Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-06-27
DEATH LIST is
| ON THE INCREASE
Estimates Of West Virginia
Flood Fatality Raised
PEOPLE OF DISTRICT DESOLATE
Hundreds Actually Arc Starving.
Food Being Sent on Mule Back
TO The Stricken

4 Williamson, W. Wa, June 27.-Esu-
mates of the loss of life by the flood
8have been raised again, and today are
placed at over a hundred. Parties
reached here last evening from the up.
per end of the flooded district bringing
s the first authentic information receiv-
, ed from the scene of the disaster. The
party just arrived consisted of Judge
L. S. Doolittle of Huntington, Judge
Flourney of Charleston and Elias Hat
field, deputy sheriff of Mingo county.
These gentlemen left Vivian Sun
4 day morning and their journey to this
lefty has been a perilous one. Judge
Doolittle started to wade one stream.
Laurel creek, and came near being
drowned. floating some distance before
being rescued by two colored men
Nudge Tourney and Mr.. Hatfield gave
the colored men s25 to carry them
safely across the stream.
Judge Doolittle said that words
could not describe the scene Of devas
tation between Vivian and Davy. 1t
was a tidal wave from a cloudburst
and swept everything before it. In the
track of its course everything is gone,
including coke ovens and pillars of
stcne. At Vivian the water came roar.
n ing down the mountain sides in mons
ter waves, and people who attempted
to fee to the hills for safety were
washed back and carried away by the
raging current of the Elkhorn.
The section visited by the flood was
thickly settled, but as the population
consists chiefly of miners, who were
at worl, at the time, the large majority
of the dead are women and children,
e and thrilling stories of rescue are told.
At one point mother climbed a pillar
OF railway trestle at Eckman, holdflg
to her breast her only child. Her
home was washed away but the moth
or ard child were saved. Fifteen peo-
+ pie are reported drowned at Eckman,
At Keystone the loss of life waa
4 great. Probably 80 persons perished
there. Mothers and babes we're swept
away by the raging current and strong
men battled for their lives, but with
out avail in many instances.
In one instance people fed to an I'll
4 end and climbed small trees, only tc
be swept away IS minutes later by tho
h tide, which was filed with debris Of
3 every kind
Judge Doolittle was on the NorfolR
and Western train at Vivian when thc
81 food overlook it. He was in a sleeper
end on awakening discovered water
rushing through the center arisles. H,
climbed, as cid many others. from win
dows. and was rescued by people
A near by on coke ovens by means CT
boards being placed to the windows
no passengers were drowned.
It took II hours TO dig the debris
away from the train after the fiooJ
had passed. Passenger train No. II
was also lost at Eckman. being carried
away with box cars. houses, etc. Nor;
than 200 cars, many of which were
loaded with merchandise, we're wash
cd away at that point
Among the buildings lost at viviar
was that of w. ]. McLaren, the Nor
folk and Western supervisor. Mr. Nc
Iarin's family was rescued with grea
difficulty.
On Dry Fork the loss of life is ex
ceedingly great. Bodies are scattered
all along the stream, many of which
will never be identified. Seven salooai
at Keystone were washed away. fou
lives being lost in one of them. A
Brooks the loss of property is also SO
we're. but only three lives are said t
have been lost there.
The region from Ennis to Davy, a
miles, is completely in ruins. Hun
dreds of mine mules can be seen ii
4 heaps, mingled with human bodies
Coal operators and mill men have los
unknown amounts. Near Davy hors
was found lodged in drift and a hr
man body dangling to the same, tn
mans foot having hung in the stirru
Of the saddle. A report has just reach
ed here that IS bodies are lodged in
drift at hatfield tunnel, 20 miles cas-
q of this city. Near Burke a man say
t his brother sinking in the flood an
plunged in to rescue him. Both wer
drowned.
It is believed that the loss Of If
along the little streams emptying int
4 the Keystone has been great. Thes
streams have not yet been explored.
is stated here that eight large stee
4 bridges were washed away on the Ell
n horn river alone. It is not though
4 that trains will be running east q
Welch for two or three weeks.
4 Twenty barrels of whisky wer
caught in the Tug river at Welch.
report has reached here that most c
4 the colored miners are laying off ther
on protracted spree and street fight
are numerous. 1t is dihcult for tn