The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-06-28
CLoUD5URST IN THE ELkHORN
COAL MINING REGION.
WHOLE TOWNS AND VILLAGES
SWEPT AWAY IN ITS PATH.
RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPH
LINES ALSO FRUSTRATED.

Roanoke, Va, June 24.-There was
a great deal Of excitement and anx-
iety created here yesterday when it
was reported that an awful flood and
cloudburst had swept over the Elk
horn coal region in West Virginia.
The region visited by the flood is said
to be devastated, and the Pocahontas
coal fields are reported in ruins.
More than 80 miles of the railroad
tracks of the Norfolk & Western road
is gone and reports are still coming in
to the general Offices of this system in
this city, reporting washouts on the
various sections of lines in the flood
ed districts. The yards at Vivian, a
small town in West Virginia, were
completely destroyed and it is report.
ed most of the town was washed away,
North Fork Junction and a few other
smaller town suffered greatly.
1t is stated that the greatest dam
ages so far known is at Keystone, w.
Va. which is only one mile distant
from North Fork and about 80 miles
west of Bluefelds.
The meager reports describing the
force of the storm at Keystone give
the damages as rivaling that at
Johnstown and is equal to the Calves
ton horror in its intensity so far as
the percentage of population lost and
property destroyed. There is no tele-
graphic communication west of Blue
fields, as che telegraph lines were
swept away along with the railroad
tracks. 1t is said by the telegraph Of
ficials that the lines are useless be-
tween KenOva, w. Va, and Bluetields,
a distance of 200 miles. 1t may be sew.
eral days before the telegraph lines
will be restored sufficiently between
these two points TO obtain full report
of damage done in that territory. It is
stated, however, that every building in
the town OF Keystone was demolished
or carried away by the water save one,
and that a barrOom which stands on
a high hill. 1t is estimated that 200
lives alone were lost at keystone.
Dead bodies could be seen floating
along the valley by those who had
gained place Of safety on the high
hills All day Saturday the rain fell
in sheets and it was evident that if it
did not cease there would be a food
it, but it was not until after darkness
had enveloped the coal regions that
the great catastrophe was upon the
country and was making a clean
sweep of the valley for miles around.
Shortly after midnight Saturday night
it seemed as if the heavens had
opened their flood gates over the town
of Vivian
Here a passenger train was caught
in the falling flood and the lives of tho
frightened passengers were saved by
the use of ropes, which were quickly
thrown over from the coke ovens
which skirt the railroad yards at Wv
ian.
Owing TO the fact that the telegraph
lines had been Frustrated by the
storm, the Norfolk q Western officials
detailed messengers by foot to cove:
the territory as best they could, they
returning in a short time with reports
of the terrible destruction which had
been done in their respective tori.
tory. One of these messengers came
back and reported having seen SO bod
les There are supposed to be many
who will never be accounted for. The
loss of life will probably reach 500 or
600 and possibly this number will be
swelled when fuller details are OBJ
tainable.
Details of the great Pocahontas field
food are hard to obtain owing 10 the
inaccessibility of the mining district
where the fury and havoc Of the angry
waters caused the most appalling loss
of life and property. At Keystone the
water began to rise at o'clock Sun
day morning, and by IL o'clock the
flood had spent its fury and at least
two-thirds of the little city had been
washed away or demolished. 1t is
known that 16 residents of the north
side of the stream lost their lives, and
at least so Of those living on the south,
or town side, were drowned
At Burke, a suburb of Keystone, a
number are missing and eight are re-
ported dead
1t is now certain that the total list
of the dead from one end of the Elk
horn valley to the other will reach
200. A full list of the names OF the
victims cannot be ascertained at this
time. Hundreds are missing, having
taken refuge in the mountains to es-
cape the fury of the flood.