Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-10-05

ONLY Is BODIES ARE FOUND 50 FAR
Not More Than Eight Injured In The Little Hospital
No Lack Of Food State constabuary On>Hand
To Keep Orders Survivors Stories.

there the flames Appealed first Then
! looked for the Bank of Austin, but
it was gone, swept away.
ShrIeks OF the Victims.
But worst Of all were the cries OF
the women and children. You see
most all the men were at, work. and
they were at home alone They had
heard the warning sent out by the
telephone girl. at least some Of the
people say the fire bell rang, and
thought it was a IRE. Some or them
dushed to the business section and
were caught In the water, for that
flood Travelled like a racehorse Those
not drowned were crushed in the
crumbling buildings and others were
caught in the flames. It was fright
full. cannot begin to tell it all
Little children playing in yards at
home were caught up by the water
and tossed about on the food like
playthings. Cattle and horses were
swept on, and even the sidewalks
were torn up. ] never imagined there
could be such force And over and
above it all were the shrieks OF the
hundreds Of poor people who could
not escape, I don't know how any of
us got away.
Thousand Buildings Gone.
1t is estimated that thousand
buildings have been torn from their
foundations and crushed in the flood
or have been destroyed by fire. The
water made it's way through the busi-
ness section Of the town and left only
four buildings standing.
The valley of Freemans Run5is mar
row and the town was built along It's
banks. All the buildings iii the lower
part of the valley were swept clear
of their foundations by the torrent
and many Of those which remained
quickly fell a prey to the flames
There was no one to attempt to stop
the fire, and it was allowed to burn
itself out, the survivors of the flood
standing idly on the hill sides, stun
ned beyond the power to act. A feeble
effort was made In the lower part Of
the town where the flood soon spent
its force, to save property and lives
but it was sporadic. The full force
of the catastrophe could be seen from
that point perhaps better than from
any other and all efforts were aban-
doned.
Searching For Loved Ones.
The scene In the village is APP
palling. Here and there can be seen
the light Of some torch or lantern as
a distracted father searches along the
banks of the flood for some evidence
of his family and home. Men who a
day ago were among the most level
headed in the community know not
what to do.
Scenes Of indescribable sadness
marked the village during the early
hours of the might. Many women
who had lost their children wandered
III the darkness, crying their names
in the vain hope they would answer,
while here and there a. worn and
broken man stood at the ruins of his
home dazed, wondering when the
bodies of his family would be found.
But it is the general belief some Of
them will never be recovered.
A Death Trap.
The railroad shops, where the
debris is piled high and which resist
ed for a time the force of the water
will probably prove to be the death
chamber of the majority Of men who
were employed there. A rescuing
party attempted to reach the interior
of the ruins. but were driven back by
the smell of burning flesh Those so
fortunate as to live above the line of
flood were called to help the sur
vivors from the valley, and the food
supply was soon exhausted as every
grocery store, with the exception Of
one small establishment, was swept
away.
All the Churches Gone.
William Nelson. one OF the most
prominent merchants Of the town, and
HIS wife were lost It is said they
were walking on Turner street when
the wall of water rolled down that
thoroughfare. Their bodies have not
been recovered. Every house on
Turner street was destroyed by the
Hood and the debris piled high along
the little valley, The five or six
churches IN the town are all gone, the
only public institutions left standing
being the hospital and the school
house fhey were ABOVE the Hood
line