The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1901-06-26
VEST VIRGINTA'S WOE.
Conflicting Stories Rife as to the
Number Lost In the Floods.
ESTIMATES AS HIoHAs A THOUSAND.
other Reports Have 1t That the Early
stories Are Observation-Disclosures
Down and Communi-
cation Difficult.

Huntington. W. Va. June 24.-Gov-
ernor White is here making arrange
ments to get tents, provisions, ETC.,
through to the flood-strlcken districts
along the Norfolk and Western rail
road. He says he fears the death list
will exceed one thousand.
Roanoke, Va. June 24.-When the
passenger train from the west on the
Norfolk and Western came in there
were many people at the station who
had waited anxiously for the belated
news carried from the devastated coal
fields of West Virginia. Among those
who came in on this train and who
had been in the storm was promi-
nent business man of Roanoke. sever
al railroad men and woman and two
children. They came direct to Roam
oke from Vivian and were compelled
to walk distance of eleven miles
from that place to the small town of
Ennis, where they were enabled to
get train for this city. These pas
sengers declare that the number of
deaths has been exaggerated in their
opinions and feel confident that not
lives, though they cannot say with any
certainty as to the number. The
mountain district lying back from the
railroads probably have suffered heav-
fly and the exact loss of life will not
be known for several days.
A railroad man who has been work
ing at Vivian stated that the rain
started last Friday night and contin-
ued for some time in moderation. but
shortly after midnight the heavens
seemed to open and poured forth great
volumes of water. When the cloud
burst over the town of Vivian. there
was n passenger train standing in the
railroad yards. About 40 passengers
of whom three were women were in
the cars. The water rose rapidly and
soon was over the trucks of the cars.
Houses and cars were washed about
before the eyes of the frightened pas
sengers Ropes were thrown to the
cars and the passengers caught them
and waded through the water which
was now waist deep to places of safe
ty around the coke ovens on the adj
Joining hill. Other portions of the
railroad yards were washed out and
a hundred box cars were wrecked.
a big furniture store and n large
clothing house were washed away at
Vivian as also were about dozen
small dwellings which were situated
in the lower portion of the village.
Two dead bodies. both colored men,
were seen at Eckman and three col
ored and one white corpse at Empire.
Two iron bridges were washed away
at Vivian and another at North Fork
Junction and three persons are re-
nOrtp6 n hnyn hppn drowned
the latter place. All the bridges and
trestle work has been washed away
on the Simmons river branch of the
Norfolk and Western system. All tele-
graph lines are down and tracks are
badly washed out on this division.
The people who came from Vivian
did not come through the town OF
keystone, but only around it. They
state, however that the damage done
there is nothing as great as was re-
ported. They think th"t not more
than dozen houses We're washed
away. They cannot say how many, II
any, lives were lost at keystone.
The damage done all over the coal
fields is immense, but every one seems
to be greatly excited and too anxious
to get away to take time to inquire
into the affairs of their neighbors. 1t
is certain. however. that much valu-
able machinery has been washed
away. Many of the wrecked cars
along the 1lkhorn valley have been
washed down the river and will prob.
ably be total loss. Newspaper men
have gone to the coal fields to get re.
liable information and It is expected
that something definite will be known
within the next "a hours.