Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-10-07
The Destruction of Indianola, Texas

The New Orleans Bulletin of Sent 90
gives the following particulars Of the Ter.
rible effects Of the inundation at Indian
ola
Thursday at ten m. the wind w.,
blowing fearfully, the water still comm
IN higher, and in two hours rose six fee,a
submerging most of the town. The alarm
spread like wildfire Those whohad boa,l
were plying about in the waves takin@
women and children to places of faneied
security. Families were sent up to, tba
highest portions of the dwellings. hons
hold goods were confusedly hurried into
garrets and the whole town was one scene
of terror.
There were no means of leaving ths
town and so all had to secure themselyes
as best they could Midnight THURSDAY
heavy current set in, running through The
town, and then commenced the dull craSb
on all sides of falling houses. The VAT
by this time had reached a point GOVERN
the whole place fully six feet.
Looking out, nothing could be seen er.
cept housetops and the white foam Oh the
heavy rollers. With every crash. above
the screaming of the wind and the roar of
the waters could be heard the wall Of
despair from drowning women and chill.
dren.
q Frantically clinging to the remnants Of
the wrecks, mothers with children in their
arms vainly implored for help when all
around were unable to render any The
scene beggared description Strong men.
overcome with emotion, wept like chill
dren, and some wanted to rush forth to
certain death rather than suffer to see the
victims perishing before their eyes whilst
they were powerless to render assistance
Not an eye was closed that night in
Indianola. The loud splash and cracking
OF timbers proclaimed another house gone
and the sound was echoed by piercing
screams.
About daylight Friday morning the
wind lulled and the water fell as rapidly
as it had risen, and by noon it was posi-.
bic for people to get about in the higher
portions of the town.
The severity of the damage done was
then fully appreciated. Not house in
the place but showed evidence of
the gale. Squares completely vacant,
stores and houses having been carried off
by the current, leaving only the founda
ton to mark the spot where once they
stood.
As soon as the citizens were able to get
out they set to work relieving those still
in peril. Those confined in the upper
stories of the dangerous buildings were
taken out and the corpses caught by fall.
ing timbers removed 1t was sad work,
and nobly did the people respond TO the
call for duty. 1t was then that the most
ileart-rending scenes were met. Here
little girl, almost nude, wading in the
water in search of father, mother and sis
tiers, whose bodies lay bleaching on the
sand, miles distant; there, old men, pale
with emotion, looked for their grandchil.
dren whose prattling voices were forever
stilled by the treacherous waters.
No pen could portray the sad picture Of
Friday at Indianoa. A town of 5000 in
habitants under water for twelve hours
with $50 of their number suddenly strick
en- down, could not but tear-stain the pa
per and make the hand of the chronicler
tremble.
Up to Monday evening last ninety
bodies had been recovered and given
Christian burial. AS there were no collins
left after the storm in Indianola, friends
of the deceased were forced to devise from
dry goods boxes, in fact, from everything
covering for those who died. Fathers
bore to their last resting place the flowers
of their family flock, and alone buried
those who were dearer to them than life
itself; husbands laid away beneath tie
sands the remains of wives, children and
fathers.
Singular to say, most of the bodies were
not found in the town. The tremendous
current swept even many OF those who
were caught beneath fallen buildings, and
carried them back to the lake in the rear
OF Indianola. Along the shores of this
could be seen, prolruding through the
sand, almost buried, the arms or heads Of
the victims. 1t was next to impossible to
recognize single one.
The action of the waters and waves had
been such as in cases to completely be
head the drowned. The last remnant OF
clothing was torn from them, and only ID
cases where bracelet or lingering re-
NAMED could friends identify the lost. 1t
would seem almost as though the demon
of cruelty had been at work. Headless
trunks, armless bodies, all were scattered
about on the beach, memorials OF the
storms dreadful work
-
ITALY is having four monster cannon
made but they will be of no use except a
curiOusities II costs 81 200 each 10 ITt