The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-06-28
The Estimate of Floods
Death Record.
LOSS OF PROPERTY
Will Reach $5oo,ooo- This
Is Rough Est mate
Tales of Devas-
tation.

one of the general officers of the Nor
folk aud Western railroad. summarize
ing the food situation in the light Of
dispatches was given to the Associat-
ed Press:
"Restoration Of telegraph line de.
Selops that damage by flood through
coal fields was exaggerated. Loss Of
life will not exceed 60 or rs, and DAM
age to property, including repairs to
railroad and coal operations, will not
exceed $5o0,oo0. It is expected the
railway will get line opened tomorrow
or next day."
Man Who Walked Through District.
Mr.. e. II. Stewart, a well-known
furniture dealer in this city, was In
the midst Of all the storm, and tray
eled on foot nearly the whole Of the
route devastated. Mr.. Stewart had
been to Jamestown, N. Y, on busi-
ness and was returning via Colum-
bus. When his train reached Vivian,
w. Va, about 8 O'Clock Saturday
morning, water already covered
large portion of the yard, and the
trainmen knew that no further prog
ress could be made. The train was
placed at the highest point on the
yard. Rain was coming down in tor
rents. and while in the train Mr..
Stewart saw about 80 cars washed
from the yard and carried away By
the rushing torrents; large trees up
rooted nearby, while houses, bridges
aud furniture went whirling by in the
water. AS the flood increased the wa
ter cut channel on the other side OF
the train. leaving 1t between two
streams. Then 1t was decided to take
out those passengers who wished to
leave the train, and rope was at.
tached to the platform Of ono of the
cars and to a tree on the bank.
Among the passengers was a lady,
who, with the assistance of several
men. was gotten safely to the bank.
A number OF men had narrow escapes
from drowning in making the trip.
There was a let-up in the rain aud
the flood subsided about noon and at
/ o'clock Mr.. Stewart and another
passenger left the train and started
to the next station, Keystone, about
five miles distant. Much of the track
and several bridges had been washed
away, and the trip was made with
great difficulty, portion of the way
on the track and the balance on the
bluffs along the route. Mr.. Stewart
says he saw number of corpses
uioh6 InC lOuIS, DuI uUcS uOI
more than 40 people were drowned.
When he reached Keystone. about
o'clock, he found that a number of
buildings had been washed away, and
1t was estimated that along the whole
route OF the storm between 200 and
300 houses had been carried away.
but the occupants Of many of them
had escaped to the hills. He saw one
very large building go down with the
food. Most of the buildings. however,
were small affairs. The coal COM
panies lost heavily on bridges.
At Ennis the depot was washed
away, and Sunday, when Mr.. Stewart
left, the safe had not been found. He
walked from Keystone to Ennis Sun.
day and was taken from there to
Bluefield, arriving in Roanoke Mon.
day
Mr.. Stewards statement can be re-
lied on as being truthful story of
the flood and the most complete state
ment so far given out.
Water Came Up In a Wave.
An official telegram from Ennis said
the water came in a wave and so sud-
den that people could not get out of
the way of it. The water rose to a
81,
The devastated section covers an
area of about 20 miles west of Blue
field. 1t is a very narrow valley, not
much wider than broad street in
some places.
Coal mines are scattered all along
the road. keystone. the town report.
ed to have been so greatly damaged,
and at first believed to have been
wiped out of existence, Is a village of
between 1000 and 5000 people, and
Is built along the narrow valley and
on the sides of the bluffs There is a
creek which runs through the town.
over which most of the houses are
built on piles and rock work. This
creek runs in a zizzas way through
the narrow village. and has O gradual
fall. The mountains on either side
loom up for hundreds of feet, and the
town is 80 narrow in places that one
ts obliged to go into the middle of it
to see the sky. Persons familiar with
the situation OF the town say that ii
would be a death trap If the flood
was as heavy as reported. Yet, they
reason. that occurring In the day
time. there was no reason why many
people should have been caught In the
onrush Of the maddened waters. All
reports agree that between 200 and
800 houses were swept away In the
Elkhorn valley. but OF course not all
the occupants were drowned
j. w. Crotty. q fireman on tho Nor
folk and Western road, who resides in
this city. received message Monday
from Bluefeld that his father. mother,
one sister. two brothers and sister
tn-law. with her two children, were
lost In the foods Saturday at Key.
stone. Mr.. Crotty's people lived In
the center of the town. 4 nelgh5or
of the oroetys. WHO escaped tho hood,
infovmed NJ crottv at Blue6eld Sat.
eayGay that he saw the Crotty house
neEe - = - wAtedA '3