Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-28

As marvellous an experience as any
Wanted was that of the women of Sc
lectman Quigley's family, who were
cleaning up their breakfast-table when
the water burst in at the cellar door, Mrs.
Quigley, her two handsome, spright-
ly daughters, and a schoolma'am
visiting them rushed upstairs to the
second story Of the L part in which they
were, and thence watched the tremendous
spectacle. They had hardly reached their
harborage when the front part of the
house was Wrenched off as swiftly and
easily as one would tear a paper, and the
floor CAPPED wide beneath them with the
fierce strain. They saw the great brick
mill tremble and collapse like a
child's house Of blocks, and the chapel
rise and sail like boat around the point
just below, there strike and fall to pieces.
They saw neighbor floating past on
roof, extended their hands from a window,
and aided him to escape to their refuge.
What emotions they felt in that hour of
waiting they can never very clearly tell,
EXCEPT that they thought the next moment
they, too, would go. They did not talk
very much, nor did they sing, and their
prayers were not uttered aloud; it was a
season of mute expectancy and not so
much resignation as stunned and deadened
acceptance of fate. The fate, however,
passed them by; the wave that so lightly
tore away the heavier main portion of
the house and dashed into splinters their
great barns with all the contents spared
their slighter structure and left them safe
When, shortly after, they were at work in
the handicapped confusion Of their house
the girls were almost Historically gay
with the reaction from the fearful strain
upon their nerves. Mr.. Quigley, from the
bank, a few rods off, watched the destruc-
ton of his home and property and the en-
virOnment of his family in an agony Of
anxiety impossible for those who read
this to appreciate.
The death of the entire Birmingham
family, consisting Of Henry Birmingham,
his wife, ard three daughters-Mary, aged
eighteen, Title fourteen, and Carrie eight
will create wide gap in the social life
of Williamsburg. The circumstances
connected with their case are painful in
the extreme Mary was a teacher in one
Of the Northampton schools, and, as was
her custom, had come home to spend
Saturday and Sunday. When the alarm
of the approaching flood was sounded
she was at work assisting her mother
in her household duties. Her sister
Lille had but just got up, while Carrie
the pet of the household, was still asleep
in her bed Mr.. Birmingham, who was
superintendent Of the James wooden mill,
had gone to his work, and did not dis
cover the approaching wave until it had
neared his residence, situated but a short
distance above the factory. Had he re-
manned in the building his life would
have been saved, but with the fierce deter
mination characteristic of the man he
made dash for his house, intent on saw
ing his family if possible, but as he neared
the doorway the torrent was upon him,
swooping away the house with its in
mates.
George Roberts, a bright lad of fifteen,
the only surviving member of the family
of Alexander Roberts, engineer on the
New Haven & Northampton Railroad,
was carried some distance with the rest
of the family in their house, and when
that broke chung to some debris and was
carried with the torrent nearly d mile,
when he was rescued by James Forsythe
The facts connected with his escape
which he can clearly recall are that he
foated very near to the embankment, but
before he could make a landing he was
carried into the current. When finally
taken from the water he was stupefied by
exhaustion, but soon recovered and is now
in his IJS11a1 health