The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-27
NEW HORRORS ADDED.
Detailed Stories of Last Weeks Flood
Coming Out.


lager, w. Va, June 27.-Early this
morning an Associated Press cores
pondent reached this point, which is IN
the central part of the northern section
OF the scene of Saturdays flood. Here
Dry Fork enters Tug river The loss OF
life here is even greater than at nrst
reported. The correspondent reached
here after riding and walking along the
Tug river from Williamson, a distance
of 60 miles being the first newspaper
man to reach the Dry Fork section. Be
yond here for a distance of 80 miles the
railroad track is almost completely
washed away and telegraph wires are
down and nothing definite is known re-
garding the loss of life and property
through that region. 1t is safe to say
that 100 dead will not be far amiss. The
inhabitants are desolate, and hundreds
are starving. There is no way of con-
veying provisions along the Dry Fork
Of Tug river, save on mule back This
afternoon, in one drove, 20 pack mules
loaded with provisions made the start
across the mountains from here to
Bradshaw, a village 10 miles away
where it is said many families have
had no food since Saturday. The stOr-
les of eye witnesses of the awful flood
are appalling. The waters came down
Dry Fork as a mighty wave, fully 20
feet high. At the intersection of Tug
river it met another huge volume and
the noise caused by the crashing to-
gether of trees, houses, bridges and de-
bris of all kinds could be heard for
miles. Here Tug river rose 80 feet in
two hours. Bridges which Spanned the
river were swept away, as we'll as 20
or more two story buildings, one of
which was the postoffice. Ragses Slouis.
a civil engineer, living here, says that
when the mighty wave of water swept
down Dry Fork huge pine trees in its
path were snapped off as kindling
wood. He climbed a tree on noun
tain side for safety, and was compelled
to sit in the branches four hours, until
the water had subsidized.
Along the Tug river today searching
parties could be seen pulling bodies OUT
Of the drifts. Many We're bruised and
mangled, and decomposition made the
stencil almost unbearable.
At Panther, a large county bridge
was swept away. A number of cabins
occupied by lumber men, and two large
commissaries were also swept away.
One of the latter fioated down the river
like a steamboat and was not wrecked
until turning bend half mile below
Forty bOxcars were carried away from
sidings hereabouts. The current was so
swift that all the soil is washed from
many small bottoms to bedrock Even
the graves of the long dead were
robbed by the raging torrents.
Near here last evening, in a pile of
drift was discovered a coffin. 1t is sup
POSSO THIS came from the graveyard
below Eekman which, it is said was
about half cut away by the tide, leav-
Ing exposed many skeletons. Just be-
low WEIGH, a bridge was swept away
with six people on the structure. How
many of these persisted is not known
From four miles east the report comes
that the body of a man has been found
in the forks of a tree now standing
some distance from the water
Hundreds of mine mules can be seen
IN ,fe,,~r,
bodies
Near Davy horse was found lodged
In a drift and a human body dangling
from the saddle, the mans foot having
hung in the stirrup- A report has just
reached here that fifteen bodies are
lodged in a drift at Hatfield tunnel
twenty miles east of this city.
Near Burke a man saw his brother
sinking in the flood and plunged into
rescue him. Both were drowned.
Twenty barrels of whisky were caught
IN the river at Welsh. A report has
reached here that most of the colored
miners are laying off there on a pro-
tracted spree, and that street fights are
numerous 1T is difficult for the au-
thorities to handle the situation Much
theft is reported in the devastated dis
trict- Even clothing is being torn from
dead bodies Most of the bodies being
found along Tug river have been wash
ed from the Elk Horn river. The loss of
property by the flood on the Tug and
Elk Horn rivers Is now roughly esti-
mated at from five to eight million dol
lars.
At Norwood a new iron bridge just
completed is a total wreck. A great
pile of debris near the bridge was found
and in it a miners cabin in which was
a colored child about three years old
1t had been imprisoned two days and
was exhausted from thirst and hunger.
It's miraculous escape is due to the fact
that this cabin was thrown on the al
ready accumulated drift above the crest
of the receding flood. The little ones
parents have not been found.
One of the largest heaps of drift was
set on fire last night by some unknown
friend of the public health. In this
pile Of debris it is estimated there We're
at least twenty-five dead bodies. The
laarn nov nile Of ashes