The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-14
AT LOUISVILLE,

Houses Swept Away and Thirty Lives Lost.
Louisville Courier-Journal Yesterday.
The great climax in the flood was reached
at II o. clock last night, when the long-looked-
for and much-feared breaking of the Cut
off" dam occurred, and 200 houses were
swept from their foundations and dashed to
pieces in less than an hour.
All yesterday after noon a thin sheet or
spray of water was flowing gently over the
forty-foot bank OF earthenwork, and trickling
into the low valley between the railroad fill
and the river AT the rate at which thewater
was coming over it could not possibly have
done much damage in night and the great
danger lay in the fact the water was at any
moment liable to break through.
The dam is forty feet thick, two thousand
feet long and two hundred feet at the base
and was built before the war; in order to
guard against any danger that might arise
The low valley, the safety of which depends
upon tlis dam. extends down to Jackson
strestssand extends from the S95Et Line rail
roadfill almost to the river, where a high
levee had been constructed to keep the water
out The back water, which pressed upon
the dam at the cutoff, extended as far back
as the eye could reach, and was sixty feet
Deep and gradually being strengthened
While many had believed that the dam was
strong enough to bear this pressure, others
were of the opinion that the strain was too
great, and that the water would conquer
The valley mentioned contained fully 250
houses, most of them being light frame struc-
lures and tenanted by poor, people who
worked along the river. Nearly the entire
population OF this valley was assembled at
the dam yesterday afternoon, watching with
interest the surges of the water in its efforts
to break through the light structure, and
there were but few among the number who
thought that the danger would come so
soon. Until nearly 10 o'clock last night the
dense crowd remained around the dam, and
hundred bOnfires. surrounded by group
of watchers, were lighted. Up to that time
the water had made no progress, however,
and the place was almost entirely deserted
when the crash came
AT few minutes before II o'clock IT, re
was terrible roar, as il the entire mass was
rolling down in heap, and in another mo-
ment the dam had parted, letting the great
power behind it free to work ruin at its will.
In five minutes time the entire valley was
covered by a raging sea of water, and in less
thanan hour not house remained standing.
The shock came so suddenly and with such
terrible power as to render it doubly worse
than it would otherwise have been, and the
first indication the sleepers in the valley had
was the dash of the waters against their doors
and the filling of their rooMs with the food.
A FRIeHTFUL SCENE.
The scene was frightful one and inten-
sifed by the darkness, as every light was
extinguished and all trace of many of the
houses obliterated almost instantly. 1t is
daScrihad bv nur, harS of Y1aOnla 1rbo 1yara
assembled on the Short-line fill as being even
worse than it was half an hour later. From
the fill at Clay street. which is higher than
the tops of the houses, a clea view could he
obtained almost to the dam. Just before the
dam gave way there was scarcely house in
the valley in which light was not burning
and, save the roar Of the water through the
flood-gates beyond the dam and the trickling
of number of tiny streams beneath them,
not sound could be heard and not a stir
was made below them.
Suddenly the rear increased almost to a
thunder, and the flood came pouring down,
deeper and deeper every moment and sweep
ing everything before it. Quick as a flash
light after light was extinguished and the
screams of danger and the scrambles for life
mingled with the war of the food. In a few
minutes the news spread like wild-fre. and
many persons living much as square away
were awakened by the calls for help and
rushed to the banks, which in half an hour
were filled with people. A telephone mes
sage was sent to the engine houses, and
about twenty of the fremen were soon on
the scene, assisting in the work of saving the
lives. The screaming OF the women was
plainly heard at the ferry-dock, and
aroused the hfe-savers in the station, who
Immediately pushed off to the scene. A
great many large bonfres were kindled on
the railroad track, and threw light which
extended nearly halfway across the valley,
could be dimly seen floating rapidly around
on the the surface, almost like logs of wood.
Soon lights began to spring up all over the
flooded space, showing that the people were
climbing out On the roofs of the houses in
their efforts to save themselves, Meanwhile