The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-28
THE FLOODED DISTRICTS
ESTIMATES AS To DAMAGE NOT RE-
DUCE0 BY LATEST REPORTS.
FIFTY MILES OF TRACK WRECKED

ed-Great Destruction of Mining Pro-
perty-Bodies from a Cemetery Add.
ed to Those or Victims of Flood.
Washington. June 25.-Official advices
to the postoffice department show that
the break on the Virginia and Ohio di-
vision Of the Norfolk and Western
caused by the floods extends for dis
tance of fifty miles from Williamson
to Ennis. except in spots. The branch
line running from Goodwill to Bram-
we'll is practically entirely washed
away. Special service will be arranged
to take the mails into and out of the
flood stricken towns.
Chief of Clerks Goodloe, from Wash
ington, and Sales. from Lynchburg, Of
the railway mail service. have gone to
the flood district to make a report on
the situation and needs in a postal
way.
A telegram from the postmaster at
Duhrlng, w. Va. asking for immediate
special postal service says such service
probably will be necessary for three
weeks
The postmaster at Cedar Bluff, Va,
wired today that the money order
funds. forms, blanks and stamps. to-
gether with the transit mail from
rant LICK, Va. were swept away by
the Hood. Cedar Bluff is on the
Clinch Valley division of the Norfolk
and Western railroad in Tazwell coun-
ay. The postmaster at Ennis, w. Va,
also reports his office swept away.
The first action of the postoffice de-
partment in furnishing emergency mail
service into the flooded district was
taken this afternoon when Assistant
Postmaster General Shallenberger au-
thoriZed the Establishment of special
service to Duhring, via Bramwell and
Freeman. This is along a spur of the
| railroad which was practically entirely
washed away and the mails probably
will be transported on horse back.
Roanoke, Va, June 25.-There has
been some interruption today to the
wires between Roanoke and Bluefield
and only one wire has been in use since
morning, this remaining wire being du-
picked all day. the railroad dividing it
with the Western Union as far east as
Lynchburg and west to Bluefield. A
telegram from Bluef1eld this afternoon
says there are no important develop
| ments there today. Repair work is
going ahead with a rush and vigor
Bluefield is the great shipping point for
the Pocahontas coal coming east.
1t is said there that the coal fields
will not be able to ship out any coal for
| the next thirty days. 1t is thought at
Bluefield the loss of life will be in the
neighborhood OF sixty. The coal trade
| will suffer almost incalculable loss as a
result of the waShed-out tracks and
damage to their machinery.
A gentleman arriving in this city
| today from the stricken section gives
| this explanation for the report frs,
| circulated that great masses of human
bodies were to be seen floating around
in the water: 1t seems there is a grave
yard between Norfolk junction and
| keystone, which towns are about a
| mile apart and at which point the
storm was very severe. This grave
yard is near the bank of the river which
caused the great destruction. When
| the flood came the graves gave up their
dead and added greatly to the bodies
| seen.
The Norfolk and Western railroad
| officials thought this morning that they
| would be able to have their Clinch Val
ley line open this evening. They say the
| Thacker Coal Field lines are already
open and that the road will be able tc
| get a train through to Columbus to.
morrow. Repairs will only be of a tenn.
| porary nature however, and it will
| necessarily be many weeks before the
| tracks and roadbedS can be placed ir
| their former condition.
| J. B. Frances, a Roanoke man, who i!
| in keystone installing a water plan'
| and who was first reported dead, ha:
written his wife telling her he is safe
| and sound. He has the following II
say about the disaster:
"A big flood visited the town last Fri
day night. Everybody had to go up or
| the mountain. Men, women and chill
| dren were drowned in the streets, ant
| houses went floating down the stream.
with people in them. All our crowd art
safe. We are entirely cut off from the
| outside world and provisions are get
| ting short. There is now no water il
the town.
| Another letter says between ten an(
| fifteen people were drowned and fort.
| houses washed away at that place
The people are hard at work clearing
| up the town and repairing damaged
/ buildings.
| The report received here yesterday
that the father. mother, one sister, two
brothers and a sisten-in-law, with two
| children of ]. W. Crotty, of the Norfoll
| and Western railroad were drowned
was a mistake. Mr.. Crotty is now IL
the coal fields and telegraphs toda!
that they were all safe.
| Tazwell. Va. also suffered from tn,
cloudburst. The house OF Paris Van
/ Dyke four miles west of Tazwell, in {
gorge of the mountains. was washed
| away. VanDyke heard the roar o
| water and started home from the field
| When short distance from the hous'
he saw the water rushing down tn
mountain sides, tearing up and twistin,
off giant trees as if shrubs. the waite
leaping forty feet high and travelling
| with frightful speed. He rushed 70
| the house to warn his family, but tn
| water overlook him and swept tn
house and all its inmates away. Tw
children. and years old. were in
stantly killed, their brains dashed ou
against the rocks and timbers. TIL
bodies were washed to low lands. 4