Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-09-25

Hundreds of tons of earth and rock fell
into the streets and on dwellings and
stores. Buildings were reduced to
splinters and the occupants crushed to
death or smothered rs they stood. The
debris covers the road in a solid mass
for over 600 feet in length and from Is
to 25 teet in height.
About 8 o'clock last evening people
living in the neighborhood OF the eta
del were startled on hearing a low.
rumbling sound, accompanied by per-
ceptible culver of the earth. Houses
were shaken, dishes raft ed and even
in some cases people had difficulty in
maintaining their footing. Everyone
rushed, into the street, and it was
learned t.Iat large portion of Cape
Diamond, just below the citadel. had
become detached, and, sliding down
the declivity, had buried several resi-
dences and their inmates under from
ii teen to twenty-five feet of rock. dirt
and other wreckage. At the foot of the
cliff IS narrow street, which occupies
all the space between the cape and the
river, and this was flied with the de-
bris which had crushed out the YES of
people in its path. The exact number
Is not yet known, as the enormous mass
OF earth and stone had up to midnight
shown but little dlminutlon, notwith-
standing that large force of men was
at work clearing it away in less than
half an hour after the horrible disaster
took place.
The streets in the neighborhood of
the spot are alive with people, and the
chief difficulty the police have to en-
counter is that of holding back the vast
crowds. hundreds of whom have rela-
tlves among the dead or diving. Some
of the bodies taken out show no EVIL
dence of being crushed, and the
belief is that in these cases the
unfortunate victims of the terrible
catastrophe were simply smothered to
death. One little GIRL the daughter of
fisherman named Vignaux, was found
pinned down under a beam unable to
move, but absolutely unhurt. She was
the sole surviving member of family
of seven, the bodies of all the others
having been recovered. In the same
building with the Vignaux were three
other families, and it is doubtful if any
member OF either has escaped.
Efforts to recover the dead and res.
cue the injured living began last night,
and this morning the work of eXcavat-
Ing still goes on at the terrible land
slide. Among the persons rescued are
Mrs. Mary Caldwell, Thomas Berrigan,
boy named Berrigan and Mrs. Black.
All are badly bruised. Mrs. Black
states that her husband was killed at
the, door of their house, and that his
body is still in the debris.
The loss sustained by the surviving
victims OF the disaster is very great.
Some Of the workingmen who are de-
prived of homes lose all their furniture
and other effects, even their summer
earnings. Many are lett virtually pen
niless at the commencement of a Ca
madam winter. The injured have been
nearly all removed to the Hotel Dieu
where they will receive all possible care
and attention. William Powers, wife
and child were saved by men of the
Battery, who, aided by detachment eff
the Cavalry school, effected quite a
number of rescues.
Some dead and wounded are still be-
ing taken out of the ruins, but their
names have not yet been ascertained.
The work of rescuing the victims is GO
ing on vigorously. The members of the
Black family were buried alive twelve
feet below the surface of the debris,
On being asked if they were safe.
Mrs. Black answered: "My hus-
band. is killed at the door.
The rest are safe, but we are
suffering from wounds and bruises on
our limbs" Shortly after Miss May
Caldwell, niece of Mr.. Black, was
extricated from Mr.. Blacks house. Her
limbs were so stiff from inaction that
the least touch on them caused excruci-
atlng pains. The next person taken out
was Thomas Berri!gan, whose wife was
taken out of the ruins dead. He was SO
dishgured his friends could hardly rec
ognize him. He was removed to the
Dieu Hospital, muttering prayer of
thanks for his miraculous escape. The
next to follow was an 8-year-old boy
also named Berrigan. His left leg was
crushed TO a jelly. Then came Mrs.
Black. Her bosom, neck and face were
dreadfully swollen.
The scene of the terrible disaster is
being visited by thousands who block
up the narrow street and make it a
difficult task for. anyone to move in
any direction. There being but one
narrow street between the rock and
the river there is complete stoppage
of traffic, except by climbing over
engaged in searching the ruins. The
shipping Office in the Dominion govern
ment building has been turned into
temporary morgue, and over twenty
bodies are lying in it. It is diff
cult to identify some of the bodies,
SO much have they been disfg-
ured and crushed. Several of the
persons reported missing have turned
up. A complete list of the injured can
not be made up as yet. as they were re-
moved to different hospitals and to
friends houses as soon as they were
taken from the ruins.
The-mass of earth and rock moved is,
roughly speaking, about 800 feet 'front.'
age by 80 feet in depth. Some of the
masses of fallen rock must weigh nearly
twenty tons, and there are 80 many
huge blocks that it makes the work of
clearance very difficult. The working
parties this afternoon are better organ
lied and equipped and are making
more Roadway.
It is feared that large part of the
rock adjoining the site of the slides will
come down, as large crevices have ap-
peared and the rain is still falling and
may repeat the operations which caused
last nights disaster. The people are
moving. out of the threatened houses.
There has been no lack of volunteers
of he r,,sr ~ l. l.