Huntsville gazette., 1889-06-22

not at the PENNSYLVANIA railroad station.
An outfit was made up and given her, but
after examining the dress she approached
the agent in charge and asked if he would
exchange it fer black one. II have LOST
all my family" she added, by lay of apol.
ogy, as the tears streamed down her
wrinkled face, land would like to have
black dress if I could get one. My husband
and four children are in that awful pile by
the stone bridge, and am alone now" A
black dress was found for her.
In many cases whole families perished In
q small room of the school-house lay five
little children. big boy sat by contem-
plating them They were his brothers and
sisters His father, Squire Fisher. and his
mother were drowned, but their bodies
have not yet been found. The children
were in the attic and would have keen
saved, but a locomotive was hurled through
the house and knocked it down. The sur
viving member Of the family has since COM
mitted suicide
The sights and sounds heard that night
were the most painful that human beings
were ever called upon to endure. In the
darkness could be distinguished human be-
ings floating by the town on house-tops and
RATS Sorae were crying for help, others
were praying aloud for mercy, and a few
were even singing as il to keep up their
courage About 9 o'clock big raft swept
by the village within 100 yards of the shore.
There was an entire family on it, and they
were singing Nearer, My God, to Thee.
In the midst of their song the raft struck
large tree and went to splinters. O1here
were one or two wild cries and then silence.
Mrs. Mary Fem stood by a muddy pool of
water trying to find some trace of n once
happy home. A reporter asked her CON
cerning her loss. She said she was left
alone, her husband and seven children be-
ing swept away. She continued:
I'VE were driven by the raging food into
the garret, but the waters followed US there.
Inch by inch it kept rising until our
heads were crushing against the roof. 1t
was death to remain. So I raised win
dow and one by one placed my dar-
lings on some driftwood, trusting to the
Great Creator. AS liberated the last one, my
sweet little boy, he looked at me and said:
Mamma, you always told me that the Lord
would care for me: VIII He look after me nowY'
l saw him drift away with his LOVING face
turned toward me, and with o prayer my
lips for his deliverance he passed from sight
forever. The next moment the roof crashed
in and foated outs de to be rescued fifteen
hours later from the root of a house in Kern.
VILE If could only find one OF my darlings
could bow to the Will of God But they are all
gone"
Near the center of the city were three
persons pulling apart the debris as best
they could They were an elderly woman,
young woman, quite pretty, and little
girl, all dressed in mourning. A reporter
stopped to watch them for a moment,
when suddenly the little girl cried: 20,
mamma, here's something" Both women
hurried over as the child held up
a water stained photograph album.
'Yes, that's ours" cried the younger
of the women as she feverishly
seized it and tegan TO turn the dirty and
water-swollen leaves. All three sat down
on an uprooted tee near by, and they
went through sNe album, Utterly re-