The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-25
NATURE ON A STRIKE
WEST vIRGINIA's STORM APTI.Y
DESCRIBED.
TREMENDOUS DAMAGE DONE.
LOSS OF LIFE NOT SO GREAT AS
FIRST REPORTED.

Norfolk and western Railway
Badly Damaged-LOaded Freight
Cars Swept Away and Lodged
Along Mountain Sides-The Miners
Strike Now of Secondary Import
ancc in Coal ReEiOn-StOrm Avert
ed Impending BIoodshed.
Hutington, w. Va, June 24.-The tre-
mendous high water in the Tug river
caused by a cloudburst along the head
waters of that stream on Saturday is a
thing unprecedented in the history of that
section, and the destruction of property
along the Elkhorn and Dry Fork and
down the Tug river to its mouth is some-
thing appalling. Though it comes far
short of rivaling the famous Johnstown
flood it serves as a vivid reminder of that
terrible deluge and it will, no doubt, be
many day ere such a disastrous result
is Witnessed gain from a like cause. Ow-
ing to the fact that wires have been down
and no other means of communication
was available with the sections of country
where the greatest destruction was
wrought, much is left to be surmised yet
lower down the river where the river bed
was wider and the volume of water had
TO be much greater in order to submege
the valley. the wreckage which has been
carried by in the flood furnished ample.
evidence of what had taken place higher
up the stream.
CIOudburst SweIIed Streams.
H.
waters of the Elkhorn and Dry Fork
rivers, whose confluence near which forms
the main Tug river. Though both of
these streams were swollen far beyond
any proportions which they were ever be-
fore known to assume, the former one,
which is traversed by the Norfolk and
Western Railway for distance of about
twenty miles, was by far the highest,
and it is reported that for distance of
about ten miles that road is practically
wreck and several days will be required
10 repair the great damage which has
been done. 1t is further stated that had
this road not been constructed along the
Agirese- - availasfe ground along the
valley much more of it would
have been swept away. Along the coal
regions of the Elkhorn and the numerous
big lumber plants lower down, boxcars
were swept away in the rushing flood and
are lodged along the streams against the
rugged mountainsides and in a few in
stances were carried down the Tug river,
even as far as below the falls, before be-
ing checked. Many of these cars were
loaded, ready to be moved and with their
cargo they are practically a total loss.
All the lumber plants, and there are
many of them, are great losers, to an
extent that many who have witnessed the
passing wreckase conservatively estimate
the loss sustained at $15OO,OOO.
The Waters Fierce Sweep.
At Jaeger station the river rose to the
immense hight of thirty-one feet inside
of three hours from the time it began
deluging every house in the little town
and washing away many of the outbuild-
ings and In some instances dwellings were
swept from their foundations. but lodged
against large and more substantial ones,
and were thus saved from destruction.
Higher up the river the destruction is
said 10 be even greater At Vivian many
houses were washed away and several
lives are reported lost. Here a passenger
train was caught by the water and the
passengers had to be rescued from the
train by means of ropes, which were
thrown to them. Not over 100 yards of
the railroad between there and Ennis,
distance OF ten miles, is said to have been
left intact. All towns above there occu-
pying low lands were submerged and many
houses were washed away. Ritter's saw
mills at Panther are reported to have
been destroyed and every lumber plant
III Mcdowell and Mercer counties has
suffered great damage.
Less Than 100 Lives Lost.
It is impossible to approximately esti-
mate the loss If life Early reports sent
out indicated that it had been very great.
nut each subsequent report has lowered
the number. 1t is safe to say that less
'han 100 nave perished, and it need be no
surprise to learn that no more than one
half, or possibly one-fourth, that number
nave been lost. Early reports sent out
nave proved to be greatly exaggerated,
oelng based upon imagination. as there
was no means of collecting anything like
lelIable data.
Inc Twelve Pole river is rising and no
trains of any kind have been able to go
luther east than Dingess. and no wire
Is IN working order beyond that point, so
mat all news by wire has had to come
through Bluetield and Roanoke offices.
Much live stock has been drowned
-"VNB the drift and debris which mis-
lne river are numbers of horses, cattle
ana hogs. Several horses with saddles
ana brides were seen to float by, thus
rendering 1t a certainty that the riders
Had either been drowned or had been
compelled to desert them and flee to the
mountanside for safety.
is reported that number Of box
r'a bad floated out at the mouth of the
bS sandy which had come from the
Nne Of the Norfolk and Western. Il is
almost certain that these came from the
Dle sandy branch of the Chesapeake and
OlA'' as Greffys creek. twenty miles
ABOVE Louisa, isSsaid to have been higher
Uah 1t was ever known before.
Puts Strike in the shade.
interest in the strike among the miners
a'ong the Norfolk and Western has been
S1aordinated 20 the result of the flood
~ iact the great strike made by nature
"as caused everything of an Industrial
l4llie to be suspended. and II will be
"''ks before there will be a possibility
shipping coal. 50 that mine operators
nave no need OF the miners working. IL
''Y Pc that the destruction wrought BY
w. hoods has resulted In averting the
'''Aahed which might have been the ul-
''iaie result OF protrncted strike.
'lofneys Campbell and holt Of tnis
who are attorneys for the Norfolk
".' Weaiern. have been unable 10 receive
N mite information from headquar-
concerning the extent OF the loss suf-
49, oy tAeir company and cannot give