The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-06-28
Heavy Downpour Of Rain for
Hours mandates Entire
Coal Regions.
Scores Are Known to Have Been
Drowned and Estimates Vary
from 100 to 1000.
Disaster Second Only to Those at Johns
town, Pa, and Galveston, Tex.
keystone Wiped Out.
wind md Rain Cause Much Damage
ut Lincoln. ln.-PtttxburEh
Swept by = Storm.


Swept by = Storm.
Bluefeld, w. Va, June 25.-This en-
tire section has just been visited by
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 Gownpour 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 lite
and property. but officials OF the coal
operations, located in the stricken dis
trict, have sent out messengers to Elk
horn, the terminus of both Geographic
and railroad communications, and
have received a report that a 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 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, a distance of ten
miles, miners cabins, coal COM
pany's commissaries and coke plants
| line this basin. Elkhorn creek be-
ing fed by numerous small streams
coming from the mountain side rises
very rapidly, and this waterspont
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
its center. It was to a great extent
= oh q
population purchased supplies and was
also the only place in the field where
whisky could be purchased. At this
place there were some 10 to Is saloons,
all of which were washed away. The
report comes that the mining popula-
ton are now occupying the banks OF
the streams below, catching the mer-
chandise and barrels of whisky and
beer as they float down.
A rough estimate places the number
of bridges washed away between Blue
field and Vivian yard, a distance of rs
miles, at from Is to 20, and from pres
ent indications 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.
Rivals Johnstown.
From the meager reports describing
| the force of the storm at Keystone it
would appear that the damage rivals
| that of Johnstown, and is equal to the
! Galveston horror in its intensity, SO
far as the percentage of population
| lost and property destroyed.
| 1t is stated that every building in
| the town of Keystone was demolished
or carried away by the water, save one,
and that barroom which stands on
high hill. The normal population of
keystone is about 1000 souls, and as it
was Saturday night there is no telling
how many miners had gone into the
town to swell its population. 1t is es-
timated that 200 lives alone were lost
at Keystone.
| News from Scat Of Storm.
Roanoke, Va. June 25.-The pas
senger train from the west over the
| Norfolk & Western railroad, which is
due here at 11:55 p. M, did not reach
Roanoke until haf-past five o'clock
Monday morning. When the train
came in there were many people at
the station who had waite>: anxiously
all night for the belated news carrier
from the devastated coal fields of
West Virginia. Among those who
came in on this train, and who had
been in the storm, was a prominent
business man of Roanoke, several
railroad men and woman and two
children. They came direct to Roam
oke from Vivian, and were compelled
to walk distance of II miles from