New Ulm review., 1901-06-26
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. E.
Cloudburst Visits Great Coal Re
gion Of West Virginia.
IT is FOLLOWED By AWFUL HAVOC.
Number of Deaths Estimated at from
200 to 6OO-Town of Keystone
Destroyed - Damaging
Storms Elsewhere.

| Bluefields, w. Va, June 24-This en-
| tire section has just been visited by a
food, 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 Sum
day morning, shortly after midnight,
a heavy downpour of rain began, ac-
companied by a severe electric storm,
which violently increased in volume
! and continuing for several hours.
These continued throughout the en-
tire day and night, and while the
storm has abated the lowering clouds
would indicate another terrific down
pour at any moment.
Estimated Loss of Life 200.
Many miles of the Norfolk & West
ern railroad track, bridges and tele-
graph lines are entirely destroyed and
communication is entirely cut off west
Of Elkhorn, SO that it is impossible to
learn the full extent of the loss of life
and property, but officials of the coal
operations, located in the stricken dis
tTlct, have sent out messengers to Elk
horn, the terminus of both telegraphic
and railroad communications, and
have received a report that conser-
vative estimate as to the loss of life
will easily reach 200. Some of the
drowned are among the most promi-
nent citizens of the coal fields.
Town Washed Away.
| The Pocahontas coal field is located
in a basin, with high mountain ranges
on either side, Elkhorn creek flowing
| 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, distance Of ten
miles, miners cabins, coal com
pany's commissaries and coke plants
line this basin. Elkhorn creek be-
ling fed by numerous small streams
coming from the mountain side rises
very rapidly, and this waterspout
came SO suddenly that the entire basin
between the two mountain ranges was
flooded, and before the terror-strick-
en- people realized what was upon
them they were carried down by the
food. which swept everything in its
path. The little town of Keystone,
with population of about 1000, seems
the greatest sufferer, practically the
entire town being washed away. This
town is the principal one in the Poca-
hontas coal fields and is located near
jts center. 1t was to great extent
headquarters from which the mining
population purchased supplies and was
also the only place in the field where
| whisky could be purchased. At this
/ place there were some IL to Is saloons,
| all of which were. washed away. The
report comes that the mining popula-
tion are now occupying the banks of
the streams below. catching the mer-
! chandise and barrels of whisky and
beer a they float down
Coal and Coke Plants Ruined.
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 pre-
| vented communication, anything like
a correct estimate of the loss of prop
erty is impossible, but from the best
/ information obtainable the loss to
property will reach S2,OO0, 900. At
Landgraf, the beautiful home of GEN
eral Manager Ord is reported gone, but
his family is said to be safe.
A rough estimate places the number
of bridges washed away between Blue
| field and Vivian yard, a. distance of %
miles, at from Is to 20, and from pres
ent indica tions it will be impossible
to get trains through to Vivian and
points west Of there under week or
ten, days. This will render it impossi-
| BILE to get relief into the stricken dis
trict, and with those who escaped with
their lives, homeless and without food,
indescribable suffering is inevitable
Fate of a Little Family.
On the Clinch Valley branch of the
Norfolk & Western railway between
this city and Norton. Va, communica-
ton is entirely severed west of Taze-
1 well, Va. Reports come from that
point of great loss of life and property
throughout that entire section. In
Shakerag, negro settlement on the
outskirts of Tazewell, the water
stands to the depth of six or eight feet
in the street and houses, all of the oc-
cupants having been removed to points
of safety by means of a boat. Three
miles west of TazeweI, on the Higgin-
botham farm, the home of Paris Van
! dyke, a farm hand, was swept away,
carrying with it Mrs. Yandyke and
four children, two of the Vandyke chill
dren, John, aged II, and Charles, aged
Eve, being drowned. Mrs. vandyke
with the two remaining children, Ed
gar and Laura were found in a dying
condition one mile from where the
home stood by Mr.. Vandyke, who was
absent from home at the time of the
cioudburst.
Other Lives Lost.
While the rescuing party was search
ing for the Vandyke family they found
the body Of a white woman, well clad,
floating down Plum creek. No one thus
far has been able to identity her, and