Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-06-26
HEERMAN'S STORY.
Well Known Correspondent
Tells About the Storm.
Cloud Burst Described Wave Fifteen
Feet High Swept Down the River
valley-Narrow Escapes Recorded
Congressman Hughes Long Trip
Relief Train Sent lii.


Ed NJ. Heermans has been sent to
the scene of the food in the southern
part of the state. His first telegram
telling of how things are down there
is given below 1t is very interest
ing reading He had been sent down
to look after the strike but the storm
diverted his foot steps. The scenes
described are very viyidly eelored.
The storm is as follows
The terrible results of the raging
flood which swept through five coun-
ties OF West Virginia on Saturday
afternoon are just beginning to be
made known. The eloudburst was
unprecedented, and when the tor
rents of water were let loose In the
hills above this town the narrow
gorges where people live became IA
perfect maelstrom, and scores of
lives were lost. The real extent Of
the damage cannot be fully ascer.
tanned for days. Hundreds Of thou.
sands of dollars worth of property
has been destroyed, and as the news
from the flooded district filters
through, narrowing tales of disaster
and distress are made known.
The cloudburst extended over
parts Of Mcdowell, Mercer, Mingo
and Wyoming counties in West Vir-
ginia and also parts of Pike county,
Kentucky, and Buchanan county,
Virginia. Down the narrow valleys
in the district covered by the terrific
downpour OF water mighty wave
rushed fully . feet high. II swept
all before it, and in the path OF this
wave there is desolation and death.
Congressman James A. Hughes
Of Huntington, came in here this at
ternoon afoot He had been in the
Dryfork region on business. He
was unable TO return by rail and
walked 3S miles in order to get here
where he would find food and lodg-
ing. He tells an awful story of DIES.
olation and disaster as result Of
the food, and the section he visited
is but small part of the territory
covered by The storm.
This part OF West Virginia is very
mountainous, the hills are high and
the valleys narrow. The streams
are numerous and ordinarily shall
low. When the cloudburst came
Saturday the streams congested and
the mass of timber, debris, trees and
lumber all swept down the valleys
with such forces as to sweep whole
settlements before it. From this
end Of the Norfolk a. Western rail
road no communication has been es.
tablished with Ennis.
The cloudburst caused distress
along the Elkhorn and Dry Fork,
which form Tug river, Blackberry
creek, Knox creek, Indian creek and
Bend creek This is remote re-
gion, and the valleys are not thickly
populated. Yet several good sized
communities are in the pathway Of
the storm. For "a hours the streams
were filled with houses, box cars,
horses, cattle, lumber and hogs
These told the story OF the awful
havoc above.
On Dry Fork w. M. Ritter's $780,
900 band sawmill was swept away and
not vestige left. With it went 81
500, 900 feet Of lumber, Twenty-fiv We
houses were swept away near this
mill, also three box cars loaded with
lumber and furniture.
The force Of the wave can be inn
agined when 1t is known that heavily
loaded cars were washed off the tracks.
The people 10 the rs houses barely had
time to get out to the hills. A few
did not escape, but how many cannot
be ascertained now. OF these 20
families none saved a bit of their
household possessions OR valuables.
On Pine Fork the saloon of Pink
Starnes was swept away. Starnes
was struck by timber just as he was
about TO climb tree and was drown
ed. A comrade with him climbed the
tree, and this one was the only tree
left standing on the little island
where the saloon was built For ten
miles between WEIGH and Panther
the N. s. w. Il. r, bed is gone.
The track for ten miles is covered
with timber and debris in many places
rs feet high. Three Others were
drowned besides Starnes on Dry Fork,
aud many cabin folks may have lost
their lives, but will not be missed
for many days. Twenty-Five miles of
wires are gone and the railroad cannot
run trains for at least 80 miles on the
Norfolk s. Western. With this state
OF affairs it Is easy to see that COM
plete story of the terrible calamity
cannot be told until word Is brought
overland Six million feet of sawed
lumber went out in Mercer county
alone. Two iron bridges are gone
from along the railroad.
For 30 miles Tug River was 80 feet
above its highest stage, and so con-