The Saint Paul globe., 1901-06-24

BLUEt1ELD, w. Va June 2S.-ThlS
entire section has just been visited by
flood the extent of which in all prob
ability will equal or exceed that of
Johnstown in 1889 so far as the loss OF
property Is concerned.
Early yesterday morning, shortly after
midnight heavy downpour of rain be-
gan, accompanied by a severe electric
storm, which violently increased in vol
ume and continued for several hours.
This continued throughout the entire
day and night, and at 10 a. m, while
the storm has abated, the lowering
clouds would indicate another terrific
downpour at amy moment. Many miles
of the Norfolk & Western railroad
track, bridges and telegraph lines are
entirely destroyed, and communication
is entirely cut off west Of Elkhorn, 50
that it is impossible to learn the full
extent of the loss of life and property,
but officials of the coal operations To-
Gated in the stricken district have sent
out messengers to Elkhorn, the terminus
of both telegraphic and railroad com
munications, and have received a report
that a conservative estimate as to the
loss of life will easily reach 200 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 mountain ranges
Oh either side. Elkhorn creek flows
Through the center 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 the basin.
Elkhorn creek, being fed by numerous
small streams coming from the noun
tain side, rises very rapidly, and this
water spout came so suddenly that the
entire basin between the two mountain
ranges was flooded, and before the ter
Tor-stricken people realized what was
upon them they were carried down by
the food which swept everything in its
path.
KEYSTONE WASHED AWAY.
The little town of keystone, with q
population of about 1000, seems tht
greatest sufferer practically the entire
town being washed away This town Is
the principal one in the Pocahontas coal
field and is located near it's center. II
was to a. great extent headquarters from
which the mining population purchased
supplies, and was also the only place
In the field where whisky could be pur-
chased. At this place there were some
twelve to fifteen saloons, all of which
were washed away. the report comes
that the mining population are now oc-
cupying the banks Of the streams below
catching the merchandise and barrels OF
whisky and beer as they float down. A
great number of the coal and coke plants
throughout the PocahOntas are reported
practically destroyed, and are in some
instances entirely washed away. Owing
to the very high water which has flooded
the region and prevented communica-
tion, anything like a. correct estimate OF
the loss of property is impossible, but
from the best information obtainable al
2 p. m Sunday. the loss to property
win easily reach 100000.
At Landgraf the beautiful home o
General Manager Ord is reported gone
but his family is said to be safe.
Passenger train No 4, of the Norfoll
& Western railway, reached Vivian abou
$50 a. m, met the flood and was unabl
to proceed further.
The waters reached such a depth tha
the coaches had to be abandoned, tn
passengers being rescued by means o
ropes strung from the windows 0
coaches to the tops Of remaining COX
ovens some distance away. Betweel
Elkhorn and Vivian Yard, distance o
ten miles, 100 cars are said to be washe'
from the tracks, and many of then
were carried down the streams. A rougl
estimate places the number of bridge
washed away between Bluefeld and Wv
ian Yard, a distance of twenty-eigh
miles, at from fifteen to twenty ant
from present indications it will be i'm
possible to get trains through to Vivian
and points west of there under a week o
ten days. This will render 1t impossibl
to get relief into the stricken district
and with those who escaped with thei
lives, homless and without food, inde
scribable suffering is inevitable.
FLOOD AT TAzEWELL.
On the Clinch valley branch of tn
Norfolk & Western railroad, betwee
this city and Norton, Va, communica
ton is entirely severed west Of Taze
well, Va Reports come from that pcin
of great loss of life and propert,
throughout that entire section. i
Shakerag. a negro settlement on the out
skirts of Tazewell, the water stands t
the depth of six to eight feet in tn
street and hou- 3, all of the occupant
having been removed to points of safet
by means of a boat. Three miles Yves
of Tazewell, on the Higginbotham farm
the home Of Paris Vandyke, a farm hand
was swept away, carrying with it Mrs
Vandyke and four children, two of whom
John, seventeen. and Charles, five year
old, were drowned. Mrs. Vandyke, witt
the two remaining children, Edgar an,
Laura, were IOuIlQ at y q CLOCK LnlS morn
ing in a dying condition one mile from
where the home stood by Mr. Vandyke
who was absent from home at the tim
Of the cloudburst While the rescuinj
party was searching for the Vandyk
family, they found the body Of a whit
woman, well clad. floating down Plum
creek. No one thus far has been abl
to identify her. and 1t Is supposed tn
body had washed down from some dis
tance.
A report comes from Witten's Mil,
small station between Bluehelds AM
Tazewall, that three children, Christian
names unknown, belonging to Religl
Brush were drowned early yesterda,
morning. There is no telegraph station
at Witten's Mill, and it is impossible t
ascertain particulars. The railroad an
telegraph companies are working betwee
1000 and l.500 men day and night OF
fcials are on the ground pushing th
work of constructing telegraph lines an
are building the road, and hope to b
able to communicate with both tn
storm-swept districts by noon Monday
Nothing whatever has been heard fror
the section OF country between Vlyia
VViIlfa YnaOv1 o3bar &bop ba+ IT.,