The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-13

The Loss of Life Placed at Forty-EnOrmOus
Destruction of Property,
London Special.
large number of lives have been lost
and all sorts of estimates are afoat. Save i'll
a few instances, ii is absolutely impossible to
say how many have persisted, 1t is low es-
innate to place the number of drowned at
forty, and when the returns of the missing
come in this number may be increased. The
destruction of property is simply incalcu-
liable. 1t will reach millions in this section,
not taking into account the damage done to
the standing crops Three bridges, one of
them a substantial iron structure costing
$4,000 erected last summer, have been
swept away, and the railroad bridges were
terribly strained. but withstood the pressure
AT the bridge in the city the drifting houses
ETC., accumulated and created a blockade
that threatened to sweep everything be-
fore it should break. Heavily-Iaden cars
were run upon the bridge, while large gang
of men were placed at work to dislodge the
mass of rubbish. One of the workmen,
named Nicholson, fell into the rushing
waters and was carried fully four hundred
yards before he could be rescued.
The amount of damage occasioned on the
main line and all the branches of the Grand
Trunk railway will be enormous. Culverts
bridges, and low-lying portions OF the track
have been washed away in all directions, and
to-day every train east and west was can
ceed. An extensive washout is reported
near Watford, on the Sarnia branch, and the
st. Mary's branch is in dilapidated eondi-
ton. The damage done on the main line
east of the city amounts to thousands of dol
lars. An extensive washout occurred OF
Patton's siding, which is about sixteen miles
from this city, and two spans of the lofty
Waubauno bridge disappeared with a ire
mendous crash. Traffic is also stopped on
the London, Huron & Bruce railway.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Some terrible scenes have been witnessed.
A local sculler named Guy Parkes, known in
the United States as Jack Stewart" the
pugilist was active in rendering assistance.
Rowing up to one of the houses in Kensing-
ton, he took from the roof one of the eccu-
pants, Mrs. Hopkins, when her husband
jumped into the frail craft, oyerturning it.
The woman was swept away and drowned in
could do nothing to save her.
Two maiden ladies named Wright, who
lived in a small cottage on the west side of
Kensngton bridge, were rescued with
great deal of difficulty, and when taken TO
shore one OF them was found to be a raving
maniac.
One of the boatmen emerged in the work
of relief reports that he saw a number of
eorpses, both men and women, floating some
distance from him. He could hot touch
them on account of the rapid whirling
motion of the water and the personal danger
which he was himself in.
Shortly after s o'clock cottage was OBJ
served approaching by few persons stand
ing on an eminence in front of Murray's
WOODEN factory. When the structure EeaeiTed
Blac6friars street it collapsed and mixed
up with a quantity of household effects that
came floating by, was the body of a girl
about six or seven years of age, clad in a
night-dress. Willing hands were quickly
extended, and the lifeless body of the little
one was placed in the hands of friends. The
child was daughter OF Mr.. Holman, of LON
don west.
Early in the morning Mrs. Oliver, wife of
the oaretaker at SpFingbank reservoir, was
Mortified at seeing little boy being swept
down the current toward the dam, scream
ing at the top OF his voice, and waving his
arms as he disappeared over the brink. An
effort was made to save him at Wards hotel,
u
known who he was.
Among the rescued in London west was an
old colored man named Scott, who lived alone
onTbames street. Mr. w. j. Mcintosh en-
deayored to reach the house in boat and
failing to force in the door, drove his boat
fun tilt through the window, taking the
whole sash with him. When he got inside at
first he failed to see ANYBODY till he beard
the words: "Bress de Lodi was jess nrayin'
70 de Lo'd to send His angel to deliber mel"
Mr.. Mcintosh found the old man standing on
a cook-stove holding on to the stove-pipe,
and the water almost up to his chin. Scott
when he appeared on the street had nothing
but shirt and coat
An infant and an aged widow woman
named Garretfy, now in her seventieth year,
lived alone in small frame shanty
Thames street The neighbers from adiein-
ing houses had all fled in alarm to high
ground. She had been warned, but, owing
either to infirmty or the surrounding con-
fusion, she became paralyZed with fear. Res
cuers tried in vain to rouse the old lady by
pounding on the door, hut to no purpose.
At length they burst in window, and ran
in couple of planks. They found Mrs.
Garrett kneeling on the bed, holding on to
one of the posts with the water up to her
neck.
One of the saddest incidents connected
with the disaster occurred on Paul street. 4
woman was confined last night, and early
this morning the infant died, and the poor
mother had to be borne to the school-house,
which, owing to its high elevation, offered
available retreat. Here kind friends did all
that was possible under the circumstances
for the afflicted woman
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 child, girl, under one arm and
another girl under the other arm; third,
boy, 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
he started for the shore, the water being. as
she assured the reporter, up to her shout
dcrs.