The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-07-19
A SUFFERING CITY.
London, Ont, Damaged by Storm
and Flood to a Frightful
Extent.
Thirty Persons Drowned and Numerou,
Houses and Bridges Wrecked.

Telegram from London, Ontario
tornado, accompanied by heavy rains
broke over tho western part OF the cit
shortly before daylight The river was sool
beyond Its banks The Hood swept over I'll,
whole of the lowlands. In less than an houl
the entire western suburbs wero under
water, Large buildings and mills were car
,ied away ~ though they were straws The
population Of the suburbs, som. 600 III
number, We're driven from their homes h
thcir night-clolhcs.
Tho villagers were sleeping when the
STERN burst upon them, and awoke only t.
find their dwellings floating away in til,
slcam. Some houses were overturned and
their occupants drowned In their beds One
but ding caught fire while going down
stream, and lit up the awful scene, showing
some persons running wildly about ON the
roofs Of the floating houses, and Others nj
the windows screaming. Parties went "a
tho rescue -of the occupants. but before
they reached the building 1t was overturned
and the inmates lost to sight
The scene was dircful III the extreme.
Mothers were wailing fer lost children. and
infants CRYING for mo. hers Many of these
In the floating houses would have been com
paratively secure had they remained in
doors Many Of them in their terror rushed
wildly out into the water and were swent
away. One frame house fioatad down with
lights burning and q young lady inside,
named Miss Wright, was rescued after mill.
run on the crest OF the wave, but with her
reason lost The poor girl hal torn her
hair and raved piteonsly all day. young
married woman was rescued with new
born infant In her arms. A child Of Mr. Orr.
an elderly lady named Hopkins. and boy
iioated over the dam aud were ingnlfed IN
the waters beiow. Some forty persons ur,
missing All the bridges acros, the river
were DESTROYED. and communication with
the west side il cut of Railways were also
Hooded and traffic stopped The loss OF life
Is between thirty and forty The property
loss is estimated ut 5000, 0uo
Early In the morning Mrs Oliver wife oil
the caretaker ut Springbank reservoir. was
horl flied ut seeing little boy being swept
down the current toward the dam, scream
ing ut the top OF his voice and waving his
arms rs he disappeared over the brink An
effort was made to save him, but he was be
yond human aid.
Among the rescued in London West was
an old colorcd man named scott, who lived
alone on Thames street. Mr. w. j. Mcintosh
endeavored To reach the house in boat,
and failing to force in the door drove his
boat full tilt through the window, taking
the whole sash with him. When he
got inside at first he failed to see any
body till he heard the words: "Rress
de Lo'd. was Jess prayin' To- de Lo'd to
send His angel TO deliher me-" Mr. McIn
tosh found the old man standing on the
cook stove. holding on to the stoyc-pipe,
and the water almost up to his chin. Scott
when he appeared on the street had nothing
but a shirt and q coat
An infant aud an aged widow woman
named Gar1ettv, now i'll her 10Th year, lived
alone in small frame shanty on Thames
street. The neighbors from adjoining
houses had all fled in alarm to high ground
She had been warned, but, owing either to
intirmity or the surrounding confusion, she
became paralv2ed with fear. Rescuers tried
in van to rouse the Old lady by pounding on
the door, bnt to 40 purpose. AT length they
lurst in u window and ran in a couple OF
planks They found Mrs. GaIretty kneeling
ON tue bed, holding on TO one Of the posts,
with the water up to her neck.
Mrs Ann Reeves performed deed that
any stout man might have been proud of
When the water rose in her little home she
placed one chi d, a girl, under one arm ind
another girl under the other arm: third.
bov, she instructed to sit astraddle on her
neck. and the fourth another boy, she got
To hang on to her dress behind In this
state she started for the shore, the water
being, rs she assured the reporter, up to her
shoulders
How did you ever manage to get ashore
with such a loadsa was asked
The Lord gave me strength, was the re-
ply. Il was sure of the three youngest but
was afraid of little Jackie, lest he should
let 20 his hold behind. but he hung on
bravely, although his head was half the time
under water