The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-28
THE WEST VIRGINIA FLOOD.
The Disaster Not Appreciated Be
cauSe of EnrIy ExagEerafion-

/ ROANOKE, June 2S.-Despite the efforts
of conscientious newspaper correspond
ents to relate the facts concerning the re
cent flood in the Pocahontas region, the
exaggerated reports of the loss of human
life and damage to property continue to
circulate Especially at places in West
Virginia are these Overdrawn stories Of
disaster circulated.
The first official account was given on
Wednesday by z. H. Stewart, of Roanoke,
a conservative man. who was in the train
at Vivian during the entire progress Of
the flood. Mr.. Stewart told what he saw
while the torrents were raging around
him. He also described what he saw III
walking ten miles through the Elkhorn
Valley before the waters had entirely sub
sided.
He disposed, OF most of the wild rumors
which had prevailed up to that time. Now
however, the train upon which Mr.. Stew
art went to Vivian is made to do duty as
the scene of great peril and danger in
dispatch published and dated at William
son, w Va The author Of that despatch
credits Judge E S. Doolittle, of Hunting
ton. with a statement describing wild and
terrible incidents which Mr. Stewart who
was there, did not mention and most of
which, in point of fact, did not occur
One Of the minor statements was that
he was on the sleeper, and when he aWOlSe
Saturday morning water was rushing
through the car. 1t so happened that a
correspondent rode seventy-five miles on
Wednesday from a point near Keystone
to Radford IN that Identical car The car
pet did not show that it had been wet,
and those in charge said that the water
had just reached the bottom step
Another incident may be mentioned Il
story that DR. Hatfield had shot and killed
two negroes whom he found footing has
been widely published The truth is that
DR. Hatfield. who is the surgeon of the
Norfolk and Western and of a number Of
coal companies. saw two negro men
breaking open q trunk and drove them
away with his cane.
The floor of last Saturday was an ap
pailing disaster. It caused the death Of
possibly over thirty human beings. de-
stroyed property to the extent of S1,000,
000, viii interrupt great business opera
tons for a considerable time, and cause
much incidental loss to the people in the
coal and lumber region. But the disaster
has been beIittled by a contrast with the
first reports.
Dispatches were sent all over the world
announcing the drowning of from 200 to
loo persons. Such statement was fol-
lowed by orders from many newspape
for full particulars. and the particulars
were sent with the most astonishing dis
regard for facts and leaving nothing 10
be desired as to sensation. Leading news
papers then hurried staff correspondents
to the scene 70 make such reports as the
magnitude Of the disaster required When
these correspondents came they found
that instead of 500 deaths. including prom
inent citizens, about thirty unfortunate
Hungarian miners had been drowned. In
stead OF a property loss of S, 00l000 the
loss was S1005O50-
The mountainous region of West Vir
ginia has been for years copious foun-
tainhead for what in newspaper Offices
are denominated fakes The reason Of
this is not that truth is especially daspis-
ed in West Virginia. but because n the
almost uniuhabited mountain regions
there are 50 many Inaccessible places that
a fake" story well located is reasonably
safe from exposure.
1t has been observed that many Of the
alleged incidents of the recent food when
dislodSed from one town, TeapDear At an
other, and usually IN an improved form
These actual incidents not only change To-
cation, but grow as they move A party
several days ago found a puppy fmprison-
ed in pile Of debris on the Eslkhoru A
day or two later the puppy story is trans
planted to another place and the PUPPY
becomes a cOlGred child which mas lived
for days without food in pile OF rub
bish- And as II this were not enough,
the parents Of the child are made to dis
appear, and even their dead bodies can
not be found A gentleman here yester-
day, v hise depjoTIDg the loss Of life. said
that many Of the houses and resorts
washed away ought to have been destroy
ed, and that when the mining cOmpl MES
reDulid they VIII make much more oGS1-
Portable homes
Another effect Of the opening 81 the
windows of heaven has been 70 Open the
fioodgates Of eloquence and language as
witness the following from the columns of
BluefeId newspaper
As swift in It's distraction as the ven
geance of an angry God, as affecting as
the ancient visitation Of the death angel
who took the first born from each FEgvD-
tian home, was the appalling havoc
wrought by the F1at-Top food writing in
blood and destruction another chapter in
the worlds great disasters
1t has been now some twelve years
since the explosion at PoCahOntas and the
nearly 200 graves that lie in q row around
anted. and the awe and sorrow of that
fearful event had a5OU+ worn out in the
minds of men when ti'- heavens open and,
amid the crash of thunder and the flare
of lurid lightning. the riven skies pour
down their awful wealth of moisture IN
I'll the mountain sides flush with their wa
terry burden and empty It into rnagicaHy
formed rivers IL the valleys that rage
and rush against the habitati0ns OF men
and-ihe work of their hands ike the an
gry beating of imprisoned animals against
their prison bars. until the homes meet
destruction and the enterprise OF many
years building Is destroyed. a commuui-
y, a country. stands abaShed at the aw-
full havoc Of the food fury Of an hour
The scene of the floods course battles
description Everywhere are piles of de-
bTiS composed Of wrecked homes dernol-
ished railroad cars, broken and spIiutered
household furniture and now and then the
CHASTITY corpse Of some poor victim Rail
road iron Is bent by the giant waters
grasp as wire, iron bridges resting on
their piers of solid masonry withstoOd the
strain but moment and were svyept
away like empty casks. The eddying wa
ters att away embankments and great
railroad cars laden with half 4 hundred
tons Of black diamonds tumbled to de-
struc.s%1- The face Of the rushing flood
was pockmarked With the ragged ends of
broken timbers and the fragile frames Of
moTtals were jdmmed and crushed be-
tween them. The EIkhorn Valley and
North Fork Valley. but few hours be-
fore teening with busy thousands. were
mIde a deSOlate scene Of devastation and