Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1849-04-04
n Telegraph for the Win County Democrat.
Terrible Cnlamity-Great Loss Of
Life q PrOperly-lsreatese Flood
ever known La Chicago.
CHrcAao. March ~ 8r

CHICAGO, March II, 8 N.
Never before has Chicago been visited
by 50 great calamity as this day has wit.
messed. Our harbor exhibits a scene Of
the most terrible devastation! In the con.
fusion which prevails it would be idle to
attempt TO give the details; but we believe
it is not too much to say that one half oil
the shipping in the harbor has been des-
troyed, and every bridge on the river has
been swept away!
About 8 o'clock this mornig a compact
dam Of ice raised two or three feet above
the surface Of the water nearly opposite
Gage & Haine's Steam Mill, on the North
branch, and above which large body Of
water and floating ice had accumulated,
suddenly gave way, sweeping down the
rapid current every vessel lying below
that point!
Madison street bridge offered momen-
iary check to the floating mass-but it
was but momenlary; for the next instant
the bridge itself was added to the wreck!
Randolph street bridge was the next OBJ
stacle TO the rush of things; but hardly an
obstacle; it resisted for. a moment, and
then it too gave away and sunk into the
chaos below, and all rushed with swift
destruction thus swept into the main river,
where the banks were lined with steam
ers, propellors, briggs, schooners and canal
boats; and then such crushing confusion
ensued as no pen can described! Wells
street bridge was open, leaving the middle
Of the streem clear; but the vessels were
closely wedged together from bank to
bank aud the ends of the bridge very soon
gave way and mingled with the general
wreck. On, on rushed that terrible flo
tilla, the whole river being completely
filled with steamboats,, propellors, schoon-
ers, canal boats, scows and every kind Of
craft.
In the harbor above the booms, bow
spirits ind other portions of the rigging
crushing ON the mass moved on below, the
hulls coming together with still greater
crash, the smaller craft being ground to
fragments between the larger, and the ice,
which covered the whole surface Of The
water, and was often wedged in several feet
above. Clark street bridge was completes
ly swept away, and larger number Of
large vessels were wedged together at
this point with smaller ones filling the
space between, and such crushing it is
impossible to describe. The hulls gave
way as if they had been eggshells. Those
at the edge ground against the wharis,
tearing up the planks; the rigging was
mingled together in greatest confusion
spars and cables Of the largest size snapt
every moment as If they had been Irvine.
The vessels were crowded with persons
shouting and endeavoring to do something
to arrest their progress below this point.
IL o'clock.
The mass of vessels still remains wedg-
ed in above the garrison and an immense
amount of ice and wreck is accumulated
above, rendering the pressure against the
shipping fearful. A number oil vessels
have been swept beyond the piers and
are now riding at anchor. Several boats
are out upon the lake, some with men on
board and others entirely destroyed. The
whole surface of the lake for miles out is
covered with floating wrecks. The yes
sells in the North Branch are still safe,
though fears are entertained that they too
may be swept out; IL schooners and yes
sells injured and sunk, propellors and
steamboats,, ditto, 20 canal boats ditto, 5
children, 4 men one women killed.