, 1873-05-05
One Hundred Uufortuuate Be-
ings Swallowed Up In
the Waters.
Forty-one Doad Bodies Recovered Up to 6
O'Clock Last Evening.
Many Supposed to Have Been Carried
Away by the Current.
A Large Humber Badly Injured by tho
Falling Wreck.
Heartrending Scenes on the River-Bank
.-.List Of the Victims.

Heartrending Scenes on the River-Bank
---List Of the Victims.
Special Dispasch to THe Chicago Tribune
DIXON, May A terrible catastrophe hap
penod here this afternoon, uoarly fifty porBons |
boing drowned and twenty Or thirty injured, |
Bomo OF them seriously. 4 revival waa recently |
commenced in tho Baptist Church, Rev. J. Il. |
Pratt, pastor, and quite number Of persons
havo been converted. This afternoon WAS fixed |
upon for baptizing about q dozon men nnd |
women, and, a. usual in the country, large con-
course OF people assembled to witness tho I'M
me1slon. They collected On tho right bank Of
tho Rock River, ut tho foot Of Main street, but
many, desiring bottor place to SEQ, went upon
tho bridge, about fifty feet to the left Of where
tho converts wero to enter tho water. This
bridge ras Of the Trucadcll pattern, construct
cd OF iron aud supported by
eight piers. It vas about five hundred aud
fifty feet long, and thought capablo Of sustain-
ing any ordinary weight. Over 200 people wore
crowded upon 1t ut o'clock, and tho Rov. Mr.
Pratt was about commencing tho services when
ono entire span 0hat nearest tho shoro) seventy
feet in longth, foil INTO tho river. The wator at
this point ia about five feetdeop, and tho current
very rapid. When tho masa OF humanity was
prccipitated into tho water the greateBt confu-
sion followed. Those On shore wero almost par-
alyzod. ind incapable Of e1ertion for several
minutos Gradually they recovered their pres-
onoo Of mind, and ran down to the waters edgo,
and rescued all they could. Tho 200 men, women,
and children 1ho we're on tho bridge
foil about twenty feet, and many were
buried, and neycr roae to the aur-
faco alive. Tho bottom Ia composed Of rock,
aid honce msny aro supposed to have been
killed by coming in contact with Its eurfnco.
Those in tho wntar MORO unable to assist ono
another. Thoy groanod 1nd called for help but
fear had such control Of the majority that they
mada no effort to get ashore. Tho current
swept many away, and many persons could bc
aeen floating down tho atream. Several mon
thought only OF their own anfety, and SWAN to
tho bauk. Boats were procured and tho roacuo
Of those who MORO alive WAS commenced. Oyor
hundred were pulled out, como by tho hair and
others by tho lmbs, md were landed ns soon as
possible Most OF tho women tainted, but their
friends assisted in thoir rosuacitatiou.
Many we're insenBible when taken nshoro having
swallowed much water. Theao wero brought to
by various processes, and nearly all wore erosuac-
tated. 4 fow, however, could not be revived.
When 10 moro persons wero observed struggling
A0N~FVA3
commenced. Body after body WAS taken out,
many being cut and bruised by the timbers and
iron-wosk Of tho bridge. They we're laid on tho
bank, horo and there hnlf dozen, and few
feet distant q dozen more. Friends and rela-
tivss Of the miasing gathered the corpBcs,
and, as ono after another was identified, thero
WAS Weeping and groaning.
THE SCENE on TIE SHORE
Is indencribable. Mothers pressed their dead
babes to their breasts; husbands were almost be-
ado themselves at the loss Of their wives; lovers
wero wild, ono OF the other in many instances
having found q watery grave. Up to o'clock
FonTY-oNE poD1Es
had been recovered. It iB beloved that flftecu
or twenty mora persons nero carried away by
tho current, - fully tho larger number arc mias-
ing.
THE NEWS OF THE CATASTROPHE
spread through the town With rapidity, and
nearly every citizen hnstoned to tho river bank
to render all tho assistance III thoir power. At
dark tho bodies weEe removed to the Baptist
church and private houses. Those Of persons
who lived In Dixon wore talson to tho houses of
their relatives. Many Of Tho drowned lived in
neighboring towns, and their bodies will remain
hero until tomorrow morning.
The telegraph office was'fuu Of Ipeoplo all tho
|
friends and relatives containing intelligence of
the disaster, aud informing them that " mothor
Ia dead," "father is hurt" or " sister ia
drowned" Tho nows will mako sad many
heart in this part Of tho State.
INCIDENTS.
II would DO impossible, in tho excitement and
oonftision Of the hour, to mako proper mention
Of all tie interoating Incidents and miraculous
escapes Which followed tho frightful disaster.
Every one q tho saved has . strange story to
toll.
Mr, Ed Patrl,k jumped from tho bridge tho
instant the crash occurred, ind escaped without
bruiHe.
Mr. James L. Oamn WAS rescued by Nr. Alfred
DeBhon.
1Ir. aud HRS, Fowler Escaped without Injury,
though thoy were in tho >thlckost OF the crowd
whom tho bridge went .1own. Several OF
those around them woro crushed to death by
falling boamR of wood and irL'n after roaoh1ng
tho water comparatively unhurt.
4 daughter Of Mr. II. II, Hazon olug+ though
caught by the bridge irons and almost auhocatod'
dragged herself out Of the wreck With super
human strength. She WAS soyoroly brull'ed,
Mr. John Eustaoo went down with hor>'o and
buggy. Tho horse waa killed and the buggy WAS
brokon to atoms, but Eustaco escaped without
scratch. uo WAS pulled out, aud afterwan.'
worked nobly to aaye othors. ,
John Wadsworth's child was pulled out by tho
hair while floating down tho Btreasa. 1t will
probably recover.
One Of Mr. DroutIgan children 1oatea to the
railroad, several hundred yards distant, and was
then rescued unhurt. The remaining membora
Of this family arc alive, though somo Of thom
arc severely injured.
William II. Woodyatt rescued four poraonu,