Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-07-17
DOWN WITH A BRIDGE.
A Number of Lives Lost in a Mo
hawk Valley Flood.
TWELVE PERSONS SWEPT TO DEATH
The Village of JOhnstown, ". ", Visited
by High Water-Many Bridges and
Buildings Destroyed-A Mum.
Der of Bodies RecOv-
cred To-day.

drowning number OF persons and
destroying a great deal of property.
The water rose fifteen feet in few
minutes, and overfowed everything.
At this place ten people are missing
and four bodies have been recovered.
Those whose bodies are recovered, are
Charles Frear and two other men
named Coskley and Yost, and Ia
year-old boy named Steadwell.
The drowned and missing people were
among crowd of from thirty to fifty
persons who stood on the stone bridge
crossing the river at Perry Street watch.
ing the rising water. They seemed re-
CARELESS of danger until the bridge
gave way and they were precipitated
into the food. The bridge was about
twenty feet high and fifteen feet wide.
1t was single arch structure and was
crossed by street car track.
The stone bridge was swept away at
aboxt Z o'clock in the e,sning. Two
iron bridges of the Johnstown, Fonda
& Gloucester Railroad were wrecked
and seven or eight other bridges were
carried away. Two tanneries owned by
Simon Schriber were swept away and
the Schriber and Anderson dams were
broken down.
The water in the Cayadutta Creek
began to rise at 80 and the stream WAS
soon converted into raging torrent.
Of tire men, women and children who
were thrown into the water by the
breaking of the stone bridge, the larger
number were saved by means of ropes
thrown to them from the shore.
This morning the fire department,
under direction of Chief II. A. Thomp-
son, is engaged in the search for more
bodies. The water is still very rough
and dangerous tor boats.
The final and fatal rise in the Caya-
dutta was very sudden. and is attribut-
ed to the effects of a cloudburst. Be-
sides the sweeping away of the bridges
and the tanneries there is much damage
to buildings which ere left standing.
The electric light plant was washed out,
and the town is left in total darkness
for the night. All communication by
wire is cut off save through the long
distance telephone over which this mes
sage is sent.
Chief Mcdonald, with President Nor
thup of the Village Board, Police JUS
tice Anderson and others, orranized
searching expedition. Lanterns were
procured and parties went along the
stream withropes to assist in the rescue.
One person was seen splashing and
plunging in the water near the Johns
town, Fonda & Gleversville Railroad
bridge one-quarter at a mile down the
stream. AS he foated past those
on the shore be cried, "Eor Gods
sake help me-" He was swept by
in the current so close to the shore, that
a man who was in boat secured to
pile of wreckage, got hold of him, but
owing to the swift current was unable
to hold him and he was swept under
the floating driftwood. Two other per-
sons came down a moment later cling
They were shot out of sight below the
railroad bridge.
At 4 A. NJ. the body of Burt Speedwell
Is years of age, was recovered from the
debris at this place. An hour later Al
bert Cokely was pulled out from under
the driftwood that had lodged back OF
Evans mills. Soon after the body of
man named Treadwell was found in the
same place. At 9 A. NJ. the body of
Charles Frear, So years of age, a carpen-
penter, was uncovered from under the
wreck at Evans mills. The bodies are
badly bruised. They were removed to
police headquarters where they will re-
main pending a coroner's inquest.
Charles Abbott was carried down
from the Ferry Street bridge to the dam
which he. went over, going down
distance of sixteen feet, but he miracu-
lousy escaped in swimming ashore, es-
Gaping without injury. Peter Evans,
stone mason, says he went down with
fifteen others and was carried under the
Ferry Street bridge but succeeded in
getting out below. He was bruised
about the face. Purdy Case rescued
two men named Nellis and Vosburg by
means of ropes.
Citizens are engaged this morning in
removing the wreckage of Schriever's
mill, near the depot, where they think
other bodies have been lodged. It is be-
lieved that the two men who went down
on plank lost their lives at the dam,
and that their bodies were carried down
the stream and are now floating in the
Mohawk River. No one knows how
many people were drowned or who is
current so swift that no help could be
rendered without great danger. The
State Street iron bridge and the railroad
bridge were swept away. They were
large structures.
Yesterday afternoon during the heavi-
ess part of the storm Main and Bleeck.
or Streets, in Gloversville, were flooded
with water. The new pavement IN
Blocker Street was torn up for several
blocks. A number of residences in the
upper part of the town are entirely sur
rounded by water. The foundation
walls Of a new stone building being
constructed on North Main Street.
Gloversville, was partly carried away.
The two iron bridges on the Central and
the Fonda, Johnstown q Gloyersville
Railroad, at Fonda, are gone.
The pecuniary loss will not be SO very
great. The railroad and State Street
bridges, in Johnstown. were large, first
class structures. The Ferry Street
bridge consisted of an arch spanning
the entire width Of the stream. 1t was
upon one of the plank walks that the
people were standing when the arch
WAS carried away. Schreiver's large mill
is entirely wrecked and will
entail loss Of about So