Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-04-24


one nib was fractured, and Is treating
him. lie was brought to town, cross
ing the angry Medicine In a rough boat,
Tuesday evening.
The house was separated and the
front part lodged on Standiford's ranch,
miles south Of here.
JERRY GIBBS AND FAMILY.
Jerry Gibbs and his daughter, Mrs.
Julia Harris, and her daughter, Ella,
aged II, were living in new house i'm
the bottom nearly opposite Frank Shep-
lers', and this was one of the first
houses to go, as it was directly in
the swiftest channel that flowed
through the bottom. All three Of these
people were lost, and their bodies were
recovered. They must have been tax
en- unawares, for no lights were seen
there, and no cries for help were heard
from there by the neighbors. Not a
vestage of the house has been found as
yet. Mrs. Harris body was the first
one discovered Tuesday morning about
9 O'Clock by the crowd on the bank at
W. III. Kinkead's house. Her body was
lodged against tree and partly warped
around it, and was nearly nude. Soon
after the body of her daughter was
discovered near the same spot; but nei-
Their was identified until nearly noon.
The body of Jerry Gibbs, q man over
60 years of age, was found Wednesday
morning, southwest Of town and near
the old saw mill. 1t was slightly disig-
ured; but when washed and laid out,
looked as natural as in life. Another
daughter of Mrs. Harris was working
at the Medicine Lodge house or she,
too, might have persisted. The bodies
of the three in this family were buried
Wednesday afternoon-all in one grave.
CHARLEY SMITH LOST.
Porter Secat, G.. w. Baricklow and
Charley Smith, who had been out to
Clark county to take up claims, were
returning to their homes in Cowley
county, near Winfield. They were In a
wagon with two horreslattached, and
had camped in the Inflated bottom be-
tween Elm and Spring creeks. They
heard the rush Of waters and noticed
that the wagon tongue was covered.
Secat and Baricklow remained in the
wagon until they saw it would be
washed away; but Smith said he would
risk getting out.en horse, and accord
ingly he mounted one, and that was the
last seen of him alive. His body was
discovered in the timber south Of town,
on the other side of Elm creek. He
was a young man . years old and his
folks lived in Cowley county. His
body was neatly attlred Wednesday,
placed in coffin and buried in the city
cemetery.
'CURLEY's" EXPERIENCE.
E. z. Larash, better known as "Cur-
ley" carpenter who works for Cook &
Hoffman, made a frail boat and at 8
o'clock started in Spring creek, at Bob.
Simpsons place, with the intention of
rescuing some of the many who were
clinging TO the branches of trees. His
craft was too weak, and after being car
ried several hundred yards, it struck a
tree amidships, and was dashed to
pieces. "Curley" grasped a bending will
low, where he remained some time, and
when he could he waded back to his
starting point, arriving there exhausted.
lie was attacked with a congestive
chill, and but for the timely arrival of
DR.. Moore, would have passed In his
checks. He is now all right.
GEO. ELLIS LUCK.
Geo. w. Ellis had fitted up comfort
able home i'm the bottom at the foot Of
Washington avenue, and had planted
out valuable trees, shrubs and flowers.
All that is there now is the house,
which is partly washed from its founda-
tion and the pOst-holes where the fence
stood. The fruit trees may be grow
ing in the Territory, and the flowers
may yet bloom on the Arkansas river.
The family escaped from serious Incon-
venience, by climbing into the attic Of
the house. The water was four feet
deep in the house.
OhLAA1OnA DOOnhnb bA ED.
A. Johnson, his son, J. A, wife and
two children and his son E. s., with his
wife, were on their way from Arkansas
City tn the great west, they having tired
Of waiting on Oklahoma. They, like all
the other unfortunates, were camped
near Elm creek, in the bottom. Their
wagons began to move, and they con-
cluded to take to the trees, and they
did it and were saved. They were
severely chilled and but for assistance
arriving when it did, SEINE of the family
must have dropped into the water and
drowned.
JOHN SINGERS ADVENTURE.
lie heard the terrible noise caused by
the approaching food and arose and
made light. Soon the waves struck
the house and he supposed it was gone;
but remembering that it should be
weighted down, he carefully let i'm
enough water to ill the room to the
depth of three feet and closed the
door securely, and no more water came
in. In the mean time his wife was safe
on the top of the furniture he had piled
up on the bed, and SO beyond the loss
of his fences, fruit and ornamental
trees, Mr.. Singers loss is not great.
TREATING THE RESCUED.
Only a few persons dared 60 oyer
Spring creek into the timber, and those
that did go were not provided with food
and dry clothes. So a rope was thrown
over the stream at Kinkaid's and fast
ened, and over this was passed food and
clothing for the half-clad, shivering and
hungry food-victims. Hardly an indi-
vidual rescued had on any but night
clothes, and many were entirely naked.
A stout cable was also stretched at