The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-24

ROANOKE, va, June Eo.-Iner6 was a
great deal of excitement and anxiety Gre
ated here to-day when it was reported
that an awful flood and cloudburst had
swept over the Elkhorn coal region in
West Virginia This territory is near the
Virginian line and is about 125 miles west
of Roanoke and some twenty-five miles
west of Bluefield, W. Va The region
visited by the flood is said to be de-
vastated and the Pocahontas coal fields
are reported in ruins. More than thirty
miles of the railroad tracks of the Nor
folk and Western Railroad Company are
gone and reports are still coming in 10
the general Offices of this system in this
city reporting washouts on the various
sections of this system in the flooded dis
tricts One of the breaks in the track
will require at leastNa thousand laborers
and several days work to repair it, The
railroad yards at Vivian, a small town
in West Virginia, were completely de-
stroyed, and it is reported most of the
town was washed away. North Fork
Junction and few other smaller towns
suffered greatly
Miners FIocked to Towns.
saturday night is pay night in the coal
fields and it is supposed that the coal
miners had focked into the towns in the
district to do their trading, and there is
no telling how many of them were caught
in the flood and drowned. 1t is stated
that the greatest damage, so far as
known is at keystone, w. Va, which
is only one mile distant from North Fork
and about thirty miles west of Bluefeld.
From the meager reports describing the
force of the storm at keystone it would
appear that the damage rivals that at
Johnstowr and is equal 90 the Galveston
horror in its intensity, so far as concerns
the percentage of population lost and
property destroyed
There is no telegraphic communication
west of Blueheld as the telegraph lines
were swept away along with the railroad
tracks. 1t is said by the telegraph Off
cials that the lines are useless between
Bluefeld and Kenova, w. Va. distance
of 200 miles. 1t may be several days be-
fore the telegraph lines will be restored
fTON--N~
obtain full report of the damage done in
that territory. 1t is stated, however,
that every building in the town of Key
stone was demolished or carried away
by the water, save one, and that bar
room which stands on a high hill. The
normal population of keystone is about
2.O00, and as last night was Saturday,
there is no telling how many miners had
gone into the village to swell its popula-
tion. 1t is estimated that 200 lives were
lost at keystone alone.
over "a Vast Area.
The flood seems to have extended over
vast area of mountain country and the
hundreds of mountain streams becoming
swollen only served to swell the Elkhorn
river until it had assumed large proper
tons and carried destruction in its wake.
Railroad ties and tracks, small buildings
OF all descriptions, trees, telegraph poles,
huge powders and every imaginable NOV
able thing that came within the sweep
Of this mighty torrent of maddened wa
ters went down the mountainous districts
in a seething, roaring mass of debris.
Decd bodies could be seen floating along
the valley by those who. had gained
place Of safety on the high hills. All day
Saturday the rain fell in sheets and 1t
was evident If It did not cease there would
he food and great destruction must re-
suit from IT. but it was not until after
darkness had enveloped the coal regions
that the great catastrophe was upon the
country and was making a clean sweep
Of the valley for miles around.
Heavens FIoodgntes Opened.
Shortly after midnight Saturday night
1t seemed as If the heavens had opened
'heir ioodgates over the town OF Vivian
W. Va. Here a passenger train was
caught In the falling flood and the lives
OF the frightened passengers were saved
oy the use OF ropes which were quickly
thrown over from the coke ovens which
skirt the railroad yards at Vivian. The
passengers were glad to catch the ropes,
ana willing hands dragged them from the
Aunmerging Grain and over the oven bar
''ndes TO a point Of safety Owing 10
'he fact that the telegraph lines had been
pioftrated by the storm. the Norfolk ana
western onicials detailed messengers by
i""t 10 cover the territory a. hcst they
''ud' they returning In q short time with
reports Of the terrible destruction which
"'4 been done in their respective terri
'"iles. one Of these messengers. in walk
'"s over the devasted dlstrict, came back