The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-21

were In the attic and would have been
oavea, but locomotive was hurled Through
the house and knocked it Down The sur
wiring member of the family aaztnce COM
mitted suicide.
The sights and sounds heasd .that night
were, the most painful that huma1 beings
WeHssEer called upon to endure In the
darkness could be distinguished huxaan be-
fngs6 oating by the town On house.teps and
RATA, Some were crying for help others
weretsraying aloud for mercy. and few
v'eaeseven singing as II to keep Mp their
courage. About Q o'clock big raft swept
by this village within 100 yards eft the shore
Theresxas an entire family o. &, aAo they
were N;nging Nearer, Ny God, to,Thee. !"
In the midst Of their song the raft struck q
large tree and went to spliHters oThere
were ore or two wild cries and then silence
Mrs.. Mary Fem stood by q muddy7pool of
water tying to find some trAce of q once
happy aome A reporter asked INA con-
corning her loss She said she was left
alone, her husband and seven childsen be-
ing sxept.away. She continued:
We were driven by the raging hooS into
the garnet, but the waters followed Us there.
Inch. By ZACH it kept rising until. our
beads were crushing against the roof. It
was death, to remain. So I raised .Awin-
dow and lone by one placed my dar-
lings on, .some driftwood, trusting to. the
Great Creator As liberated the hast one. my
sweet little hoy, he looked at me and said:
Mamma. Yal always told me that the Lord
would care for me: will He look after me nosr
l saw him drift away with his loving ,1tce
turned toward me. and with . prayer ON any
lips for his dsliverance he passed from sight
forever" The next moment the roof crashed
in and foated outs de to be rescued fifteen
hon lat Qx< rAx, he NJ in Uovr-
Vile II could only find one OF my darilngs
could bow to fhewil Of God. But they are eli
gone"
: Mean tho oesser, Of the city, were Ehsse
persons pulling apart the debris a. heet
they could They were an elderly woman,
ayoung wonan, quite pretty, and little
girl, all dressed lin mourning. 4 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
sa water-statned photograph album
st'Yes, that's ovrs" cried the younger
ef the women :. as she feverishly
seized it and begarto turn the dirty and
,sater-swollen leaves. All three sat down
Ok an uprooted tnse, near by, and they
went through the album. utterly re-
gardless of the crowd that gathered
1be younger one aIneu 10 the nIs'
picture In the alsum and carefully
wiped the dirt away with her handker-
CHIEF. ; She looked at stIong and earnestly
Whale the other two locked over her Shout
der. Il thought we had lost it" she said,
as tt tears trickled down her face.
In the gray dusk Of that fatal Friday
eveni lg crowd of people stood upon the
bridge at Bolivar trying 30 rescue the I'M
fortunates as they were carried down by
the fl&nd Ropes were dangling from the
bridge for those in the water TO grasp. One
poor woman's plight was even 30 piteous
that even strong men wept. She WAS sit
ting high and dry on a substantial pile OF
timber that was bearing her down
stream rapidly. On each side of her
lay little child They xete still and
made n0 outcry as the woman clasped
them close. As the craft neared the bridge
the spectators saw that the children were