Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-09-06
HOT SPRINGS WRECKED.
"A Waterspout at Midnight Causes
Death and Destruction.

IA Waterspout at MidmGnC CAUSES
Death and Destruction.
! Six Persons known to Have Boon p rown.
ed and Others EIissing-The water
Floods Many Buildings--very
Heavy Loss ON PROPERTY.
HoT SPRINGS, Ark, Aug 31.--To.day -
sad one In the history of Hot Springs.
The city is Quilted. Ruin and wreck meets
the visitor at every point. Nothing HKo'
| it has ever before been known here. Dis
asters by food and fire have visited the
valley before, but nothing to equal OF
approach last nights storm and water
spout The valley was swept as Win
| mighty tidal wave. The loss to property
is large, while the sacrifice of human life
is. under the circumstances, appalling.
Swift and terrible was the visitation.
Without warning the victims were awak-
ened from slumber to find themselves
being carried to destruction upon mao
pillows.
Strange to state, comparatively few or
the people were conscious of the horrible
disaster till they awoke to look upon the
desolate scenes this morning and TO drag
the drowned from the debris.
The storm struck the city about eleven
o. clock last night from northwesterly
direction. It was accompanied by stin
cool wind. though not strongh enough 10
produce damage from that source. Rain
fell in torrents from eleven to one O'Clock
without intermission. Indeed. those who
were up and viewed the scene describe
it as one never before witnessed. The
vivid flashes Of lightning displayed, as It
were, great sheets of falling water.
At the close Of the storm a great and
ominous roar, mingled with shouts of
people and cries of distress, went up
from the valley, and such citizens as
were in the vicinity of the creek ana
ravines went forth to render such assist
ance was possible. The scene on Gen.
trail avenue, the main thoroughfare, re-
sembled an angry river. whose rushing
tide swept every thing movable upon its
bosom. For half an hour or longer the
avenue was transformed into river fifty
yards wide. Barrels, boxes and parts of
houses came down upon the tide and were
left strewn upon the sid swalk and on the
street Several of the hotels were food
ed to depth of four feet with muddy
water. Many buildings were totally
wrecked.
Up to this evening six persons have
been reported missing. but five of them
have been found dead among the wrecked
buildings and debris of the food. The
damage to property will not fall short Of
500. 000
IT is impossible to might to accurately
estimate the damage to property, both
public and private, but it goes away up.
into the thousands. The greatest dam
age was from Malvern Crossing up the
northern suburbs. The adjacent noun
tains, like water sheds, poured their con.
tents into the narrow valley below and
every ravine became torrent of de-
struction, The destruction was aug
mented by the formation of drifts
at the upper ends of the creek
arch The mo nth of the arch on both
Wilmington and Park avenues choked
completely. which threw the main body
Of the food over the streets and down
Central avenue and also caused back
water up the two creeks above the arches.
On Wilmington avenue there was but
little damage done until the floods reach
ed the Josephine Hotel. The Office floor
Of this house is considerably lower than
the street, hence the food rushed in
through the front doors, and when at the
highest stood at least four feet deep on
the lower floor, completely covering the
counter in the office and the billiard
tables in the billiard-room.
The damage along the line from
upper Park avenue to the juno
ten with Wilmington avenue proved
greater on investigation. The first
building moved from its foundation in
the north end of town was one Of the
small dwellings owned by Hon. Nicholas
M. Bell, and occupied by colored family
named Fletcher. It was swept away, and
the mother Of the family, Matte Fletcher,
and her four children were drowned.
The husband had a miraculous escape.
When the rain was heaviest cries for help
were heard in the creek back of DIR.
Franklin's residence. The darkness was
impenetrable aud the rain came down in
sheets. Through the roaring and crash
ing the voice Of man could be heard
growing fainter. Jack Franklin hastily
drew on some clothing and wading into
the torrent in the direction of the cries
succeeded in drawing the man out dis
abled by the fall of his house, and landed
him in his fathers residence. He gave
the man wine and kept him until this
morning, when the poor fellow was able
to go out and find the bodies Of his wife
and children caught in the debris of the
creek below. The body Of the mother
and her infant babe, which was only born
yesterday, were found in a drift In the
rear Of the Waverly Hotel. She evident.
ly had her babe In her arms even after
she had been drowned. One Of the other
children was found in Magnolia Park and
the eldest boy was reported to have
lodged in drift below town.
An old man and his wife, named Harri.
son, who recently moved to this city. oc.
cupied a small cottage near the Airing.
ton stable. The force Of the water caused
the building to collapse just as the old
man and his wife were making their esq
cape. The wife was caught underneath
the debris nd perishad. Her body was
found underneath the ruins.
In the rear Of Waverly Hotel were a
couple of small buildings which were car
ried away, in one Of which Mr.. O'Brien,s
cook, a co1ored woman. was sleeping.
She is supposed to have been drowned. "a
she has not yet been heard from. The
big iron and old Hale bath houses
were badly flooded, as were also the
buildings all the way down Central
avenue. In the rear of Douglas book
store the embankment caved in, smash.
ing the rear door and flooding the book
and stationery store with mud and water
to depth Of fourteen inches, doing much
damage.
The Army and Navy Hospital and
grounds were considerably damaged. The
loss is estimated at 81, $50.
Mayor KimbelI and the entire police
force were out promptly and did every
thing possible to render aid where need
ed. The mayor called to his assistance
large force OF men, and to -day the work
Of removing drift and searching for
bodies has been pushed forward. The
Hot Springs railway encountered sew.
eral little washouts, but this evening