Connecticut western news., 1901-06-27
THE ELKHORN DISASTER
Situation In Devastated Valley
Greatly Improved.
TRAINS WILL SOON BE RUNNING.
Five Coal Companies Have Resumed
OperatIons-Lntest Estimate of Loss
of Life lis Fifty, Mostly Negro Min
ers and Families.


of Life lis Fifty, Mostly Negro Min
ers and Families.
Bluefield, W. Va, June 26.-The stu
alton in the Elkhorn valley is greatly
improved. Yesterday was the first
time that newspaper reporters were
able to get into the heart of the flood
ed districts. General Manager l.. e.
Johnson was seen on his private car
at North Fork Junction, where he is
personally supervising the work, and
he stated that the loss was much less
than accounts heretofore given out.
He says that If nothing unforeseen &C.
Cured his force of 5000 men would
have the road opened for traffic on n
single track by tonight and that freight
trains would be running in two or three
days. This. of course, does not indi-
cate that regular traffic will be the re-
suit, but coal came east over the road
yesterday. Five concerns have re-
sumed work. They are Mill Creek,
Coaldale, Delta Pocahontas Coiliery
| company and Powhatan.
| 1t is believed by Mr.. Johnson that the
road will be put in its normal condi-
| ton within two weeks. Mr.. Johnson
says he will send local trains with
supplies from Bluefield to Vivian today
and relieve any suffering that may
exist. This statement seems remarka-
BILE when the condition mt keystone is
| considered, with a half mile of track
gone and the river filling the old track
space for several hundred yards. The
distance between keystone and the
point reached yesterday by local trains
| is 20 miles. This section is covered
with debris and ruins, but only two
bridges are gone. The whole line was
inspected by an operator, who reported
the conditions. General Boggs and
| Colonel Hudson of Governor Whites
| staff visited the section yesterday.
They went to Keystone to ascertain if
the destitute needed help from the
state. They We're Informed that Key
stone would care for the destitute.
Many newspaper correspondents went
into the center of the devastated dis
trict yesterday, and it was evident that
the facts were not exaggerated so far
as property loss is concerned.
From Ennis down the loss was the
worst. Cars were wrenched to pieces
and piled up In ruins. The track for
several hundreds yards was washed
| away, houses We're overturned and
many had been demolished. Triples
| We're damaged, and many coke ovens
| are ruined.
At Powhatan the railroad track suf-
fered greatly.
| Bridges Washed Away.
At North Fork Junction the double
steel bridge was washed away, and
the 60 pound rails of both tracks We're
snapped like threads. Thousands of
tons of driftwood. remnants of houses,
logs and trees were piled in ruin. The
! bodies of the six people drowned on
North Fork are supposed to be imbed-
ded In the debris. The two iron bridges
between North Fork and keystone
were utterly ruined and the rails bent
| like hairpins. -Four bodies laid with
| the coffin lids washed away and eX-
| posed to the gaze of the curious at this
point They had been buried on the
river bank. but We're washed out. Pres
| ident of the Board of Health Preston
| of keystone viewed the remains. but it
| is said that no action has been taken to
care for them.
Keystone, town of 1000 inhabit-
ants, was torn to pieces. Thirty build
| ings were deluged and greatly dam
aged. The contents of many other
| houses were seriously damaged. The
railroad bed was washed out to a
depth of % feet. The loss at Key
stone was immense. The huge drift
west of the town cannot be described.
| 1t had n house with tree driven into
the door OH its top. Many dead bodies
are supposed to be confined in this i'm
mense pile of debris.
| At Shawnee where the beautiful
| homes of the officers of the Shawnee
| Coal company We're located, with their
splendid lawns and tennis courts. the
river is now running. Vivian yard is
complete wreck.
Between WEIGH and Vivian all the
bridges are damaged, and several of
the most important are gone. The rail
/ rond bridge at WEIGH and another two
miles west have been washed away.
The most conservative estimate OBJ
tainable places the loss of life at about
| So greater part of whom are negro
miners and their families.