The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-05-17

zgo Brick Stoss. Rooss in Rsims-N rsc,alosa
Escsps q Ftss Psvso~s-Insa1seios 81
DcsAinga Ctitsva Gsrdsas, &s-Lo ess,s-
tyjfss 1osssMd dDiiarsi
Soon after day light this morning, this iocs;itv
WAS visited By the heaviest rain and hail storm.
with more disastrous consequences 20 property.
than any which ever preceded Il. The meraor-
able flood Of August 10th. 1851, resulting in the
loss Of three lives and destruction Of some Al9 :.
600 worth Of property, was not near as great a
this. For the full space Of an hour, the rain
poured down in perfect avalanche. Pappoose
creek, running through the heart Of the CITY.
which in ordinary times, is but small rivulet'
became like river The water rose ten or
twelve ieet and foamed and dashed madly to-
wards the great Father Of Waters, carrying
away fences and out houses and everything
movable within its range. Garden fences
were completely swept away, and the gardens
were mostly destroyed BY deposits Of sand
and sediment several inches deep over the
ground.
But the greatest destruction was caused BY
the food which came down Iowa Avenue, a.
ct other times of heavy rain, from the defective
condition Of the city improvement on Third
street, at the crossing Of the west branch of
Pappoose. The vast tide of water from this
source entered Iowa Avenue above the Nevada
House, and swept down that spacious street.
covering it to the depth of eighteen inches. A
portion OF this Hood, as usual, turned down Sc
cond street towards Pappocse bridge, inundat-
ing the pavements and filing the cellars along
the best business part Of the city. All. B.
Doughertys drugstore, the water rushed with
such force into the cellar that the walls became
undermined, aud two store.rooms of the block
tell With sudden and tremendous crash into a
complete ruin. The building was two stories
nigh and sixty feet deep. The family of Mr.. II.
Spencer, consisting of himself, wife, Mrs. Broad.
head, and small boy. Eddy Broadhead, lived
above the drugstore, and all, strange as it may
appear, escaped without serious injury. Theo-
dore krehe, Mr.. Dougherty's clerk, was in the
drugstore at the time, and also escaped with
but slight injury. All these persons we're out
d bed, having been awakened by the Storm
W hen the building fell q section of the roof
vas supported by timbers from crushing the in. |
mates. The entire floor fell distance of about |
u feet into the cellar. Mr.. Spencer and his |
amily were in the parlor. Mr.. S. states, that.
IS soon as the ruins settled, he discovered an |
opening above him (the space in which they
we're enclosed was completely dark through
which he escaped himself, and also got out the
10Y and Mrs. Broadhead, who were By his side.
hrs. Spencer had by some means become
eparated from the rest of the party, but she
vas heard crying for help and with the assis-
ance of several persons who came to the
pot, she was rescued by cutting away q por-
ion Of the roof. There was considerable water
N the floor where she was found. The two
aides are somewhat bruised but not seriously.
Ir. krehe, the clerk in the drugstore, was
tanding near the counter when the crash came,
nd saved himself by getting un Ter the counter,
rom whence he afterwards escaped. This is
ertainly the most providential escape from i'm
linent death we have ever been called upon to
ecord How FIVE persons could be buried
, the falling ruins Of building such as our
itizens beheld this morning, and yet escape
nth their lives, is indeed matter Of astonish.
nent Several persons standining at some dis.
ance, who saw the building. fall, say the
oof parted near the middle and an immense
loud arose as the mass Of brick, plaster and
lmber fell in confused heap. The concus-
on shook all the adjoining buildings to their
erv centres.
We have no means Of ascertaining the total
mount of damage done by this flood, but esti-
late it at not less than S25,ooO.-[ Muscatine
ournal May IL.