The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-07-31

THEGATE CITY.
KEoKUK, IOWA:
MONDAY MORNING, JULY 81.
frron IL LsavsnvorsA Consecutive, July ndl
A NIGHT On H0RROR Avn
TEMHEBT.
e D.sI Les: e rrs9.ssx--ssysral Persons
lars ~ the Hlood.
The damage and destruction caused BY the
rains and great food in Three Mile Creek, on
thursday night, are much greater than ct FIRST
anticipated. The more we view the catastro-
phe, the greater swells the catalogue of losses
sustained, both by the city and by indi-
vidlals.
A little after dark, on Thursday evening,
the rain began to descend, and scoa came
down as We never saw it before. 1t seemed
to strike the earth in unbroken streams, as il
million engines were sending their waters
from the skies. The creek rose rapidly. and
even the streets of the city were transformed
into temporary river beds, under the descend
ing deluge. At about o'clock the stream
began to threaten the houses situated nearest
and lowest upon its banks, and the inmates
began to remove their furniture.
But SO rapidly did the water accumulate
that many found themselves surrounded by
water as the first indication of personal dan
ger. The scene particularly about the Broad
way bridge soon became one surprising the
powers of description. Houses began to be
dislodged from their foundations, and the in
m upahla In Uo
assistance. The night was one of deep dark
ness, and the wild mingling of supplicatinR
voices with the clash and roar Of the elements
while hundreds of excited citizens lined the
shores eagerly but utterly unable to render
assistance, conspired to render the spectacle
one of awe and sickening horror. Nothing
was to be seen save when the vivid flashes Of
lightning broke into the surrounding black
ness as If IN mockery to show the extent of
the horror and desolation caused by the wa.
terry elements. One house was seen floating
down with family of four colored persons
upon it, shrieking for assistance.
A livid flash of lightning lit up the scene
just as the wild torrent swept them beneath
the arch of the bridge, and they were seen no
more BY heroic efforts many of the unfor-
tunate ones, who were floating down upon
drlft-wood and wrecks of houses were rescued
from their peril and brought TO the shore
One colored man was saved by some gentle
men stopping at the Grant House, who
worked their way out to him upon q piece of
sidewalk, serving as q raft. Steve Quinlon
saw man hanging to some drift wood, and.
tying rope about his own body, he made his
perlous way to the exhausted and drowning
man, and, with great difficulty and exertion.
brought him to shore. A woman named
Iusher, residing short distance beyond the
Grant House, saved her life by breaking
through the ceiling and climbing to the roof.
many other instances of narrow escapes and
heroic deeds transpired during this terrible
night which we cannot here record. The
water reached its height about IL O clock.
when, the rain abating, the waters subsidized
as rapidly as they had risen
he number of lives lost is unknown. Sey.
eral are missing, and it is quite probable that
many are lost of which no cognizance can a,
present be taken. The bodies of EIGHT ner.
sons, so far as we can learn, have been recoy
cred. They were taken from the creek and
gulleys between the Broadway and Fifth
street bridge. They were those of Mr.. Pat.
Murphy, freight contractor Mr.. Turner. An
employee Of Mr.. Iwat, proprietor of the PARK
valla House, Mrs. Coles, (colored womanl
three children and a colored boy Mr.. Turner
was drowned while struggling to save the life
OF Murphy. Mr.. 1walt had taken his wife
and child to the Grant House. and was re.
turning to save some Of his goods, when he
waded into deep water and was drowned.
The loss OF property to the city will proba-
bly, reach hundreds of thousands of dollars
Second street bridge was washed away, and
such was the force Of the water that not q
stone OF the structure remained. Fifth street
pridge was also swept away, and the culverts
damaged. Broadway bridge remains nm
harmed. The walks and pavements in yari
Gus parts Of the city also yielded to the in
roads OF the destroying element
Among those OF our citizens who sustained
the heaviest losses are Mr.. c. Kunz, who
owns an extensive brewery, situated on the
bank OF the creek near Fifth street He lost
3,oO0 barrels of beer and 800 cords nc uood
loss estimated at $4,000
Mr.. Robert Maxwell lost a train of wagons
which had just been loaded and taken out to
broadway, near the bridge. The water rose
spoVe them, sweeping two down stream, and
damaging their contents to the amount of f;f
teen thousand dollars
Holbein Meyer, grocerymen. sustained a
loss Of $1,000. Judy Pryor, W. Vance, Mark
Allen, NJ Greenfield, Joseph Lowe, Mrs.
Stoks, Z. Flag, Mrs. Sites, f. Washington.
Lucy Washington, Mr.. Foley, Adam Card
mouse ana Mrs Simmerman, lost their houses
and contents. Mr.. Sergeant lost four horses.
and his brickya sustained much damage
Loss, $4,000 Henry Patterson lost 500
worth OF tobacco Mr.. Schoneld lost his house
ana confectionery. The dye house of John
Erund and contents are total loss. E. NJ.
hankin's brick yard sustained much damage.
ana MS horses were also drowned-loss, ST.
ooo. Mr.. Stewart furniture was swept away
loss about $500. Mr.. Davis, grocer. suffered
loss Of about $4,000. Charles Rebsamen
LOST his furniture, barn, and two new wagons.
Loss, $500 Mr.. Koehler, Of the Elkhorn
mills, lost two good horses and two or three
hundred cords Of wood. Many others are
sunerers TO greater or less extent. We
learn that . wagon loaded with dry goods be-
longing to Ambrose Armiios, which had been
mired the previous day, was washed over and
$1,000. 'o'S
AN en'erpnsIng photographer set up his
al last Friday, and took four viaus &c ~ 80