Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-15
The Dixon Calamity-A Graphic De-
scriptiOn.

hold, and the rich and poor meet together
in mourning. SO closely bound are the
citizens by the ties of blood and intermar-
riage that there is scarcely family IN the
whole place but takes the sorrow to its
home The stores are closed and the
houses darkened Everybody is on the
street, and all the country around has
emptied itself into the town till the roads
and walks are crowded, and both banks Of
the river by the wreck are black with hui
man forms. The meager information pub
lished this morning gives but Il faint idea
of the disaster, and as details develop-as
survivors tell the story of their escape, as
fathers report the names of missing chill
dren, and friends Of friends who are miss
ing-the catastrophe grows in magnitude,
and it will be days before the horror can
be fully comprehended
Sabbath morning daWned warm and
bright. The ceremony Of immersion by
the Baptist Church, which had been sew
eral times postponed, was announced for
twelve O'Clock, and eleven converts pre-
scented themselves for the rite Of baptism.
The mildness of the weather drew large
crowd to the river, which gathered up the
steep banks, and upon the bridge, at the
north end of which the ceremony was 10
be performed. The morning service in
the other churches was just closing, and
as the bridge was "a thOroughtme the
throng received constant accessions, till
nearly two thousand souls were gathered
at the place. The bridge, which stretches
not more than fifty or sixty feet above the
natural font which was used for the bap
tismal ceremonies, was the favorite out
look for the women and children. Just as
I irt ,i,tn l,
self for baptism there was a sharp, quick
crash, a heavy rumbling, and a pro-
longcd soul-rending shrek from five
hundred lungs The main western stringer
Of the north span of the bridge broke
like a reed, tipping 300 persons into the
stream, and falling fifty feet with crushing
weight upon them. The fall dislodged
the stays from the abuhments; the shock
ran along the whole length of the bridge
like flash of electricity, and span after
span was drawn from the piers and sunk
sagging to the waters surface, till the
whole five were cOilcd up like massive
bags, holding bruised, bleeding, fright
cncd, frantic mass Of men, women, chill
drcn and horses. The imagination can
scarcely conceive Of a more terrible ca
lamity. The situation was so terrible, the
chances Of escape so few, the sources of
aid so scanty that it is merely marvellous
that the loss of life is comparatively so
small. The water runs in swift, trOthy
currents over dam not more than one
hundred yards above, and it was so
swollen by recent rains that its depth was
about twenty feet. Not only those who
were precipitated into the falling span
went under the water, but many on the
other spans were either thrown by the
shock into the stream or plunged in them
selves to escape being crushed by
the crazy crowd. The scene can
not be described. The fancy cannot picture
it. The eyes of those who witnessed it
were blinded with horror, and the whole
crowd on the banks stood paralyZed for a
moment, unable to think, speak, or move
till the mind could catch a faint compre-
hension of the awful situation. An old
man who sat on a log near the bank when
the bridge went down says Il heard the
crack, | saw a swaying, rolling line;
heard voices, and then my head was dizzy
and whirled till the sky looked black y
AS soon as the fact was felt in the crowd
on the banks there was arush to the water
strong men plunged in to rescue those who
came 10 the surface, boards and planks
were thrown to their relief, and number
of boats, which were fortunately at hand
were sent Immediately to the aid Of the
wounded. Few of those who were saved
can tell who rescued them, and most OF
those who were most instrumental in say
ING life are unable vet to recall what they
did or whom they helped in the moment
of frenzy. There were stretches still
clinging to the abutmcnts, which were not
lOOsened by the fall, and to these were
clinging persons desperate for life.
As soon as the observers fully compre-
hended the horrors of the situation, mes
sengcrs ran over the city to the hotels and
churches where Sunday-schools were in
session, and for the rest of the day the
town was one grand chaos Men were
working and women were weeping at the
bank of the river; mothers rushed frantic
ally into the crowd, halfcrazed with anX-
iety, and calling frantically for their chill
drcn; little ones, terrified into stupor, stood
mutely still until found by their parents,
or taken to places of safety. There were
scenes of Joy and scenes of anguish, and as
the crushed and pallid bodies were
brought to the shore the air was rent with
walls of sorrow from broken hearts robbed
of their dearest treasures. Husbands and
wives We've clasped in each others arms.
PiOus mothers knelt down in the dust and
thanked God that He had been merciful
to their households, while others whom
the blow of Providence had stricken
heavily fell senseless to the ground. There
were cries of thankfulness and curses of de
spair Weak women tainted and strong men
bent down and wept. Each lifeless body
brought to light, rent some heart anew,
and each one rescued alive caused a shout
of joy Mourning and rejoicing were gen
eral and universal, for the ties of kindred
were hidden in the closer relationship of
sorrow. The work of rescue and recovery
continued through the afternoon. Nearly
all the loss of life was owing to the crush
ing force of the bridge, for all who came
alive to the surface of the water were
quickly saved. Men seemed to have SUI
perhuman strength given them, and took
alarming hazards without the culver of a
muscle. Edward Patrick, Fred. Shaw,
William Dauntler, William Lawsons, Will
liam Shylock, Atwood Burr, Henry Wood
yet, James Van Amman, and other young
men plunged boldly into the water and
swan like heroes with the bodies of sense
less women and children. Jacob Arm
strong went down with the crash, but
crawlcd on the bottom of the river from
under the network of iron that hemmed
him in, swan to the surface, and, after a
few moments rest, plunged in again and
saved others as he had saved himself.
William Schiller, Joseph Haden, and
Eustacie Shaw narrowly escaped death,
but extricated themselves from the iron
work and swan ashore. Tony Brantigan,
q how eirht wears old clunr to q plank