The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-24
One That in All Probability Will Equal and Even Ex. Ceed the Johnstown
 Disaster, Strikes
 West Virginia.
GREAT MANY LIVES LOST
CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE
 PLACES THE NUMBER AT 900.

Enormous Damage to Property-Ths
 Terrific Downpour of Rain-SeveraI
 Towns i'm the Southern Part of the
 State, in the Pocahontas Coal Field
 District, the Chief fSunerers-Mfles o1
 Track and Many Bridges of the Nor
 folk and Western Road Washed way. | Bluefeld, w. Va, June 23.-This en- | tire section has just been visited by a | flood, 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 yester- day morning shortly after midnight a heavy downpour of rain began accom-
 panied by a severe electric storm and
 steadily increased in violence until 10
 a. m., then ceasing for several hours
 and beginning again with renewed vio-
 lence. Throughout the entire day and
 night and at 10 o'clock this morning,
 while the storm had abated, the lower
 ing clouds would indicate another ter
 rife downpour at any moment. Many
 miles of the Norfolk and Western rail-
 road tracks and bridges are entirely de-
 storyed and communication is entirely cut off east of Elktown, so :t is impos-
 sible to learn the full extent of the loss of life and property, but officials of the coal operations, located in the stricken district have sent out messengers to Elkhorn, the terminus of both tele- graphic and railroad communications and have received report that a con- servative estimate as to the loss of life will easily reach 200. Some of the drowned are among the most prorni- nent citizens of the coal fields.
 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, distance of ten miles, miners cabins, coal company commis- saries and coke plants line this basin. Elkhorn creek, being fed by numerous small streams coming from the noun tain sides, rises very rapidly and this water spout came so suddenly that the entire basin between the two mountain ranges was flooded and before the ter TOT stricken people realized what was upon them they were carried down by the flood, which swept everything in its path. The little town of Keystone, with a population of about 2,000, seems the greatest sufferer, practically the | entire town being washed away The | town is the principal one in the Po- 2ahontus coal fields and is located near It's center. It was to a great extent | headquarters from which the mining | population purchased supplies, and was also the only place in the field where | could be purchased. At this place there were some twelve or fifteen saloons, all of which were washed | way. The report comes that the mn- ng population is now occupying the | banks of the streams below catching he merchandise and barrels of whis- Sey and beer as they float down. A great number of the coal and coke plants throughout the Pocahontas field Ire reported practically destroyed and n some instances entirely washed way. On account of the very high water which has flooded the region and prevented communication anything like
 correct estimate of the loss of prop- rty is impossible, but from the best obtainable the loss to roperty will easily reach s2O00,0oO.
 At Landgraf the beautiful home of ieneral Manager Ord, is reported gone mi bis family ic i'd to t,o
 Passenger train No. of the Norfolk nd Western railroad reached Vivian t S:30 a. m., met the flood and was un- ble to proceed further. The waters cached such a depth that the coaches ad to be abandoned, the passengers eing rescued by means of ropes strung rom the windows of coaches to the DDS of remaining coke ovens some dis ance away. Between Elkhorn and ivian yard, a distance of ten miles, | ne hundred cars are said to be washed 'om the tracks and many of them were arried down the streams A rough | stimate places the number of bridges ashed away between Bluefield and ( ivian Yard, a distance of twenty-eight 2 iles, at from fifteen to twenty, and C oy. present indications it will be inn 1ssible to get trains through to Vivian Id points west of there under a week
 ten days This will render it inn )ssibe to get relief into the stricken strict, and great suffering is inevita- I c.
 On the Clinch Valley branch of the orfolk and Western railroad, between is city and Norton, communication is V tirely severed west of Tazewell, Va. | 6 aports come from that point of great . ss of life and property throughout at entire section. Tn Shakerag. a ne- s O settlement on the outskirts of Taze- a ell. the water stands to the depth of L , or eight feet in the street and in the tt uses. all of the occupants having beenSl W moved to points of safety by means ft
 a boat. Three miles west of Taze- lc ell, on the Higginbotham Farm, the ft me of Paris Van Dyke, farmland, u ,S syyept away carving with if Mrs u