The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-06-28
Heavy Downpour Of Rain for
Hours mandates Entire
Coal Regions.
Scores Are Known to Have Been
Drowned and Estimates Vary
from 100 to 1000.
Disaster Second Only to Those at Johns
town, Pa, and Galveston, Tex.
keystone Wiped Out.
Wind md Rnin Cause Much Damage
ut Lincoln, lll.-PfttsburEh
Swept by a Storm.

Swept by a Storm.
Bluefield, w. Va, June 25.-This en-
tire section has just been visited oy
food, the extent of which in all prob
ability will equal or exceed that OF
Johnstown in 1889, SO far as the loss
of property is concerned. Early Sun
day morning, shortly after midnight
heavy downpour of rain began, ac-
companied by severe electric Storm
which violently increased in volume
and continuing for several hours
These continued through out the en-
tire day and night, and while 1ne
storm has abated the lowering clouds
would indicate another terrific down.
pour at any moment.
Estimated Loss of Life 200.
Many miles of the Norfolk e. West
ern railroad track, bridges and tele-
graph lines are entirely destroyed ana
communication is entirely cut of west
Of Elkhorn, so that it is impossible to
learn the full extent of the loss OF lie
and property, but officials OF the coal
operations, located in the stricken dis
trict, have sent out messengers to Elk
horn, the terminus of both Geographic
and railroad communicat atoms, ana
have received a report that a conser-
vative estimate as to the loss OF lie
will easily reach 200. Some OF the
drowned are among the most promi-
nent citizens of the coal fields.
Town Washed Away.
The Pocahontas coal field is located
in a basin, with high mountain ranges
on either side, Elkhorn creek flowing
through the center of the basin, which
ranges from one-fourth to. one mile
in width. From Ennis, w. Va, to
Vivian yard, w. Va. distance OF ten
miles, miners cabins, coal COM
pany's commissaries and coke plants
line this basin. Elkhorn creek be-
ing fed by numerous small streams
coming from the noun tai in side rises
very rapidly, and this waterspost
came so suddenly that the entire basin
between the two mountain ranges was
flooded, and before the terror-strick-
en- people realized what was upon
them they were carried down by the
food, which swept everything III its
path. The little town Of Keystone,
with population of bout 2 200, seems
the greatest sufferer, practically the
entire town being washed away. This
town is the principal one in the Poca-
hontas coal fields and is located near
it's center. It was to great extent
| 4 1x-1,s Oh, m
population purchased supplies and was
also the only place in the field where
whisky could be purchased. At this
place there were some IL to IS saloons,
all of which were washed away. The
report comes that the mining popula-
ton are now occupying the banks OF
the streams below, catching the mer-
chandse and barrels of whisky and
beer as they float down.
A rough estimate places the number
| of bridges washed away between Blue
field and Vivian yard, distance of 2s
! miles, at from Is to 20, and from pres
emit indications it will be impossible
| to get trains through to Vivian and
| points west of there under a week or
ten days. This will render it impossi-
BILE to get relief into the stricken dis
trict, and with those who escaped with
their lives, homeless and without food,
understandable suffering is inevitable.
Rivals Johnstown.
From the meager reports describing
| the force of the storm at Keystone it
would appear that the damage rivals
| that of Johnstown. and is equal to the
Galveston horror in it's intensity, so
far as the percentage of population
lost and property destroyed.
| It is stated that every building in
the town of Keystone was demolished
or carried away by the water, save one,
and that barroom which stands on
high hill. The normal population of
Keystone is about 1000 souls, and as it
was Saturday night there is no telling
how many miners had gone into the
town to swell it's population. 1t is es-
timated that 200 lives alone were lost
at Keystone.
News from Seat OF Storm.
Roanoke, Va. June 25.-The pas
| senger train from the west over the
| Norfolk & Western railroad, which is
| due here at 1855 p. M, did not reach
Roanoke until half-past five O'Clock
Monday morning. When the train
came in there were many people at
the station who had waite>: anxiously
all hight for the belated news carrier
from the devastated coal fields of
West Virginia. Among those who
| came in on this train, and who had
been in the storm, was prominent
business man of Roano ke, several
railroad men and woman and two
children. They came direct to Roam
oke from Vivian, and were compelled
to walk a distance of II miles from