Milford chronicle., 1885-05-01
NEWS NOTES.
Happenings Of Interest to All,
At Home and Abroad
swRpr nY 4 oLoupBURsT.
whole Families Drowned-severaI Bodies
OF Victims Recovered.

A special dispatch from Medicine Lodge, at
wichita. KAN. recOunts fearful results Of the
waterspout or cloudburst, to the residents OF
the Medicine River, which seems TO have been
the same that filed the Ninnescah to overflow
ing. -.
over the low lands east Of Medicine Lodge CITY
five to twelve feet perpendicularlyi carrying
death in its wake.
Several whole families are known to be
drowned. Parties who had gone out to give
relief found men, women and children cling
ing to trees with nothing but their night
clothes to protect them, and some without any
clothing whatever, but still alive. Their cries
could be heard as early as four o'clock IN the
morning, above the roaring waters. Three AZ
tempts were made to rescue parties beyond
ne river but each boat in turn was swamped,
and the occupants only saved themselves by
swimming TO trees.
Five bodies had been recovered up to the
hour Of the writing of the dispatch, which was
sent over to the first railroad point by mail.
Another body was In sight, but could not be
reached. There were eight movers wagons
camping in tho bottoms, and one old man mas
recognized the bodies Of three OF his family
his wife and two children.
James Gibbs and his daughter and niece were
washed away with their home. A Mrs. Harris
and her little girl Of eleven years were found
drowned G.. w. Paddock and family, consist
ing of a wife and four children, are thought 70
he drowned. Frank Shippler put his wife and
child on the roof, and his house went down.
He was knocked of by a projecting limb and
swan ashore several miles below, but OF the
fate of his wife and child nothing was known.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
The town is situated between the Medicine
River and Elm Greek. Early Tuesday morn
ing the flood came down the streams quickly,
overaDwing their bottom lands to depth OF
aboHt ten feet. In the Elm Creek bottoms,
east of the town, a dozen houses we're entirely
destroyed and many Of the occupants drowned,
or saved only by clinging to the branches OF
fifteen emigrant wagons filled with families,
and not half Of these persons have yet been
North Of Medicine Lodge entire families were
drowned, others made miraculous escapes.
The stores in town were closed and every CIT
izeu engaged in the work Of rescuing people by
boats and RATS from their perilous positions in
trees and on house tops. The work was ex-
tremely hazardous, and by nightiau there were
still some isolated prisoners. relief party
was out all night picking mp these unfor-
Inmates. The people in Medicine River bot
toms had earlier warning, and all escaped
with their lives. Hundreds OF cattle were
drowned and great fields Of crops ruined
Hundreds Of dead animals also line the banks
of Elm Creek. The rise started at dark on
Monday night and rain poured steadily for si1
hours. which was followed by great cloud.
burst north of the town.
WICHITA. Kan, April %, 1ss5.-The Daily
Faqle's special from the Medicine Lodge gives
additional details Of the awful calamity OF
Monday night.
The search for bodies was continued early
Yesterday morning among the drift piles
and along the bottoms for miles. The
remaining bodies Of the Maddux family,
who were among the campers alluded
TO. we're found the mother and two children,
making six, recovered at that point
Maddux himself and two children escaping
Jerry Gibbs body was also recovered. The
hody of a young man named Smith was alst
found, but the campers only knew him by that
name. The survivors do not know where hi
was from.
-Four of the Paddock family have been found
all children, the father and mother being still
missing. Frank Shepler's wife and child,whon
he left on the roof Of his drifting home, bavt
not been found or heard from. Ten bodies had
been recovered at the Lodge and four above
town at the time OF writing the above dispatch
/ making fourteen in all.