The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-08-14
CALAMITY AT MUSCATINE.

CALAMITY AT MUSCATINE.
In another column we mention the dos.
truc,ion Of property and loss Of life attend
inc the heavy rains that fell at Museatine
last Sunday. The following particular.
wc CLEAN from the Tri.WcckIy Enquirer Of
Monday las,:-~
On last night, ooh inst, the most terri.
BILE calamity, in its destruction Of life and
property, that has ever visited this com
nunty, was occasoned by a sudden and IN
precedea,ed ireshet on Pappoose creek,
an ordinarily insignificant stream, which
runs about centrally through this city.
We retired about 10 o'clock, with moi
tbc slightest apprehensions of an unusual
storm. About IL o'clock it began to rain,
and from that time until 4, the water fell in
uuceasing L rrents, accompanied by fearful
Aashes q" electricity, and deatening bursts
Of thunder.
The stream above named rose with "a
tai rapidly, 10 a height unknown in the
memory Of white men, becoming broad
and furious torrent, sweeping away houses
fence 3. and bridges before it. One dwell
ing near EIGHTH STREET was totally des-
tro.ed, the inhabitan!s barely escaping
with their lives --loSing great portion Of
their furniture. &c, and one horse drown
ed 10 stable, from which it was impossible
aorescue him--one horse escaped however
from the same stable.
Near Sixth street, a small frame, occu
MED by an industrious widow woman, who
supported herselfand three small children
by her own eXer.ions, was surrounded by
the lood--on the lower side sixty feet in
width, and four or five feet deep--on the
other thirty or forty feet wide and fifteen
feet deep. The cries of the unfortunate
woman, who seems 10 have slept in nncon-
sciousncss until all escape was CIT off, aro,is-
ed few Of her nearest neishbors, but they
could render her no assistance. She had
pot out Of the window, and was supposed.
in the darkness, TO lie on the root with her
children, and her screams and the cries oi
her babes, heard in the gloom, amidst the
roar OF the flood, were heartrending to the
powerless spectators.
A large tree torn up from its roots, and
fragments oibuildings sod drift wood, swept
down with violence against her lrall home.
Ii stood the shock-but il is inferred that
at this jnncture The poor woman, losing
her presence Of mind, aud unable to heat
what was said from the shore, attempted 10
stem the Hood, and escape with her babes.
This act wss her destruction. Al persisted
the mother and three children. Her
body was found when light come, partially
buried in huge drift wood, al the end OF the
house Of Mr.. Sven, on Fifth, hundred
aud thirty yards below her dwelling. Al
the time We write, &, An J the bodies t
the children have, none Of them been found.
Near Fifth street. some five or six dwellings
were flooded, and the people driven OUT
bu, no lives were lost. Stables, fences.
aud gardens were DESTROYED.
Tho houses standing 10 the hat between
Second and Third, just above Sycamore.
were flooded. The Inhabitants escaped
from the lst story Of the house on Third,
through the rear windows. and took shekeG
with the family in 2i story,--thcir bed
ding, furniture, &c, are much injured BY
The flood.
The family in the frame, near Second,
aroused their neighbors, by their cries. snd
the women and children were rescued by
being borne to dry land on tho shoulders
Of men. Ii this house had stood in the
current, the inmates must have persisted,
as no man could stand in it at the depth Of
four tcct-s it was al! their household fur
nture ID VIC, and injured.
The works on Mad Creek, the embark
men, at Uns,cd's, and that across third be.
low the Avenue, alone remain, OF all the
work which has been done on tho several
streams and ravincs for years. One halt
the citizens are cut IF from all commun
cation except on foot, with the business
par. Of the city. $4,000 will not repair
the damage done 10 The public works alone.
This, together with the loss Of four human
lives, aud much private property, makes
last nights m;s!ortunes the heaviest and
direst calamity, which has ever beialen
any western town Of our population.
Numerous dams, embankments and
foundations are also specified as having
been swept away. The E:quirer says,
that water bucket and half-bGshel meas
ure, sitting on the ground in different To-
calites were filled TO The brim From l0I
inches 10 enc foot Of water, il is thought
must have fallen.
-