Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-06-27

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the cloudburst.
This resouing party also found the
body of q white woman, we'll clad,
floating down Plum Creek. report
from Witten g Mill, between Bluefield
and TazewelI, says three children of
Raleigh Brush were drowned.
More than 30 miles of the railroad
tracks Of the Norfolk & Western rail
road Is gone. One of the breaks will
require at least 1000 laborers several
days to repair it, The railroad yards
at Vivian were completely destroyed,
and it is reported most OF the town was
washed away.
There is no telegraphic communica-
tion west OF Bluefield, as the telegraph
lines were swept away along with the
| railroad tracks. IL ia said by the
telegraph officials that the lines are
useless between Kenorva, W. Va, and
Bluefield, distance of 200 miles.
Nothing whatever has been heard
| from the section Of the county between
Vivian and Williamson other than that
| the Tug River ia entirely over its banks
The town of Welch, Mcdowell county,
necessarily must have suffered seriously,
| aud large lumber plants are no doubt
washed away.
The railroad and telegraph companies
are WORKING between l.flOO and /. 500
men dey ard niebt. Officials, are on
| the Ground nushino the work. of con.
| .structIng reiepraph lines and rebuild
| ing tbs road.
Refugees fromttne two stricken dis
tricts Irino varinus estimates of the
| loss of life. II ia NOT believed 1t Ia
great in the Cljncb River district. but
| it ia thought that between 500 and GOO
mon wero drowned in the EIkborn
santicn, Great crowds surround the
| telegraph ard newspaper offices. each
person seeking news of friends in the
| devastated valleys
The Norfolk h Western railroad
officers arc reticent. but they admit
| that at lsast 900 lives have been lost.
the town of Keystone DESTROYED and
millions of dollars worth of pronerty
DESTROYED.
IL is NOT known how far back into
the mountains the storm extended. and
| Ii will he days and uerbaps weeks
before all the etor m stricken country ia
heard from.
The flood has not only damaged the
| Elkborp Vslley hut il is stated that
every one of the "a Flat Ton coal
operations or plants has suffered to some
extent.
A message last night from Coal
dale. is miles west Of Bluefield, said
there has been an immense loss of
property and some lives AT that poipt.
| Roanoke. Va. Jupe 23.-The passenger
train from the west over the Norfolk &;
| Western railroad. which was dine here
at II. .55 u. m. Yesterday, did not reach
Roanoke until 5. 30 O'Clock this morn
ing. When the train came In. there
were at the station many peopIe who
had waited anxiously ali night for the
belateci ews. carrier from tine devastated
coal fields OF West Virginia.
Among those who came In on this
train. and who had been in tine stor m.
were a nro,ninent busjness man oi
Roanoke. several railroad men. a woman
and two cbildren Thev came directlv
to Roanoke from Vivian, and were
comnelled tn walk a distance of II
miles from that nlace IN, the small town
nj Enris. whara thav waro anahled IN
eet train for this city. Tbese pnssen-
eors declare that the number of deaths
has been exaooerated. and feel confident
[that moi more Than loo neonle have
loaf their lives. The mountain districts
living hack from the railroads nrobably
| hare snffered heavilv and the ayact
loss Of life will moi be- known for several
daxs
4 railroad man. who had beea work.
ING nj Vivian. told The Associated
preaa corrasnondant that the rain
atarted last NJ iday n;obt and continued
for some time in moderation. but
sbortIv altar m;dnioht tha beavens
seemed to onen. and poured forth preat
volumes of water When fhe cloud
hurst orer fine town of Vivian. a nassen-
oer train was stardino in tba railroad
vayds Abont An nassenyers of whom
r6ree wsre women. were in The oars' The
Uater roae ranidlv' and soon was owe,
the trucl,s of the cars Honsas and cars
were beino vasbed about berore the
eyas os the fr;ghtsnad nassangers
4 Rones were tbrown 10 the cars and the
NAL, nassenoers cauobt them and waded
tbrouoh tbe uater which was now
waist dean 10 ,'iacas of sasotv aro,nd
| tho coira ovans on tha ad;o;n;ny hi,
Tha Jvon,en ware ton nnch frigb,aned
to gat into the water and vart nIaced
on fba tander of Inc ang;ne wbere tbev
ua,a S.to otha, ,ort;,,ns nf the rai,.
road Yards ware wasbed ont. and loo
hor % oars % ware Ne wrscIsa5 The bouse in in
whiob The sect;on ,castar at Vivian
i;ved was wasbad awar vomno aon of
the seotion master rods On dr;ftwood
for fomr m;lea and was tben lodgaS in a
tree. fro from which he was rssnned A
coIored sact;on hand who was in tho
sect;on ma.tar,s bo,se han tba aood
watsrs atruclr the b,;Id;ng nae
drowned "
Tha ra;n oo,.od f.ll;n, abont q
o,a,oo,, Sa,urdm @ o a.n;an s rha. ,s