The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-16

ley below. A wall OF water, starting
from the broken dam OF the West Vlr-
ginia Pulp a. Paper Company on Stony
Creek, moved down TO the Potomac.
inundated the town OF Schell. w. va
where the two streams meet, and
started flood wave laden with
wreckaSe and Ice down the Potomac
valley.
Warnings of the approaching food
sent the residents of small towns
scurrying to safety in the hills, where
tonight from safe vantage points they
peered through the darkness in an
Icy gale toward the swollen waters
below.
Telegraph and telephone communi-
cation was cut of by the flood during
the day, but was re-established to-
night. Rumors OF several men caught
IN the flood waters at Shaw, W. Va.
20 miles from Schell. which could not
be confirmed, We're the only reports OF
casualties attending the food. The
Hood warning emptied the town of
ShaW, and sent many residents OF
Blaine, Harrison. FitZmiller and other
small places in the path OF the water
hurrying to the ridges. Fear that the
waters might rise still further pre-
vented many OF the refugees from re-
turning to their homes. even in towns
where little damage was done.
EXPENDED Its Enerqy.
the flood wave apparently eXpend-
Cd its energy in mad 2O-mile dash
down the valley Of the Stony creek
irom the face Of the bursted dam to
Schell. This valley. however. was
practically uninhabited. IL was owned
b! the West Virginia Pulp and Paper
company as q right of way and water
shed.
The big dam. which impounded a
iake OF water hvc miles long and
which was 90 feet high. had been
Weakening for several days. Last
farmer from the mountain village OF
Mount Storm rode Gown the valley
warning the Few inhabitants o. the
Impending break. Early this morn
ing a part OF the b.g structure gave
way and at noon TO-DAY the sweeping
waters carried away the great part OF
the face OF the dam I'm mass OF
wreckagC. The released weight of
water in a wall-like wave swept down
90 Schell. There the roadbed OF the
Western Maryland railroad was
washed out and traffic on the road
was tied up. Coal ana lumber trains
are waiting on both sides OF the
flood
Bridges Dyaamited.
BelU@ S,-heil the rushing water
Joined the Potomac river. and for 80
miles the gradually diminishing wall
OF water rolled on. increasing the
height OF the river by from three feet
to eight feet in its 70-mile course be
tween Schell and Cumberland. The
Potomac was filled with ice and this
with wreckage and log bOoms torn
from their moorings, added force tC
the flood. Fearful lest the mass OF
wreckage pile up and pen the rushing
. waters. the authorities and railroad
officials tonight dynamited several
small bridges in the valley which
threatened TO jam the rush.
Tonight the ridges along both sides
Of the rushing torrent Tor 20 miles
fro mthe deluged town OF Schell q
this city. were dotted with campfires
and lanterns OF refugees and miners
and lumbeTmen from the hills. Late
in the night the re-established tele
pnOne line from Schcll brought the
reassuring news that the water was
subsiding. but the refugees clung tC
the temporary shacks and shelters
above the flood
Fearful Of other Dam.
Some fear was felt becgIse Of n
wooden dam at Heryl. W Va, whore
the Savage river flows into the Po
tomac The West Virginia Paper and
Pulp company. wnicl has a plant Gov
ering forty acres a. this point, nut q
thousand men at work to strengthen
tho dam. The ica in the Potomac
river at Cumberland was dynamited
toni-nt I'm order TO give the Hood a
Onicisis here tonight estimated
that property along the path OF the
Hood had been damdged TO the extent
OF bout $4,000 TO this was addt
thousands of dollars worth Of loes
carried away by the water
special Disratch 20 tho Intelligence.
History Repeated.
MBSRLAND. Md Jan. 10.
Had not a hOrseman made WHO
ride of twenty miles before day break
this morning through the StOnel
River Valley TO Schell. ". Va. warn.
ing the people that the great storage
dam of the West Virginia Pulp ant
Paper Company had cracked and itI
crum bling was inevitable. ther'
would probably be a great loss O
iifc The telephone leading to th'
dam was out of commission and fhs
Paul -Bcverc-Like ride was th" onI'
means ~ warning the people. who
Immediately took TO the hills and
campod Ir hOuhrcs 8 few person.
had prcyiou ly known OF tlr impoui
ing danger and bad sought safety of
the mountain tOp- Tho great dam
which was completed only fcv
months ago ~ "a cost of quarter o
million dollar ia wreck
To Make Repairs.
The Western Maryland EsiiWa1
tonight ia sending out two train load.
uf ties. timber. ballast and rails ID
mako repairs there having hfri
numerous washOutr boz thr vicinity %
gcheli. " Va Tho road FL. tied bod
tonight and passenger trains som
ont from Cumberland and Elku
were turned back Tho company r
boz the dark as 90 The actual damage
ae many miles Of the line cannot Do
explored until the water rccndcs. 81
West Virginia Junction late thu
afternoon The Potomac went up oIEh
feet Iu forty minutes and t0uisht fh'
water was rfill RISING Vast quaint
tics Df drift wood are being carried
down tie stream ~ ia feared tn'
county and railroad bridges at Pied
rDH' VIII ru Du. a- the vuter bias 1l
most reached them and bafferiu.
-ams form rd by debris cannot D." r"
sisted
Ir'IIur Iuc waiuIU.. people or inf
tfi towns Piedmont. v. Va, au'