Evening journal., 1901-06-25
FLOOD WAS NOT
so DISASTROUS
As First Reports From Re-
giOn Indicated
PERHAPS FIFTY LIVES LOST
How Many We're Drowned Will Not
be Known Definitely for
Several Days


been very little nows received here
ircm the West Virginia food. One
train came in yesterday afternoon, bat
not much information could be gained
from the passengers. The trains arc
running from Bluefeld and Ennis
which places are just outside the terri
tory visited by the cloudburst last Sat
urday morning. RoanolIers who have
friends and relatives in the coal fields
and the coal operators here who have
large financial interests in the de-
vastated strip have been lingering
around the railroad station awaiting
tho arrival of the belated trains. These
people, making inquiries concerning
relatives and property, have been be-
sieglng the railroad and commercial
telegraph Offices.
The wires all being down west Of
Blueheld, save one wire which goes
through to Ennis. but is being used
as a train wire, prevented the public
from gaining any additional particu-
lars. How many are dead is not
definitely known, and it necessarily
Will be several days yet before the
exact number can be given out as Of.
ficiai, but the various reports in cir
culSticn here are that all the way from
so to 2o0 persons have been drowned.
1t is probably safe to assume the for
mor figures as being more nearly cor
rect than the latter. The damage to
property will amount to hundreds Of
thousands of dollars.
The devastated section covers an
area OF about 20 miles west OF Blue
field. 1t is a very narrow valley. not
much wider than a broad street in
come places. Coal mines are scattered
all along the road. Keystone the town
reported 20 have been so greatly dam
aged, ana at first believed to have been
wiped cut of existence is n village Of
between 1000 and 5000 people and IS
built along the narrow valley and on
the sides CT the bluffs. There is
|orecl, which runs through the town.
|ovec which most Of the houses are
built cH piles and rocliwork. This creek
runs in q zlgzag way through the mar
now village, and has a gradual fall.
|Tho mountains on either side loom up
flor hundreds of feet, and The town is
$50 narrow in places that one is obliged
Ito go into tho middle of it TO see the
|sSy. Persons familiar with the situa-
|tiGn OF the town say that l. would be a
death trap If the food was as heavy as
reported. Yet they reason that occur
bring in the day time. there was no
reason why many people should have
been caught in the on-rush Of the mad.
|dened waters. All reports agree that
between 200 end 800 houses were
'swept away in the Elkhorn valley. but
of course not all the occupants were
drowned.
J. W. Crotty, a fireman on the Nor
FOLK and Western road, who resides in
'his city, received a message from
|Bluefcld that his father, mother one
sister. two brothers and sister-in-law.
with her two children. were lost in the
lood Saturday at keystone Mr.. Crot-
i y's people lived in the center Of the
own
4la. n. II. Stewart. well known
Furniture dealer in this city. was in
he midst Of all the storm and Travelled
! Dn foot nearly the whole of the route
4 devastated. Mr Stewart had been
way On business and was returning
ia Columbus. When his train reach
. IA Vivian w. Va, about 9 o'clock on
Saturday morning. water already COW
red a large portion of the yard, and
he tralnmen knew that no further
Progress could be made. The train
f gas placed at the highest point in the
4 |arl Rain was coming down in tor
ents. and while in the train Mr.. Stew
IT saw about 80 cars washed from the
ard and carried away by the rushing
orrents, large trees uprooted. while
ouses. bridges and furniture went
yhirling by in the water.
AS the flood increased the water cut
channel on the other side of the
rain, leaving it between two streams.
81 hen il was decided to take out those
passengers who wished to leave the
rain, and a rope was attached to the
latform of one of the cars and to
rec on the bank. Among the passen-
crs was a lady, who, with the assist
+ nee of several men, was gotten safe
81 to the bank. 4 number of men had
& arrow escapes from drowning in
Il aling the trip.
There was a let up in the rain and
n he food subsided about noon. and at
o'clock Mr.. Stewart and another
issengcr left the train and started
the next station, Keystone, five
s. lies distant. Much of the track and
n ,veral bridges had been washed away,
n Id the trip was made with great diff
Guilty. a portion of the way on the