The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-04-12

iAuh " AThh.-Lhst fTl0hy g0B Oedar river
commenced rising and continued to raise until
about o'clock, Monday morning, wheu it was
at its greatest bightb being some 10 or III feet
snsnnaarr than at ordinary stages. About noon on
cn,t;ng awov ras discovered that the water was
the bridge. and no:hT2nsgnt s:thTsnt at the north end of
and energetic action saved at least
destruction, and perhaps the entire structut.. -"
Ihe same day about P. NJ, the south end COM
menced giving away and delay of twenty min.
utes would probably have been a sufficient time
for the water to have swept away that portion of
the bridge. Sunday night just before IL o'clock.
| the race bridge went off with fearful crash
At this point had been erected q sort of tempo-
rary dam to prevent the water inundating the
| mills below. Against this vast quantity of logs
and drift-wood collected and the pressure prov
ed too great for the structure, and away it went
The road leading to Cedar City, which is formed
by an embankment thrown up through slough
! lutting out Of the river is cut through and
The rgh by the water, so as to be impossible -
DESTROYED pile bridge just east of the depot is
only supported by their eSsestr exc strngers which are
on the banks Also the bridge ssppId7s which rest
ther east by the tank house, Is severely fur
and ono pile taken entirely out The damage
to the railroad is such that no freight can be re-
| ceived or shipped at this point until the damage
| is repaired.
The race embankment on the river side, just
| above the mills was cnt through, and the water
continues to pour through the gap in great vol
umes. We hear of no other damage to private
property other than the loss of some lumber and
| logs which were swept away from the mill when
| the race bridge went. G. Bozarth lost 1000
feet, John Keller sixty dollars worth, and sew.
eral others were losers in small quantities
| Sunday afternoon the waters rose with fear
full rapidity and when night set in presented a
rather appalling aspect. Though it was appar-
ent to all that should the water continue to rise
during the night as rapidly as it had during the
day, the danger to the bridge and several build
ings was imminent, yet but three men thought it
| worth while to stay and watch the freaks of the
angry waters, and from ten till four O'Clock these
men were increasingly employed in fighting back
| the devastating flood. They undoubtedly saved
| the river bridge from being swept away. Du-
ring the night they discovered that the water had
| again commenced cutting away the abutmept,
and only with great difficulty succeeded in stop,
| ping the break. The water also commenced
running over the road leading to the bridge.
| and had they not been there to throw up an en-
bankmelt to turn the water back, il would have
| swept away Barnum & Melendy's new warehouse.
The names of these three men are p. Mslendy
Byron Culver, and Daniel Willard, and they de.
serve great credit for their exertions that night
The two latter had no personal interest at stake
whatever, and deserve sill the more credit on
that account 1t was trying position in which
| to place three men, when there was WORK enough
for Fifty, and where go many interests were at
| stake. Yet they were true TO their trust and du-
ring all Of that long night they battled for the
victory and gained it. The bridge leading into
| town being gone, they could not 90 for help
The water lacks little of being within three
feet as high as during the great food four years
ago 1t is providentalthat we have had no rains,
for il we had the business part of,the town would
surely have been inundated.
Thursday morning the water again commenced
to rise, this morning being high as at any pre-.
| vious time during the freshet In consequences
of there being no food gate at the head of the
race the water continues to pour through there
with constantly increasing force. The banks
on either side of the race are slowly, but surely
being cut away by the swift current The dam
age already sustained must be near eight hun
dred or Thousand dollars. Mr.. Henrys new
building and Darrah's grocery store are in great
danger OF being undermined and swept down
stream The race must be damned at its head
before the ravages Of the water cen be prevent.
ed to any extent. Maggarths blacksmith's shop
on the north bank of tho race Is about to take q
dive; Barnum Melendy's warehouse has been
in DANCE, but it is now thought to be sverted
by the forming Of break swater out of tree tops
logs, brush, etc. Stead & Huffman saved their
dry house by removing It.
The GAUGE of the swift current through the
race and the attending danger and loss, was the
breaking away of the embsnkment lust above
the mills and the destruction of the bridge and
emporary dam which were depended upon to
keep the water back. Unless steps arc imme
diately taken to shut off the water AZ the head
OF the race, We are afraid that We have ss vel
experienced but small part of the damage
which will result from allowing the water /,
pour through this channel uninterrupted Cedar
Falls Gazette