Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-06-26
An Estimate of the Fatalities
In Pocahontas Re-
gion Flood.
LESS THAN A Sl,aoO,0OO
Estimate of the Railway Loss, and
That to Coal Mining Plants Light.
Dominant Loss stoppase of Work.
Bodies Washed From Graves.

Bluefeld, w. Va, June 26.--Actuai
canvass of the situation beyond here
in the region overlooked Sunday
largely curtails the accounts of the
disaster. The death list seems con-
fined to the limit of co. nearly all OF
whom were negro miners and their
families. The railroad loss is just
less than $l,000,000 and that to the
coal operations slight. The dominant
loss is the stoppage of work at the
mines when the contracts demand
daily supply. The Powhatan mine
has already resumed work, but it may
be about three weeks before all can
be placed in their former condition.
1t may never be known just how many
people were drowned. Many of the
families represented little more in
the way of identification than a name.
Only neighbors knew each other and
systematic listing of the missing is
not attempted
viii Burn Wreckage.
The railroad authorities will burn
the vast accumulation of wreckage To
prevent it from making dams at the
bridges and also to preserve health.
The coke ovens were broken down by
the freight cars hurled against them.
About loo houses in Keystone were
washed away, all the company houses
at Elkfork, and number were wash.
ed away at Shawnee and Burke. Rob-
ert M. Garrett a Keystone druggist.
as chairman, has organized a relief
committee, and is raising money to
give to the poor whites and negroes
whose houses were destroyed and who
lost will save clothes on their backs.
The people are poor, the crops are
the worst in years, and some misery
will undoubtedly ensue. The coal op.
orators declare they can care for
their own people, and are doing so.
This will probably be true of all OPP
orators except at Keystone which in
q way is a renegade settlement The
operators resent mildly outside help.
saying it is not needed
Colonel Charles II. Howell. presi-
dent OF the Philadelphia branch of
the Red Cross society; Colonel Hut
son, of the governors staff, and E. l..
Boggs, private secretary to Governor
A. B. White, arrived on the scene,
only to find that the loss of life was
small. There is little actual suffer
ing among the people, their normal
condition being almost as bad as at
present.
Colonel Howell penetrated the flood
ed district to Vivian, finding no use
for the Red Cross, and last evening.
before leaving for Philadelphia, wired
the headquarters of the society that
the losses We're in money and prop
erty of the railroad and coal opera
tors, and that there was no use for
the Red Cross.
Bodies Washed From Graves.
Roanoke, June ga gentleman ar
irving in this city Tuesday from the
stricken section gives as an explana-
ton for the report first circulated
that great masses of human bodies
were to be seen floating around in the
water that there Is a graveyard be-
tween North Fork Junction and Key
stone, which towns are about a mile
apart, and at which point the storm
was very severe. This graveyard is
near the bank of the river. When the
food came the graves gave up their
dead and added greatly to the number
OF bodies seen.