The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-06-28
TWO HUNDRED LIVES
Great Flood in a Narrow West
Virginia Valley.
property Loss Will Reach at Least
Two Millions of Dollars
Awful Havoc

Bluefeld W. Va, June 23-Tbis 500.
tiOn has been visited bv flood. the pxten+
OF which in all probability will eouaI mr.
| exceed that of .JOhnstOwn in 1904 co
lar az the loss of property il concerned
EarIy yesterday, shortly after midnight,
heavy d0wnpOur of rain began. ac.
coLlpahleu ny severe electrical storm
which increased in volume. continuinU
lot several hours. The storm continued
IhroughOut the entire day and night.
ana at lO a. M, while the storm has
aDated, the lowering clouds threaten an
other terrible dOwnpOur at any moment
Many miles OF the Norfolk & Western
railroad track, bridges and telegraph
lines are entirely destroyed and cOmmun-
lcatlon Is entirely cut off west OF Elk
horn so that it is impossible to learn the
full extent OF the loss of life and proper
ty, but officials of the coal companies.
located IN the district have sent ont
messengers to Elkhorn, the terminus of
both telegraphic and railroad communi-
cation and have received report that
a conservative estimate as to the loss of
life will easily reach 200. Some of the
drowned are among the most prominent
citizens of the coal fields.
The POcahOntas coal field il located in
basin with high mountain ranges on
either side, EIkhorn creek flowing
through the center of the basin. which
ranges from one-fourth to one mile in
width. From Tennis, W. Va, to Vivian
yards, W. Va, a distance of 10 miles.
miners cabins, coal companies commits
earies and coke plants line the basin.
ElkhOrn creek, fed by numerous smaIl
streams coming from the mountain side.
rises rapidly.
Carried Down by the Flood.
This waterspOut came so suddenly
that the entire basin between the two
mountain ranges was flooded and before
the terror stricken people realized what
was upon them, they were carried down
by the food, which swept everything in
it's path. The little town of keystone
with a population of about 2OOO. seems
the greatest sufferer, practically the en-
tire town being washed away. The town
Is located near it's center. 1t was to q
great extent the Headquarters from
which the mining population purchased
supplies and was also the only place in
the field where whisky could be pur-
chased.
az lulS pidCe JueE6 were some IL TO 10
saloons, all Of which were washed away.
The report comes that the mining pOpu-
Iation are now occupying the banks OF
the stream below, catching the merchan-
disc and barrels of whiskey and beer as
they float down.
A great number of the coal and coke
plants throughout the POcahOntas dis
trict are reported practically destroyed
and are in some instances entirely
washed away.
Property Loss Two Millions.
Owing to the very high water which
has flooded the region and prevented
communication, anything like a correct
estimate of the loss of property is i'm
possible, but from the best information
obtainable at 2 p. N. Sunday the loss to
the property will easily reach $2,OOO,-
600.
The trainmaster of the Norfolk &
Western railroad walked the track be
Cween Vivian and NOrthfork, a distance
of II miles. He discovered 80 bodies
floating in the river.