Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-06-24

/ thD0ERTS
/ have been rushed to the scene 10
work on repairs, and 1t is expected
/ that teiegraphic communication viii
be established by this afternoon.
Later aavices from the Clinch Val
/ ley division confirms the reported
drowning Of 10 persons.
The railroad people said yesterday
tit would he at least five DAYS before
/ their lines aee open for trains They
/ have been sending work trains to tho
storm-stricken district from all direc-
/ lions. The loss to the railroad will
reach $500. 600,
I private message from Bfamwetl,
/ W. Va, on Simmons creek. says there
I has been great damage done there,
but no loss of life has been reported
/ UP Co the time the telegram was sent.
Saturday morning, shortly after MD
night, heavy downpour Of rain be-
/ gan, accompanied by a severe electric
storm, and steadily increased in yio-
lence until 10 oclock a. IN, then ceas-
/ ing for several hours and beginning
again with renewed violence. This
| continued throughout the entire dag
and night and at 10 o'clock yester-
| day morning, while the storm was
abated, tile lowering clouds would IN
dictate another terrific doWnpour at
any moment. Many miles Of the Nor
folk and Western railroad track.
bridges and telegraph lines are en-
| tirely destroyed and communication
is entirely cut off west of Elkhorn, So
| that it is impossible to learn the full
extent of the loss of life and prop
erty, but officials of the coal opera
| tons, located in the stricken district,
have sent out messengers to Elkhorn,
| the terminus of both telegraphic and
railroad communications, and have re-
ceiyed report that a Conservative
| estimate as to the loss of life will
easily reach 200. Some of the drown
| ed are among the most prominent
citizens of the coal fields.
Topography of Coal Fields.
The Pocahontas coal field is locat-
ed in basin, with high mountain
ranges ON either side, Elkhorn creek
flowing through the center of the
basin, which ranges from onefourth
! to one mile in width. From Ennis,
w. Va to Vivian Yard, w. Va, dis
! lance of about 10 miles miners cab
| ms coal company commissaries and
coke plants line this BASIN Elkhorn
| streams coming from the mountain
sides, rises very rapidly and this wa
terspout came SO suddenly that tho
entire basin between the two NOM
tain ranges was flooded, and before
the terror-stricken people realized
what was upon them they were car
ried down by the flood, which swept
! everything in its path The little
| town of Keystone, with population
| OF about 1000, seems the greatest
| sufferer, practically the entire town
being washed away. This town is the
| principal one in the Pocahontas coal
| fiends and is located near its eente..
II was to a great extent headquarters
from which the mining population
| purchased supplies and was also tho
| only place in the field where whisky
| could be purchased. At this place
there We're some II to Is saloons, all
OF which were washed away. The re-
| port comes that the mining popula-
| ton are now occupying the banks OF
the streams below, catching the mer-
| ehandise and barrels of whisky and
beer as they float down. great num-
Der of the coal and coke plants
throughout the Poeahontas field are
reported practically destroyed and IN
some instances entirely washed away.
On account of the very high water.
which has flooded the region and pre-.
vented communication, anything like
correct estimate of the loss of prop
erty IS impossible, but from the best
information ,obtainable the lass to
properly will easily reach $4,000 900
AT Landgraf, the beautiful home of
General Manager Ord is reported
gone but his family is said to lie
safe.