New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-27
MORE FLOOD LOSSES.
DESTRUCTION IN TUG RIVER VALLEY
GREATER THAN REPORTED-WHAT
VISIT To REGION DISCLOSEs.

VISIT To REGION DTSCLOSES.
lager. ". Va. June 26.-An Associated Press
correspondent reached this point to-day, which
is in the central part Of the northern section OF
the scene Of Saturdays food. Here is where
Dry Fork enters into the Tug River and along
this stream the greatest destruction prevails
and the loss Of life here is even greater than at
first reported The correspondent reached mere
after riding and walking along the Tug River
from Williamson. a distance Of sixty miles BE-
yond here for a distance Of thirty miles the rail-
road track is almost completely washed away.
all telegraph wires are down and nothing
aefnite is known regarding the loss Of life and
property through that region.
A number Of persons have come through from
hat region. but their stories differ so widely
hat il is difficult TO place estimate on the
number Of dead. It is safe 10 say. however. that
one hundred viii not be far amiss. The in
habitants are destitute-in fact. hundreds are
starving. There is no way Of securing provis-
ions on the Dry Fork OF Tug River save on
mule back This afternoon in one drove We're
twenty pack mules loaded with provisions which
made the start across the mountains from here
10 Bradshaw village fifteen miles away, where
II is said many families have had no food since
Saturday.
are appalling The waters came down Dry
Fork as a mighty wave fully twenty feet high.
At the intersection Of Tug River il met with an
other huge volume. and the noise OF trees.
houses bridges and debris of all kinds crash
ing together could be heard for miles. Here Tug
River rose thirty feet in two hours. Bridges
which span the river here were swept away as
well as twenty o. more two story buildings.
CLIMBED TREE TO ESCAPE FLOOD.
RACES slouis. a civil engineer. living here. saws
that when the mighty wave of water swept
down Dry Fork huge pine trees in its path were
snapped off like kindling wood. He climbed
tree on a mountain side for safety and was COM
PEELED 10 sit in the branches for hours until the
water subsided.
On a little island in the distance was the
saloon Of Pink" Storms and Walter Ransom.
Both these men went 10 the roof Of the build
ing, but il swept away and torn 10 pieces.
Storms drowned, but Ransom was saved.
J. W Klness a lumberman residing near
Cincinnati, was al lager when the food tide
came. He ran 10 the mountain side and saved
himself He saw four men run 10 the Dry Fork
Bridge, and when it was swept away and went
10 pieces all were drowned. He did not know
any Of them No report has yet reached here
from the extreme upper waters Of Dry Fork
settlement thickly inhabited by small farmers.
II is feared the loss of life has been great there
At Bradshaw Albert McCoy's storehouse was
washed away as was also large commissary
belonging 10 the William Ritter Lumber Com
pany and nine dwelling houses Among those
drowned Dry Fork Tom" c. Beavers,
lumberman who came here from Ohio and be
gan operating mill. His entire plant was swept
away. Others known to be drowned are Mrs.
Frank samuels and two children George Orig
ger, Mrs White, wife of a merchant, and two
oolored men.
Along the Tug River to-day searching parties
could be seen pulling bodies from the drifts.
Many were bruised and mangled and decom-
position having set N made the stencil almost
unbearable.
ROBBED GRAVES OF THE DEAD
Even the graves Of the dead were robbed by
the raging torrents Near here last evening in
pile OF drift was discovered a coffin. 1t is sup
posed this came from the graveyard below
Eckman which, it is said. was about half cut
away. leaving exposed many skeletons. Just
below WEIGH bridge was swept away with six
persons on the structure How many Of these
persisted is not known.
-Four miles east the report comes that the body
OF man has been found in the forks of tree.
now standing some distance from the water
Mayor Points Of lager was on a high hill back
OF town when The fearful waterspout came He
took shelter under rock cliff and saw the huge
waves sweeping down the narrow valley of the
Tug He says that there were two Of these
OF water. He compared the noise to that of
Niagara Falls. Between here and Afatewan the
banks OF the Tug are lined with lumber gorges
IN some instances the huge piles are forty feet
high.
Near Grey, lodged against sycamore trees. are
two immense boilers which have been carried
from some point as yet unknown. Wires are
an down from east and west, save one railroad
wire, which is kept busy handling construction
ana relief trains. Another storm passed over
ms section again last night. and for several
hours the rain came down in torrents The
rivers are rising again to-day. II viii be sew
eral Gays before the full details Of the food in
the region twenty miles east Of here can be
known. "