Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-04-19
THE FLOOD IA HOLLAND.


Ready Response fer Help.
Correspondence OF the Rochester Express. j.
ST. OEDENRoDE, March "a, 1876.
Both the cable and foreign cores
pOndcnts have given you many facts
concerning the fearful deluge that
has visited a great portion of Europe
but it is impossible for other than an
eyewitness to conceive the destruc-
ton which life and property has sus-
| tanned. Your correspondent has
daily watched the ravages of the flood
the like of which has not been seen or
heard of since the destruction of the
world by the deluge. About the be-
ginning Of February, Holland was
visited by a terrific thunderstorm,
which seemed to gain I'M fury every
hour; the lightnings flashed with
binding vividness the thunder roar
ed with unprecedented peal after peal,
and the rain poured down in torrents,
till hundreds Eyes, thousands) were
filled with the idea that the end of
things had indeed come. In this way
did the storm continue day after day,
with the exception that the thunder
and lightning ceased to a certain ex-
tent. 1t now began to be whispered
from city to city and from village to
village, that the combined waters of
the rivers Rhine, Meuse and LEX
were slowly, but surely, to make a
vast sea of the counties of North Bra
bant, Utrecht, Geldcrland and South
Holland. The greatest fears were
realized. The Rhine burst its dykes,
and soon Utrecht with her old and
famous city oflearning, together with
many villages, were deluged beyond
description. So, also, were the neigh
boring counties Of South Holland and
Gelderland flooded by the overflow
ing LEX and Rhine. The worst now
seemed to have come, but not so, for
the news was soon flashed through
the country that the dykes above
IShertogenbosch had given way and
the city was at the mercy of the flood.
The Meuse had silently swelled till it
could contain itself no longer, when it
suddenly forced its confines, carrying
death and terror throughout the
greater portion Of the county Of North
Brabant. Homes, schools, churches,
and every movable thing gave way to
the fearful rush of waters, which
seemed to pour in at the lower and
upper windows. and doors of the
houses with tremendous force. House
after house gave way and foated out
into the fields beyond. Here and
there could be seen horses, cows and
sheep vainly striving, with upturned
heads to gain footing or chance to
breathe. But they were doomed.
Floating alongside o. a horse, perhaps
would be table, chairs, beds and
other household furniture. One Of
the saddest sights witnessed, was that
of an infant in a cradle that had float
ed into Shertogenbosch, from the
village of Lifh, few miles North.
The cradle was found floating with
its dead but human freight, surroun-
ded by the dead carcasses of cattle.
portions of once happy homes, and
the general debris which goes to
make up the terrOrs and sickening
sights of such food. Can we imag-
inc the feelings of the mother of that
child? Perhaps she was watching il
when the terrible water suddenly tore
1t, with its little bed, from its mothers
reach. She may have watched it
gradually disappear, and as it floated
out of sight, may have prayed and
hoped for the best. BY this time she
knows the worst. This is simply an
incident of many Of the sad scenes of
this second dcluge.
The principal cities submerged are
Zalt BONNET, Vianen, Gouda, Utrecht
and ShertOgenbosch. They all suf-
fered more or less, but the last named
Jared by far the worst. No less than
seventy villages were flooded, houses
being completely Quilted from cellar
to roof. When the waters were at
their height houses and the rOadways
gave way to water and small stea-
mers. Food was carried from house
to house and family to family by these
steamers, which had clear sweep Of
the country that was now an immense
sea. The price of food rose with the
flood, and milk sold at SO cents a
quart; butter commanded $l.25 a
pound; bread and meat rose in pro-
portion, and were hard to get at any
price, Steamers could be seen pass
ing the roofs Of some of the principal
buildings in the cities and towns as
they steamed up to the many out
stretched hands and delivered them
food.
1t was feared at one time that the
dykes at Zalt BONNET would give
way; but at this writing hopes are
entertained that the worst has come
and gone. These dykes are watched
night and day. Thousands of men
are employed in repairing the broken
walls.
Thank God, Europe has thrown
open her treasures, aud money is
flowing in with a welcome rush. Con-
certs and entertainments Of all kinds
are given throughout the country Tor
the benefit of the sufferers. The cry
for help has been, and still continues
to be, nobly responded to. The loss
of life has been very small, but the
loss and damage to property runs far
into millions. l.. o. u.