The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-03-25
locldests o. The Receat floeds q Pert
Jefvis and eefmantouu.



Besides the engine and Mr.. Thomas,
there were ON the locomotive Engineer
Van Wormer, Conductor Corr and two
others. The ice was then lodged and
was piled very high up the stream, q
clump of birch trees on a small island
200 or 800 feet above the bridge being
surrounded with ice halfway up to their
tops. Engineer Van Wormer, who had
been watching the ice, called the atten-
ton of the others to a peculiar swaylng
of the birch trees This was soon fol-
lowed by an undulatory movement OF the
ice, and Conductor Corr exclaimed:
aThe ice is moving" They were half
way across the bridge and, in looking
back over the track, Mr.. Van Wormer
replied: !" Yes and the bridge is moving,
too"
Supt. Thomas saw that the bridge was
swaying 10 and fro and evidently getting
beyond the control of its braces and sup
porters. Billy Morris at once reversed
his engine, and although the ice was rap
idly rising toward the very ties on the
bridge and the structure began to trem-
BILE and crack he dared only to move at q
slow and most careful rate, for other
wise the jar would have hastened the
fall of the bridge and hurled them all
among the surging mass of ice below.
When they reached the span on this side
of the river the others were swinging
like suspension bridge and the ice was
rolling up in huge pillows beneath it
The engine got off the bridge in safety
and the shout that arose from those upon
il showed how deep was their relief. Mr..
Framplon, who was on the track at this
end of the bridge at the moment the en-
CINE returned, suddenly remembered
that il was nearly time for trains to be
coming along toward the bridge from
the west. No one on the other side
knew Of the condition of the
bridge, and. unless the fact could
be communicated, the result would
be terrible. There was only one way to
get the information 10 the western side
OF the river. and that was for him to
carry the news himself Without mo-
ment's hesitation he started swiftly for
the other side on the narrow walk al the
side of the track. The bridge was rising
then from its piers and swayed like the
basket of balloon. Mr.. Frampton con-
tinued on his way. When he reached
the center the two spans ahead of him
began to move around and leave the
abutment on the Pennsylvania side. It
was impossible for him to go further on
his perilous journey, and he was about 10
retrace his steps in despair. At that
moment lie saw tile tracaman of the first
section above the bridge. who had come
down 10 see the river. Pausing long
enough to signal him 10 go back with a
flag Mr.. Frampton started on his way
back. He stepped from the river bridge
on to the canal bridge not second be
fore the immense structure behind him
fell with crash and was carried down
the stream.
The scene this morning in the district
OF the village known as Germantown is
most extraordinary, and the first i'm
preston caused is one of wonder that
hare damage was not done. Immense
bldeks of ice. some of them from TWEEN
ty-tSe to thirty feet long by fifteen or
twenty feet wide, and from three to four
1eet ssiek, lie scattered about in the
widest confusion. The dwellings,
winch are all small frame buildings, oc-
cupied by mechanics ana lauorlug r-.-,
although built on streets that intersect
each other al regular intervals, generally
stand alone, each surrounded by small
Enclosure. When the ice in the river
began to move the channel became
damned, and the water oyertiowed the
banks, carrying the huge blocks of ice
In It's course. From the way in which
the masses lie. and the direction in which
the fallen timbers Of the houses were
thrown, and in which some of the houses
were moved, it is evident that the
pressure was lateral, tina, is to say, from
the banks of the river toward the high
land, and not downward, with the
river course. To this the compar.
atively small amount Of damage
done is due, for had the ice
come down with the current of the river
1t would have inevitably swept the whole
OF the lower part of the town away. In
very many cases the male occupants of
the dwellings, that were partially sub
merged only a few moments later were
actually on the ice in the river when the
alarm was given, and were compelled to
Tee for their lives, and snatch up their
children as they passed their homes on
their way to the high ground. OF the
1900 inhabitants of the place but eight
or ten remained. and to them no accident
happened, the buildings in which they
stayed not being injured. The lateral
advance Of the rushing mass of ice and
water Was SO great that the people had
to run at the top of their speed in order
to escape, and in one instance man was
seen waist-deea in the water with a
child in each arm, surrounded by the
floating ice. Another by the name of
Lott tried to put his horse to a wagon
when the break began, 10 remove his
family, but was overtaken BY the water
before he could do so. One of his
neighbors, a Mr. Aber, went to his as
sistaace and took one of his children to
place Of safety, followed by Mrs. Lott, |
who carried another, the eldest holding
her hand and running by her side. |
Happily, the water began TO subside |
after it had attained a height of from
four to four and a half fet in the inhab.
tied portion of the village, and no dam /
age was done TO property in the upper /
part of the houses. Soon after the water
had returned to the river change in the |
weather occurred and it became intense |
~ cold, and everything froze hard and |
fast, many of the houses around which |
pools OF water remained being complete |
~ surrounded by small lakes of ice this |
morning. The house of Mr.. Michael |
Hogan, iwo-ssory frame building, was |
moved forward about twenty feet. the /
site being occupied by mound of ice |
blocks fully twenty feet high. AT mid
day Mr.. Hogan was busily engaged in
tunneling into the heart of this mass. in
order to get at his coal pile, which, he
said, he knew ought TO be somewhere in.
side. The house next to his, which was /
unoccupied, also of two stories. was
moved forward twenty-five feet by the
same pack. Neither of these buildings
was injured otherwise except by the
water which entered the lower stories. |
The barns and outhouses of Mr.. Carlow. /
veterinary surgeon, were completely de-
sfrovad thu r-al,, la: .~-L.s