The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-10
MANY LOST LIVES
IN THE FLOOD
(Continued from page IL

mountain gorges, flooding tracks in
the Cane Fork Yards to depth of five
feet. Houses, farm products and
equipment were stripped from the
territory.
More Alarming Reports.
| HUNTINGTON, w. Va, Aug. 10
IGoyernor Hatfield ordered two more
companies OF the Second regiment IN
Ito the West Virginia flood district TO-
day when reports OF terrible loss OF
life and suffering apparently connrm-
ed early estimates.
More than thirty bodies have been
recovered and on Cabin Creek the
death list Is placed at more than 100.
Among the bodies taken from the
lewtrling waters were twenty-three re-
covered at Cabin Creek town. Others
were being taken every little while
from the creek above that town
| Property loss may reach $2.5OO,OO
| in the Coal river, Cabin creek and
Paint creek valleys.
| All stories from the scene OF the
disaster agree that it was a real cloud
burst that swept the stricken district.
The towns and villages are built most
" upon the sides OF steep, rocky hills,
barren OF trees. The storm had q
clean sweep through the region ana
simply flooded down everything In ITS
path.
Iooting was begun shortly after the
worst OF the storm had passed. Rali-
road police, local constabulary and
others quickly organized to protect
the thousands Of homeless nuddleo
on the bare hill sides. They were re-
IL ,;vw fy1 or
when a company Of militia despatched
from Charleston last night reached
the washed out region. The troops
brought with them food and much
needed tents.
Everything Devastated.
| HUNTINGTON. Aug. :0-Practic-
ally the entire region south and south
east Of Charleston for many miles
] was devastated. James Rick Of
Charleston, reached here today with
the first eye witness story Of the
food.
I'VE left Kingston early yester lay
and came down to Millburn," he said.
There was a slide at MiIlburn and
| torrents of rain caused the creek to
back the train across the bridge
when another slide hit the train be-
hind us. My companion AMI walked
to Mahan Sixteen miles away. At
that place a slide covered the track
and five gondola cars were buried
seven feet beneath dirt and rock
The slide reached the houses of
miners and they were destroyed along
with many household goods"
/ Think Fifty Dead.
| CHARLESTON, w. Va, Aug. 10
Although reports from Huntington.
I points estimate the dead in the cloud
burst which swept q flood down Cab
in, Paint and Coal creeks yesterday
at from thirty to 200, state officials
| said at 1900 a. M, reports OF their
investigators showed only fourteen
known dead.
Late estimates indicate that the roll
of dead may reach fifty and it Is the
belief that others may be dead in the
Paint creek and Coal river valleys.
Fourteen bodies have been recov-
cred from the debris between the
mouth Of Cabin creek and Leewood,
ten miles up. All except one are
those Of women and children.
VIM. J. Mcbride made his way
down the creek from Ronda to the
/
| ton.
Everything has gone," he said,
"and investigation can only reveal
how many are dead. The little towns
near the mouth OF the creek have
been swept clean.
Everywhere it Is a mass of debris.
Houses, trees. mine tipples, railroad
cars and telephone poles are thrown
together in heap three miles long
and there are dead beneath.
"Men and women who were seen
clinging perilously to houses, borne
down the stream toward Ronda. were
never seen to pass that point and we
fear they are now part of the mass
of wreckage lodged against the rail-
road bridge there"
| A million feet OF lumber is piled
mountain high at that point and 1t
will take days to pull 1t down.
The loss to the coal companies OPP
Grating in the Cabin creek coal fields
will reach s2,no0,000.
Five members of the family Of John
Jikens, who lived at Giles. were
drowned. The bodies of the wife and
mother and three children lie in a.
morgue at the mouth Of Cabin creek.
Washed Into Ohio River.
GAILIPOIIS, Ohio, Aug. 1o.-Many
bodies of victims OF yesterdays flood
were made to reach several bodies IN
wreckage floating down the Ohio r'Y-
er here today. Intellectual EFFORTS
were made to reach sevral bodis II
ON large raft OF debris at Dam No. rs,
ten miles south of here.
There were about score OF dead
of fhes