Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-09

pallid bodies were brought to the
shore the air was rent with walls OF
sorrow from broken hearts robbed
of their dearest treasures. Hus
bands and wives were clasped in
each others arms. Pious mothers
knelt down in the dust and thanked
God that He had zen merciful to
their households, while others
whom the blow of Providence had
stricken heavily fell senseless to the
ground. There we're cries of thank.
fulness and curses of despair
Weak women tainted, and strong
men bent down and wept. Each
lifeless body brought to light rent
some heart anew, and each one res
cued alive caused a shout of JOY
Mourning and rejoicing were gener.
al and universal, for the ties Of kin
dred were hidden in the closer re
lationship of sorrow. The work OF
RESCUE AND RECOVERY
continued through the afternoon
Nearly all the loss Of life was owing
to the crushing force of the bridge,
for all who came alive to the sur
face Of the water were quickly saved.
Men seemed to have superhuman
strength given them, and took alarm
ing hazards without the culver of a
Edward Patrick, Fred
Shaw, William DAIMLER, William
Lawsons, William Shylock, Atwood
Burr, Henry Woddyet, James Van
Amman, and other young men
plunged boldly into the water and
swan like heroes with the bodies
of senseless women and children
Jacob Armstrong went down with
the crash, but crawlcd on the bot
tom of the river from under the net
work of iron that hemmed him in,
swan to the surface, and after a
few moments res: plunged in again
and saved others as he had saved
himself.
NARROW ESCAPES.
William Schiller, Joseph Haden,
and Eustacie Shaw narrowly es-
capped death, but cxtricated them
selves from the iron-work and swan
ashore. Tony Brantigan, boy 9
years old, chung to a plank and was
rescued after floating down half a
mile with the rapid current. Sew
pral bodies which had been carried
by the undercurrent were picked up
4 mile or more down the stream
The body of Frederick Hope, Ger
man baker, was found floating near
y two miles below the bridge. Mr..
and Mrs. Fowler chung to the iron
rail and were rescued exhausted.
A young lady named Hazenplug
had a miraculous escape, being pro
tected by network of iron at the
side of the stone abutment. A child
Of John Wadsworth was seized by
The hair by bold swimmer and
Drawn to the bank. The Rev. Mr..
Pratt, of the Baptist Church, the
officiating clergyman, was just re-
peating the ritual over the third
for baptism when the
crash came. He threw off his coat
and boots, and by persistent and
efforts succeeded in
SAVING SIX LIVES.
The man is totally crushed with
weight Of sorrow. He wanders
about the wreck in melancholy sad
ness, and seems constantly in silent
prayer. He has some injuries and
suffered much from exposure.
Miss Keith, of Dixon, stood on
he outer edge Of the bridge, and
when the crash came she started to
cap into the water, but was caught
by Mr.. George Anderson and held
ill both were rescued from their
oerllous position. A Mrs. Kcener,
rom Chicago, who is visiting this
place, had very narrow escape, as
also did Mrs. Duschon, who chung
% jutting stone in the pier tor
some minutes. She was painfully
wounded. The town is full with
'umors Of other marvellous escapes.
Some of the prominent citizens,
among them Mr.. Stickney, editor of
he SIN, were just approaching the
bridge when it gave way. Had they
oeen two minutes sooner they would
nave gone to eternity with the rest.
The work of rescuing the living and
RECOVERING THE DEAD
was carried on all Sabbath after
noon, large gangs of workmen en-
ployed on the Northwestern and
illinois Central Railways, under the
charge of John G. Jacobs, offering
timely assistance, and their labors
we're kept up during the greater
part of the night. A derrick was
erected and a seine stretched across
,he river to catch any bodies that
night be loosened from the watery
prison and float out, and several
we're recovered in that way. Night
settled like a mantle over the scene,
md made more CHASTITY the horrid
md fantastic shapes which the bro
Ken bridge had assumed. Men con-
,inued to work with torches until
when watch was sta
toned and further operations post
poned till morning. When your
reporter reached Dixon, at o'clock
this morning, there were still a few
persons lingering around the place.
People from the country were con-
stantly coming in to inquire after
friends, anxiously peering oyer the
dead list. One gray-haired farmer,
who lives five miles away, reached
the place about 4 O'Clock tqis morn
ing to inquire after the safety of a
son who was working in Dixon. He
could not find the boy at his board
ing place and sought on the dead
list for his name. He did not find
it there and wandered to the wreck
with a heavy heart. On reachidg
the wreck he found his son alive
and watching with the rest. The
was an affecting one.
From the high hill which over