Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-15
A GREAT CLOUD euRsr

The Village of Medicine Lodge, kan.' In
undated by a Wall of Water - Many
Hom& Swept Away and a Tumble OK
MISREPRESENTATION Dead Bodies hccov-
cred.
WICHITA, Kan, April 23.-Dispatches OF
Yesterdays date received here yesterday
from Medicine Lodge recount the fearful
results of a waterspout or cloud-burst
to the residents along the Medicine
River. The cloud-burst seems to have been
the same that on Tuesday filled the Ninne-
scan to o%yernowing. The water rolled
down over the lowlands east OF Medicine
Lodge City five to twelve feet pcrpendicu-
lar, carrying death in its wake. Sew
cral families are known to have been
drowned. Tuesday morning parties who
had gone out to give relief found men.
women and children clinging to trees with
nothing but their night clothes on to protect
them. Their cries could be heard as early as
four o'clock in the morning above the raging
waters. Three attempts were made to res
cue parties beyond the river, but each
boat was swamped, and the occupants only
saved themselves by swimming to trees.
The dispatch was sent over to the first rail-
road point by mail. There were eight NOV
ers' wagons camping in the bottoms, and
one old man has recognized the bod
les Of three of his family, his wife and
two children. James Gibbs, his
daughter and niece were washed away
with their home. A Mrs. Harris aid her
little girl of eleven years old were found
drowned. G. w. Paddock and family, con-
sisting of a wife and four children, are
thought to be all drowned. Frank Simpler
put Ills wife and child OH the roof, and his
house went down. He was knocked off by
a projecting limb, and swan ashore several
miles below, but of'the fate of his wife and
child nothing was known.
Another dispatch received last night
gives the following particulars: Medicine
Lodge is situated between the Medicine
River and Elm Creek. Early Tuesday
informing the flood came down, the streams
quickly OVERLOOKING their bottom lands to a
Edepth of about ten feet. In the Elm Creek
bottoms, east Of town, adozen houses were
entireAy destroyed and many of tho occu-
lpants drowned. In camps in the bottoms
Ilwere ten or fifteen emigrant wagons filled
lIwith families, and not half of these persons
lhave yet been found. 10 the north entire
families were drowned. All of Tuesday
and Tuesday night the streams were
lIso high that no communication could
Ibe had with the East, and yesterday
the first dispatches were sent out.
The stores in town were closed
and every citizen engaged in the work of
rescuing people by boats and RATS from
their perilous positions in trees and on
housetops. By nightfall there were
still some isolated prisoners. The peo-
pie in Medicine River bottom had
earlier warning and all escaped with
their lives. Hundreds of cattle were
drowned, great fields of crops ruined, and
many dead animals line the banks of Elm
Creek. The rise started at dark on Monday
night, and rain spoured steadily for six
hours. This was followed by a great cloud
burst north of the town. Among those
4 known to be lost are the following:
G. w. Paddock, wife and four childrcn: bod.
les of the wife and three children recovered
Jerry Gibbs and daughter; Mrs. Harris and
daughter, bodies rccovcred; Mrs. Maddox and
four children, bodies Of the woman and two
children recovered.
Four wagons containing "movers" had
not been heard from, and it is thought all
have persisted. No news has yet been re-
ceived from the country below Medicine
Lodge, but it is feared there has been very
serious loss of life. The Town Council
speedily organized relief measures, and
several thousand dollars has already been
subscribed. The District Court has adj
journed and the courtroom has been turned
into q morgue.