a basin with nigh mountain ranges
through the center of the basin, which
ranges from one-fourth TO one mile in
width
Entire Basin Flooded.
FROM Tennis w. Va. to Vivian Yards.
w. Va. distance of ten miles. miners
. cabins coal company commissaries and
coke plants lire the basin. The ELK
horucreek. being fed by numerous small
streams coming from the mountain side,
rises very rapidly. The WdterSpOut
came So suddenly that t.ic entire basin
DetWc "a the two mountain ranges was
flooded, auG before the terTOr-stric<eu
people realized what was upon them,
they We're carried down by the flood
which swept everything IN it's path.
The little town of keystone, with
population of about 1000. seems tho
greatest sufferer practically the entire
town beiug washed away. This town
is the principal one in the Pocahontas
coat FIELDS and - located near lis cen
ter. j was to n great extent tho head
quarters from which the mining popu-
latfou purchased supplies and was also
The only place in the field where whis-
Ky could be purchased AT TINS place
there were some twelve to fifteen sa-
looms. all OF which were washed away.
The report comes that the mining pop
uiation are now occurring the banks
Of the stream below, caEhinE the mer-
Chaudise and barrels of3rEd rye and
beer as they float down a great num-
Der Of the coal and coke plants
~
reported practically destroyed, and are
in Some instances entirely washed
away Owing TO the very high water
which has flooded the region and pre-
vented communication. anything ike
correct estimate of the loss of property
fs imTossfbie bat from the best iufor-
rnatfo1 obtainable at D. tn. Sunday
the loss 20 the property WI easily
reach $1,000 600
At Landgrsf. the beautiful home Of
General Manager ord is reported gone,
but his family is said to be safe.
Passenger Train Abandoned.
Passenger train MOI of the Norfolk
e. Western railway reache1 Vivian
about $50 a. n7-, met the Hood and was
unable TO. proceed further. The waters
reached such q depth that the coaches
lTaE - be abandoned. the passengers
being rescued by means of rops,s strung
from The windows 81 cOacdes to the
tops OF remaining coke ovens. some dis
tauce away Between ElkhOrn and
Vivian Tf-ds. q distanceaOf ten miles,
10C cars are said to be washed from
che tracks and many of them were car
Tled down ,hp stream
rough estimate places the number
or bridges washed away between Blue
FaId and Vivian Yards a distance OF
tweuty-eig1t miles, ~ irom nfteen 20
twenty. and from present indicadops
81 VIII be inDOssible 90 run trains
through Co Vivian and points west Of
there under "a week or ten days This
wflf render it impossible TO get relief
into the stricken Districts and for
chose 81 40 escaped with their lives,
homeless and without food, indescrib-
able sumering is inevitable.
on the Clinch valley branch OF the
Norfolk & Western railway between
THIS city and Norton communication
is entirely severed west Of Tazw5tl, VA.
REPORTS come from tl2at point Of glsa
loss II life and property throughout the
enfire section.
I'm Snakerag, a negro settlement on
the outskirts of Ta2WeH. the winter
stands to the depth Of six 20 eighs feet
In the street and houses All of the
occupan - have been removed to points
OF ssfety Ey- means of a boat. Three
miles west Of 'faEWell. OF the Higgin-
botham farm. the house on Paris Van
dyke. q farm hand. WAS swept away.
four children two of the Nandyke chii-
dren. John. ~, and Charles, 3, being
drowned. Mrs Nandyke, with the two
remaining children. were found at 9
o'clock this morning in a dying cOnGi-
ION ONE. mile from VIII ere their nome
et0Od by SIR, Nandyke. who was an
sent frCr1 home at the time of the
clOudburst. While the rescuing party
was searching for the Wandyke family
they f0Dud the body OF a white woman.
well sisU 1afng down Plum creek No
one mus far has been able TO Identify
her. and it IS supposed thar The body
A report, comes from Wittefs Mil. 3
small station between Btuehelds and
TazNeu. that three children, christian
names unknoWn, belonging to Raleigh
Brush, were drowned early Yesterday