New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-26
THE FLOODS DESTRUCTION.
LOSS OF LIFE STILL ESTIMATED AT
SIXTY-ONE REASON FOR EXAG-
GERATED REPORTS-EFFORTS
TO REPAIR THE RAIL
ROAD TRACKS.

ROAD TRACKS.
Roanoke, Va, June 25.-Persons coming In
from the flood stricken district in West Virginia
place the number of drowned at sixty persons
but have no definite or detailed information on
which TO base the estimate.
There has been some interruption to-day to
the wires between Roanoke and Bluefeld. and
only one wire has been in use since morning
Repair work is going ahead with vigor. Blue
field is the great shipping point for the Poca-
hontas coal coming East 1t is said there that
the coal fields will not be able to ship any coal
for the next thirty days. The coal trade will
suffer almost incalculabe loss as result of the
washed out tracks and damage TO it's ma
chinery.
man arriving in this city to-day from the
stricken region gives explanation for the
report first circulated that great masses of
human bodies were to be seen floating around in
the water that there is graveyard between
North Fork Junction and Keystone. which
towns about a mile apart, and at which
point the storm very severe This grave
yard is near the bank of the river. When the
flood came the graves gave up their dead and
added greatly to the number OF bodies seen.
The Norfolk and Western Railroad officials
thought this morning that they would be able
to have their Clinch Valley line open this even
ing. They say the Thacker coalfeld lines are
already open, and that the road will be able to
get train through to Columbus tomorrow
These repairs will be only of temporary nature,
however. and 1t will be many weeks before the
tracks and roadbeds can be placed in their for
mer condition.
A telegram was received here late this after
noon from Elkhorn. This is some miles west of
Ennis. which place the farthest town west
Of Bluefied that had been communicated with
up to this morning.
CUT OFF AT KEYSTONE
j. D. Frances. Roanoke man. who is in Key
stone. installing a water plant and who was
first reported dead. has written his wife telling
her he is safe and sound He has the following
10 say about the disaster:
A big flood visited the town last Friday night
Everybody had to so UP on the mountain. Men,
women and children were drowned in the streets
and houses went floating down the streams with
people in them. All our crowd are safe. We are
entirely cut off from the outside world. and pro-
visions are getting short There Is now no
water in the town
Another letter to-day from Keystone says be-
tween ten and fifteen persons were drowned and
forty 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. sister. two brothers and a
sister-in-law. with two children OF J. w Crotty
OF the Norfolk and Western Railroad. were
drowned a mistake. Mr.. Crotty is now in
the coal fields, and telegraphed to-day that all
safe.
Tazewen. Va. also suffered from the cloud
burst The house OF Paris Van Dyke four miles
west OF Tazewell in a gorge OF the mountains
was washed away Van Dyke heard the roar of
nd
a short distance from the house he saw the
water rushing down the mountain sides tearing
up and twisting on giant trees as if shrubs
the water leaping forty feet high. and
eiling with frghtful speed Van Dyke
rushed for the house TO warn the family but
the water overlook him and swept the house
and all its inmates away. Two children five
and seven years old. instantly killed their
brains being dashed out against the rocks and
umbers The bodies We're washed TO lowlands.
little girl holding young sister in her arms
was carried twenty yards. Another member OF
the family died yesterday afternoon, and Mr.
Van Dyke is still unconscious and cannot live.
At Cedar Blur, sixteen miles west OF Taze-
well. seventeen dwelling houses we're swept
away. but lives lost
At Pounding Mill four lives were lost. Knobe
a small town, seven miles west. was almost
was badly damaged. and many business houses
were destroyed. The damage 10 county roads
will be not less than $4,000.
NORFOLK AND WESTERN SHOPS CLOSED
A notice posted in the boiler department
OF the Norfolk and Western. in Roanoke. this
morning announcing that the shops will be
closed at II o'clock to-day until further notice.
The bulletin card said that the shutdown
on account Of the destruction by the flood and
Of the fact that traffic passing over the
road The notice sail that the shops probably
would resume work in three four days
There are two thousand persons employed in
the Norfolk and Western shops here, but not
all of them will be affected. All the men are
out except a sufficient number to keep up re-
pairs AS the road Is doing no coal business,
which Is it's chief traffic. few trains are on the
road
1t will be two weeks before all the telegraph
lines are restored in the devastated district.
the entire plant is gone in some places for miles
Several hundred coils of wire will be needed
and poles will have to be reset. The lowest estt-
mate Of loss of life to-day is thirty, and the
highest figure claimed is. as first stated. two
hundred.
DAMAGE NOT ACCURATELY STATED.
Bluefed. w. Va. June 25.-Another twenty-four
hours has passed and the full extent of the vast
damage done by the flood cannot yet be accurately
stated. All this region there is great relief
expressed the announcement that the loss OF
life is great first believed. Many of
the missing, who were mourned dead by their