The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-25
NEARLY A HUNDRED
LIVES WERE LOST
FEARFUL DAMAGE WROUGHT BY
SUNDAYS FLOOD IN WEST
VIRGINIA
RUSH OF MADDENED WATERS
LEFT INHABITANTS OF NARROW
VALLEY BUT SMALL CHANCE
OF ESCAPE
NO ACCURATE FIGURES YET

ROANOKE, Va, June 24.-The follow
ing short statement tonight by one of
the general officers of the Norfolk d
Western railroad, summarizing the flood
situation in the light of the latest dis
patches was given to the Associated
Press:
Restoration of telegraph line develops
that damage by flood through Bluefield
was exaggerated. Loss of life will not
exceed sixty or seventy-five, and dam
age to property including repairs to rail-
road and coal operations, will not exceed
$5O00OO. 1t is expected the railway will
get a line opened through tomorrow or
next day"
There has been very little news re-
ceived here today from the West Vir-
gina flood. One train came in this after
noon, but not much new information
could be gained from the passengers.
The trains are running from Bluefielu
and Ennis, which places are just outside
the territory visited by the cloudburst on
last Saturday morning. All day long to-
day, Roanokers who have friends and
relatives in the coal fields and the coal
operators here who have large financial
interests in the devastated strip, have
been lingering around the railroad sta
ton awaiting the arrival of tne belated
train. These people, making inquiries
concerning relatives and property, have
mercial telegraphic offices since early
this morning. The wires all being down
west of Bluefield save one wire which
goes through to Ennis. which is being used
as train wire prevented the public
from gaining any additional particulars
How many are dead is not definitely
known and 1t necessarily will be several
days yet before the exact number can be
given out as official but the various re-
ports in circulation mere are that all the
way from so to 2G0 persons have been
drowned 1t is probably safe to assume
the former figures as being more correct
than the latter.
The damage to property will amount to
hundreds of thousands Of dollars. Miles
of railroad track are washed out and
great gulches have been created.
IN A NARROW VALLEY.
The devastated section covers an area
or about twenty miles west of Bluefield
1t is a narrow valley, not much wider
than broad street in some places.
Coal mines are scattered all along the
road. Keystone, the town reported to
have been so greatly damaged, and which
was at first believed to be wiped out of
existence is a village OF between 1900 and
3,Gt0 people, and is built along the mar
row 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 rocks. This creek runs
in zigzag way through the narrow viii
Iage and has a gradual fall. The noun
yains on either side loom up for hun
dreds of feet, and the town is so narrow
in places that one is obliged to go into
the middle of it to see the sky. Persons
familiar with the situation of the town
say that it 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. All re.
ports agree that between eco and 300
houses were swept away in the Elk
hcrn valley, but, of course, not all tho
occupants were drowned.
The railroad people are rushing ma
terial and supplies to the EIkhorn One
hundred and fifty laborers came in over
the Roanoke & Southern today on an
extra train and went west, and nearly
all the work trains on the road have
been sent to the Elkhorn vicinity.
j. w. Crotty, q fireman on the Norfolk
& Western road, who resides in this city,
received a message yesterday from Blue
field that his father, mother, one sister
two brothers and sister-in-law, with her
two children, were lost in the floods Sat
urday at keystone. Mr.. Crettys people
lived in the center of the town. A neigh
Dor of the Crottys, who escaped the
food, informed Mr.. Crotty at Bluefield
Saturday that he saw the Crotty house
move off in the waters.
The Western Union telegraph officials
in this city say tonight that the situa-
ton, so far as general news from the
territory west of Bluefield is concerned.
is unchanged. and they have nothing new
to give out.
GRAPHIC STORY. OF TIE STORM.
Mr.. L. H. Stewart. well known f,1rni
ture dealer in this city, was in the midst
of all the storm and Travelled on foot
nearly the whole of the route devastated
Mr.. Stewart had been to jamestown. N
y, on business and was returning via
Columbus. When the train reached
Vivian, W. Va, about o'clock Sunday
morning water already covered a large
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