Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-04-20
From The Lansing Iowa. journal, April 10.
TERRIBLE CASUALTY IN NORTHEAST.
q g. KRN IOWA. al
A Family Of Seven Persons DroWpcd.


The floods In this part of Iowa, Ii
strength, volume, and destructiveness
which lately visited us, have never had
parallel in the memory of any one.
The northeastern portion of our cOun.
ty is very rough and broken. Hills
and hollows are OH every hand, the
latter sinking into the bowels Of the
earth two or three hundred feet, and
this characteristic Is particularly mark.
ed along the Iowa river and vicinity,
for many miles from its mouth.
The rapid descent of the river in
places near the Mississippi, into which
the Iowa river empties, affords many
valuable waiarDowers, as well as do the
smaller tributaries to the latter stream
On one of these, Bear Creek, near the
Iowa, is a mill, or rather was, and neal
by, on ground q trifle more elevated
but above all previous high water marks
stood a dwelling. These were the prop.
erty of John Mclaughlin, who occupied
them. They stood in a large rayine al
the confluence of two smaller ones. -
On Sunday evening, the LIST inst, the
sky was overcast with black and threat.
ening clouds, and angry flashes of light.
ming darted in every direction around
lllc AOTlZOIls duN III VI ~ " CAOCh Viz
fioodgates of heaven were rent asunder
apparently by the fierce artillery which
roared necessarily on every hand, and
the water descended in torrents. The
entire family persisted in that flood un.
der circumstances of the most heart
rending nature. As no one OF the
seven souls lived to tell the horrible
tale Of their death, almost all we know
is from conjecture. The family had
retired. The rushings of the water and
terrible noise of the thunder probably
awakened them, in time to find the
mill battered into fragments by the
winds, the floating ice, and the foods
meeting above and leaping in tremend-
GUS force. Mr.. Mclaughlin, supposing
the valley would soon be submerged,
including the house, in his shirt and
pants, and in his naked feet, ran to the
stable, harnesscd his horses, and hastily
putting his family, all in their night
dresses, in the wagon, started by the
road to higher ground. Between his
dwelling and the bluff was depression
of the ground. He probably reached
this, when the current swept the horses,
wagon, and the precious load of human
lives into the surging food, among
floating trees and cakes Of ice, leaping
and dashing towards the river, and
there amidst the merciless storm, terri
fed, bruised, and bleeding, the thun-
der crashing in deafening peals over.
head, the sky now a glare of dazzling
brightness, and again blank of pitchy
gloom, these seven souls were forever
freed from the agOnies of death which
embodies the whole meaning of the
word terrible" 49, r. ~ -,
The following are the names Of the
unfortunate: John Mclaughlin, ST..
age 40 years Mrs. Mclaughlin, 3S;
John, Jr., 10; Sarah, IL; Bridget, 0;
James, 4; Katie, s.
The body of the father was found
near the horses, about q mile and hall
from the house; the horses lodged
against some trees close by. The bod
les of Mrs. Mclaughlin and the two
younger children had not been found al
last accounts. Each of those found
presented most pitiful spectacle
Their bodies were bruised and mangled
and limbs broken; their suffering must
have been great. tSa l.Es
Mr.. Mclaughlin was wealthy and
respectable farmer, and his family
bright and interesting.
All examination of the house revealed
the fact that the water never reached
over one foot high in the first story
Had Mr.. Mclaughlin remained he and
family would yet be a live.