Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-07-04
THE RECENT FLOOD.
Words Cannot Describe the Dsvas-
tatiou Between Vivian and Davy.
The DEAD NAY EXCEED A HUNDRED.


food, will exceed 100. Parties reached
here yesterday evening from the up
per end of the flooded district bring
ing the first authentic information re-
ceived from the scene of disaster.
The party just arrived consisted of
Judge Z. S. Doolittle, Judge Tourney,
OF Charleston, and Elias Hatfield, dep
uty sheriff of Minge county. Judge
Doolittle said to the Associated press
correspondent last night that words
could not describe the scene of de-
vastation between Vivian and Davy.
1t was tidal wave from cloudburst
and swept everything before it. In
the track of its course everything
is gone, including coke ovens and pill
lars of stone. At Vivian the water
came roaring down the mountain
sides in monster waves and people
who attempted to flee to the hills for
safety were washed back and car
ried away by the current of the Elk
horn.
The section visited by the food was
thickly settled, but as the popula-
tion consists chiefly Of miners who
were at work at the time the large
majority of the dead are women and
children, and thrilling stories of res
cue are told. At one point mother
climbed a huge pillar of railway
trestle, holding to her breast her only
child. This was at Eckman trestle.
Her home was washed away, but the
mother and child were saved. Fiji
teen persons are said to have been
drowned at Eckman. At Keystone
the loss of life was great. Probably
30 persons persisted there. Mothers
and babes were swept away by the
raging current strong men battled
for their lives without avail in many
instances.
In one instance parties fled to an is
land and climbed small trees, only
to be swept away Is minutes later by
the tide which was filled with debris
of every kind. Judge Doolittle was
on the Norfolk & Western train No.
2 at Vivian when the flood tide over
took it. He was in sleeper and on
awakening discovered water rushing
through the center aisles and all was
confusion. He climbed, as did many
others, from windows and was res
cued by people nearby on coke ovens
by means of boards being placed to
the windows. No passengers were
drowned.
It took II hours to dig the debris
away from the train after the flood
tide had passed. Passenger train No.
II was also lost at Eckman, being
completely carried away with box
cars, houses, etc. More than 200 cars,
many of which were loaded with mer-
chandise, were washed away at that
point.
On Dry Fork the loss of life is ex-
ceedingly great. Bodies are scattered
all along the stream. many of which
will never be identified. Seven sa-
looms at Keystone were washed away,
four lives being lost in one of them.
At Brooke the loss of property is also
severe, but only three lives are said
to have been lost there. The region
from Ennis to Davy, 43 miles, is COM
pletely in ruins. Hundreds of mine
mules can be seen in heaps inter-
.,ngied with human bodies. Coal op-
orators ana mir men nave lost UNI
known amounts. Near Davy horse
was found lodged in a drift and hu.
man body dangling to the same, the
mans foot having hung in the STIR
rup of the saddle. A report has just
reached here that Is bodies are lodged
in a drift at Hatfield tunnel, 20 miles
east of this city. Parties have gone
to the scene with the hope of recov-
ering them. Near Burke man saw
his brother sinking in the food and
plunged in to rescue him. Both were
drowned.
c. F. Clifford, train dispatcher for
the Norfolk 4 Western, walked from
Ennis to Davy, 43 miles, and now has
control of the telegraph lines at the
latter point He says that on his
Journey he saw five dead bodies at
Eckman, seven at Keystone and u
scattered promiscuously along the
shores. He pressed on through with
out stopping and those were on his
direct line of travel. He says this
number may be largely increased. Il
is believed that the loss of life along
the little streams emptying into the
keystone has been great. These
streams have not yet been explored.
| Five construction trains left here
Tuesday night and will pick up every
man on the way possible to assist in
railway repairs. Twenty barrels OF
whisky were caught in the large river
at Welch. A report has reached hero
that most Of the colored miners are
laying off there on a protracted spree
and that street fights are numerous.
II is difficult for the authorities to
handle the situation. Much theft Is
reported in the devastated district.
Even clothing is being torn from dead
bodies. Most Of the bodies being
found along Tug river have been
washed from the Elkhorn river The
loss Of property by the food on the
Elkhorn and the Tug rivers is now
roughly estimated at from s5,oOO,O00
to ss,OO0,OoO.
Gov. White has issued statement