The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-05-10
THE DIXON HORROR.

THE UlAON dOhhOh.
On Sunday last-the first really lovely day
we have had this spring-three score people
ut Dixon, in this state, were lured by its beau
ty 10 their death. For few weeks past there
had been a revival in the Baptist Church at
Dixon, and at half past o'clock on Sunday
II had been announced that public baptism
would take place on the bank of Rock river,
a little below the north end of the iron bridge.
The day being so lovely, Il large crowd OF
people, consisting mainly of women ana
children had gathered to witness the cere'
mony. and as fine view of the scene was
offered from the iron bridge, about l5O crowed
upon the north span of that structure. The
bridge was one of the Truesdell patent, q
treacherous structure, as was evidenced by ue
fearful calamity at Elgin on the 4th OF july,
five wears aco, when several hundred persons
were preciptated into Fox river by the break
inc down of one of these same bridges, and
manv precious lives were lost What made
it particularly dangerous in this case was,
that the persons on the bridge naturally
crowded TO one side, placing all the strain on
side chord, while the strength of the bridge
was naturally in the middle-though, OF
course. q bridge warranted to bear loO,OOO
BIS at any point ought not to have given way
under a quarter the weight under any crcum-
stances.
The baptism was proceeding quietly Two
persons had been taken into the water in sue
MI la oil
man was Just entering with the third, when
there was fearful crash, and without pre-
monition or warning, in moments time, the
$50 spectators on the bridge gaily trigged
out in their holiday attire were hurled into
the seething current below and struggling
hand to hand with death. Many leapcd or
were flung by the fall beyond the bridge, but
a large portion went down with the iron mass,
and were crushed or held down by the debris.
There was "a cry of horror from the crowd on
shore, and for a minute the people stood
as if supplied, Then, however as thought
became free, many noble heart obeyed Its
first impulse and rushed into the water torres
cue the drowning unfortunates. The current
was rapid-at the rate of five miles an hour
and the water under the bridge-thc stream \
being largely SWOLLEN by the late rains-irom
- to 20 feet deep. A few boats lay below the
cam, several hundred rods above, but being
locked were not available until the time for
their usefulness was over.
TO describe the scene for the next 80 min.
Utes Of course is out of the question, Floating
bodies in all directions, s,alwalt swimmer,
selling them and struggling towards shore
with the living, dying and dead themselves
in imminent peril Of being dragged down by
the frantic victims whom they placed their
own lives al stake to rescue. OF those on the
bridge at least 30 were children, of whom
two thirds were rescued One heroic little
elbow Of -, caught by both feet in the iron
rigging, had one of his legs broken, yet man.
aged, by sheer strength, to pull off one OF his
boots and with his knife TO cut the other boot
from his broken leg, and, crippled as he was,
to swim ashore Two little sisters standing
side by side, went down together. As they
reached the water, the eldest caught the other
by her dress with one hand and with the other
c.ung to a portion Of the iron work until both
were rescued. Col. Noble stood on the bridge
with his wife, holding little girl, Oracle
Smith, in his arms. As he went down, he
became separated from his wife, but after the
plunge in the water, rose to the surface with
Oracle still in his arms She was placed on
{. plank and Col. n next assisted Mrs Smith |
10 another plank, and sczing it himself the .
three were thus rescued but Mrs. Noble was
carried under the iron and persisted but in.
Cidents of this kind were endless.
Several horses and buggies were on the
bridge at the time, Of which two went into
the water, and the horses swan ashore One
stood on the second span, and as both tie end |
spans went down, the poor horse is still
there j, being impossible 10 get him off
The closes, estimate places the number on
the bridge a. the time of the accident at $50,
Of whom 100 were rescued alive 81 bodic.
have been recovered, and Is are still missing
The following is full list of the dead as
las thus far been made out:
Thomas Haley Mrs. Elias Hope,
Frederick Happ, Mrs. Z. Wallace,
George W. Kent, Mrs. Henry Stillman,
Jay r. Mason, Mrs. James Gable,
Robert Dyke Miss Miliss Wilhelm
=. DOYLE, 81 Wousung. of NachuSa,
Mrs Col. T. IT, Noble, Miss Katie Sterling,
Mrs. Dr. Hoffman, Miss Maggie OBrien,
Mrs. Benz. Gilman, Miss Nettie Hill,
Mrs. J. \. Carpenter, Miss Ida Vann,
Mrs w I Norman Miss Ida Drew