Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-08-20

escaped from the so111o sf0f
supported herself and three slhan
children by her own exertions, was
surrounded by the food, on the
lower side so feet in width, and 4 or
5 feet deep, and the other 30 or 40
feet wide and Is feet deep. The
cries of the unfortunate woman, who
seems to have slept in unconscious
ness, aroused her nearest neighbors,
but they could render no assistance.
She had got out of the window, and
was supposed in the darkness to be
on the roof with her children, and
her screams and the cries of her ba-
bies, heard in the gloom amidst the
roar Of the food, were heart rending
to the powerless spectators.
A large tree, torn up from its roots,
and fragments of buildings and drift
wood swept down with violence aga
inst her frai home. 1t stood the
shock, but it is inferred that at this
.juncture the poor woman, losing her
presence Of mind, and unable to hear
what was said from the shore, attemp-
ted to stem the Hood and escape with
her babes. This act was herdestruc-
tion-all persisted, the mother and
her three children! Her body was
found when light came, partially buri-
ed in the huge drift wood at the end
of the house of Mr.. Swimm, on Fifth
street, one hundred and thirty yards
below her dwelling.
Near Fifth street, some five or six
dwellings were flooded, and the -peo-
pie driven out, but no lives were lost.
The culvert and q part of the en-
barsment on Cedar and Fourth, were
swept away. The same occurred at
the crossing of Third and Sycamore,
and on Second street, leaving at each
place impossible chasms in the arti-
fetal entertainments, cutting OFF all
communications, except on foot, be-
tween the north and the south Sec
tons of the city.
The embarkment and dam on Syc-
amore and Fourth is partially gone,
leaving a chasm Is feet wide and 20
deep.
The embarkment on the avenue at
Third is partially gone, leaving it in
an impossible condition.
The foundation for three or four
buildings on the corner OF Avenue
and Third are entirely destroyed.
The brick opposite the American
stable was surrounded by the flood,
and the earth in front Of the corner
tenament was washed away to the
depth of six or eight feet, Mr.. Nc Au-
ley, who occupied it, vacated it in the
midst of the storm with his family
but did not attempt to remove his
household fixtures.
! The dam near Purcells on Third
and Spruce is torn away, and consid-
cradle damage done to fences &c. in
that quarter.
The house standing in the fiat be-
tween Second and Third, just above
! Sycamore were ilooded-the inhabi
tants escaping from the first story o
the house on Third through the real
windows, and took shelter with tn,
family in the second story; their bed
ding, furniture, &c. are much injured
The family in the frame house nea
Second aroused their neighbors BY
their cries, and the women and chill
dren were rescued by being borne tt
dry land, on the shoulders of men,
If this house had stood in the current
the inmates must have persisted, a
no man could stand init at the dept
of four feet As it was, all thei
household furniture is wet am Al
ed.
The works on Mad creek and tn
embarkment at Umsteds and tha
across Third below Avenue, alone re
main of all the work which has bee
done on the several streams and ra
vines for years.
One half of the citizens are cut o
from all communication except o
!. foot with the business part of the cit,
Ten thousand dollars will not +;
I. pair the damage done to the publ
works alone. This together with tn
loss of four human lives, and niue
private property makes last night
misfortunes the heaviest and dire
calamity which has ever befallen al
western town of our population.
: The large trees which stood ne;
: the mouth of the creek are torn up /
the roots and cast into the Missi
= sippi while piles of timber, lumbe
drift &c. on every hand attest II
: resistless fury of the flood.
: Richman and Fulliam's new brio
: building by the bridge on Secor
: street we believe is uninjured.
Freeman's furniture warehous
: just below the bridge, is safe.
i The Eutaw, Ala, Wing says
S .There is now to be seen, on Il
plantation of Col. Sol. McAlpine,
: this county, young calf, well forr
: ed, healthy and active. which has $
S perfect legs and feet-four behind al
1.-TWO before"