Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-13

- The BrAnfgAn tafullf i've oH " mara
street and occupy the last house saved
on the left going down the street. The
family consists of Mrs. and Mr.. Brani-
gan and four children A neighbor, Pat
rick McManus, was alone In the house
when the water tore open the back wall
Of the ground floor and dashed toward
the front of the room on OHara street.
Had the couple not speedily opened this
door and broken out the glass the whole
family would have been drowned like so
many rats. Across one of the windows
was an iron bar used for securing the
shutters. Swiftly the water rose until IL
stood five feet in the room, with current
like a mill-race setting through the apart
ment Mr.. and Mrs. Branigan instinct
jyelv seized each child and chung TO
this bar with grip OF despair, while the
cold. muddy torrent swept over them
For four hours these two hung to that
providentially placed bar aud were all
rescued. McManus, who, with the re-
naming child, rushed to the street, was
swept into an alley and on to the roof OF
a shed, where they were also saved
Zone singular feature of the flood has
not been alluded 10, so far as we are able
to ascertain. Only one person who es-
dead all bore marks of bruises and mang
ling, but, Notwithstanding the topping
Of houses and the avalanches of timber
and debris. those who escaped from the
wreck came out unhurt.
"a baby was found in crib floating
in the Ohio River, at the head of Mont
gomery Island, thirty.two miles below
the city. Yesterday afternoon, and was
ha
the island The child was living, but
has not been identified.
Among the many heroic acts reported
are the exertions of Frederick Schultz,
who resides on Item street. high above
the reach Of the tlooda Item street
runs from the hill to O'Hara street.
Schultz heard the piercing screams
of the drowning victims at his
home, and, rushing out, attempt
ed TO make his way through to OHara
street. Finding that impossible, he swan
down to Center street and made his way
down nearly to Ohio street, where ne
found skih, and, Notwithstanding the
swift current, he made his way up to
Center street and Spring Garden avenue,
and with the assistance of two other men
who got into the skif succeeded in re-
of the scenes which transpired during the
night was thrilling in the extreme. The
boat in which they were riding was
caught in a terrible maelstrom, and was
whirled about with such violence that
the occupants were forced to lie down on
the bottom to save themselves. Fortu-
nately the sweep of the water was
changed, the floods having forced chan
mel through to the river. Then the
wrecks of houses, board piles and house
hold goods began to sweep down, and
clinging to them or struggling in the
surging waters could be seeO by the flashes
of lightning the victims. On one occa-
sion the body of a woman was seen on
pile of lumber. Mr. Schultz made
grasp as the pile swept by and secured
the body. Several similar incidents oc-
CURED, but Notwithstanding the efforts
of this heroic crew they were not able
to rescue q single one alive. When the
water had abated the crew were COM
pletely exhausted, and for a time it was
feared that two of them would not re-
cover"
The disasters in Charters Valley were,
perhaps, half an hour later than those ~
Butchers Run and Woods Run. The
weather observer rejects the theory of a
water-spout, and thinks that, owingto the
peculiar geographical formation OF the
section of country such a disaster could
be caused at any time in those sec
tons by what he terms " an extraordinary
rainfall. "-From Pittsburgh Dispatches Of
the Doth