The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-28
THE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY
Estimated by Millions of Dollars-Re-
norted Death List Ranges from Sixty
TO Two Rundred-Narrow Valleys In
theIMountain Regions
thing Wfthstands the Tor
reuts-Houses, villages, Freight cars
and Railway Tracks Gone.

food the extent of which In all pfoDa-
bility will equal or exceed that OF
YOUNGSTOWN, in 1883, SO far as the loss
of property is concerned. Early yester-
day morning, shortly after midnight,
a heavy downpour Of rain began, &C
companied by a eve electric storm
and steadily increased in violence un-
til 10 o'clock in the morning. then ceas-
ing for several hours. and beginning
again with renewed violence. This con-
tinued throughout the entire day n
night, and at 10 o'clock this morning,
while the storm had abated' the low
ering clouds indicated another terrific
downpour at any moment. Many miles
of the Norfolk and Western Railroad
track ridges and telegraph lines are
destroyed and communication is u
off west of Elkhorn, so that 1t is m
possible to learn the full extent or the
loss Of life and property, but officials
of the coal plants in the stricken dis
trict have sent out messengers to Elk
horn. the terminus of both Geographic
and railroad communications, and
have received a report that a conser-
yative estimate as to the loss of life
will easily reach two hundred. Some
of the drowned are among the most
prominent citizens of the coal fields.
The Pocahontas coal field is located
in a basin with high unit ranges
on either side. Elkhorn Creek flows
through the centre of the basin, which
ranges from ~one-fourth to one mile in
width. From Ennis, w. Va. to Vivian
yard, W. Va. a distance of ten miles,
miners cabins coal company commits
saries and coke plants line this basin.
Elkhorn creek, being fed by numerous
small streams coming from the noun
tain sides, rises very rapidly, and this
water spout came so suddenly that the
entire basin between the two noun
tain ranges was flooded. and before the
terror-stricken people realized what
was upon them they were carried down
by the flood. which swept everything
in it's path. The little town OF Key
stone, with a population of about two
thousand, seems the greatest sufferer,
practically the entire town being wash
ed away. This town is the principal
one in the Pocahontas o fields, and
is neal it's centre. 1t was to a great
extent headquarters from which the
mining population purchased supplies.
A great number of the coal and coke
plants throughout the PocahontaS field
are reported practically destroyed, and
in some instances entirely washed away
At Landgraft the beautiful home of
General Manager Ord. is reported gone
but his family is said to be safe.
Passenger train No. 4. of the Norfolk
and Western railway reached Vivian
yard, the western terminus Of the coal
field, about $3.50 a. M, met the hood
and was unable to proceed further. The
waters reached such a depth that the
coaches had to be abandoned, the pas
sengers being rescued by means OF
ropes strung from the windows of the
coaches to the tops of remaining coke
ovens. some distance away. Between
Elkhorn and Vivian yard. a distance of
ten miles, 100 cars are said to be washed
away from the tracks and man, OF
them carried down the stream. a rough
estimate places the number of ridges
washed away between Bluefield and
Vivian yard, a distance of t~wenty-eight
miles. at from fifteen to twenty, and
from present indications it will be Inn
possible to get trains through to Vivian
and points west of there under a week
or ten days.
On the Clinch Valley branch of the
Norfolk and Western railway, between
this city and Norton, Va, oommunica-
ton is entirely cut off west of TaZe-
well. Va. Reports come from that point
OF great lOSS VI llc All pIopClNy
throughout the entire section. In Shake
rag. a negro settlement on the out
skirts Of Tazewell. the water stands
to a depth of six or eight feet in the
and houses, all Of the
been removed to points OF
by means of a boat.
Blueield, w. Va, June 2S.-Details of
the great Pocahontas field flood are
hard to obtain, owing to h mac
1accfH;1ifx- of tho n1ininO district At
Keystone. the water began to rise at 8
Sunday morning and by IL
the flood had spent its fury,
at least t~wo-thirds of the little city
had been washed away or demolished.
is known that sixteen residents OF
the north side of h stream lost their
and at least fifty of those living
On the south. or town side were drown-
ed. At Buske. suburb of Keystone, a
are missing n eight are re-
ported dead. 1t is now certain that the
list Of the dead from n end of the
Elkhorn valley to the other will reach
two hundred. A full list of the names
Of the victims cannot be ascertained
at this time.
drowned. But little damage is
done to the mines proper. as the drift
mouths were high up the
sides. Several mines, however, are re-
ported flooded. but it is impossible to
ascertain the extent of the damage.
In the E1khorn valley it is estimated
the loss to the railroad will exceed
million dollars. including coal in
t~erests. Out of twelve miles Of main
line double track only one mile remains
and all the bridges are gone. Some OF
the bridges were OF the heaviest mason
~ and iron. but they could not resist
the force of h flood.
In some instances mine locomotives
and cars have been swept for miles
down the stream. Fifteen hundred Ia
borers have been rushed to the scene
to work On repairs, and 1t is expected
that telegraphic communication will be
by tomorrow afternoon.
A pathetic story is told of a Hunga-
rian family at Keystone. The father
at work in the mines. and when
the alarm was given did not reach the
mouth until the town was partially in
undated. He made his way to the cabin
where his wife n new born babe were
lying helpless. He tried to rescue both,
and. after a fierce battle with the
waters. logs and debris, HI cached a