Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-04
UNDER ALANDsLIDE.
rrr,,,,,,r cArAsr EorHE IN THE
CITY G. ..IEHisc.

Scores of People n>he" ]" i's'i 'f"'
bv Tons or Rock from an cNerh"'S"s
(.lin-Recent Heavy Rains the cause Oh
the Disaster-Scen"so oil WOE
Ouebec dispatch says: Thursday
evening people living in the neign.
horhood OF the Citadel were startled
IN hearing n low, rumbling sound, accom-
panied by perceptible culver OF the
earth. Houses were shaken, dishes rattleo,
and even in some cases people had dlfilcul-
ty in maintaining their tootlns. Every
ono rushed into the street ana IL was
learned that large portion OF cape Dla-
mond. lust below the Citidel, had become
detatched and. sliding down the declivity
to Champlain street. had buried several
resid, noes and their inmates under from
fifteen to twenty five feet OF rock, DIRT ana
wrerkage.
AT the foot of the cliff is narrow
street, which occupies all the space be-
tween the cape and the river, and this
was filed with the debris which had
crushed cut the lives OF at least twenty
five people, The exact number is not
vet known as the enormous mass of earth
and stone has shown but little dinlinut,on,
notwithstanding that u large force OF men
was at work clearing it away i'll less than
half an hour after the horrible disaster
took place 1t is believed, however, that
not less than % have persisted. About
half q score of bodies have already been
taken out of the ruins, and number Of
people terribly crashed, but still alive,
have also been rescued.
Champlain street, on which the terrible
visitation lell, presents q scene OF unmltl-
gated sorrow and desolation The heads
OF ,anilies are rushing about frantically
seeking their offspring, while children are
quite distracted searching Tor their par
ents The portion the cliff ovcrhanging
this street which started from its place
demolished about eight houses, occupied
by twenty or thirty families. The cause
J of the disaster is said to be the recent
, heavy rains. The amount o. fallen rock is
immense, and completely blocks the road.
The story given by survivor is that he
was standing in his door when the land
slide occnred, and that as soon as he saw
the huge powders and masses OF rock
bounding down the steep incline he rushed
up the street only in time to escape being
crushed to death. The houses struck were
| all three or four stories high, and gave
way before the avalanche like past board.
Some of them caught fire. This added to
the terror and general confusion, and for
awhile it appeared that those who had es.
capped death Ivy the weight of stone and
tmbers would be cremated. The timely
arrival of the fire brigade soon dispelled
this fear, and the way was clear for the
eager bystanderS to begin their work OF
rescuing those imbedded III the ruins.
Those who witnessed the fall OF tho rock
say they heard long, loud nolse as OF
several cannon, and on looking up toward
the terrace and citadel were Mortified by
the sight of large mass of stones, rock,
and earth breaking loose and rushing
down the 800 feet Of declivtty upon the
doomed houses below. Immediately the
air was filled with dust. so that no one
could ses ten feet in front of him and
breathing was made difficult This wa
followed by the sound of timbers crushing
and yielding to the immense power of the
avalanche. and the shouting and scream
ing of men, women, and children in al
the agony of despair.
The avalanche was caused by the no
weather OF the past few weeks cracking
} the earth and rock, which were 1oosenet
{ and driven down by the heavy rain Of thu
last few days. the men of the water pc
lice, whose station is near the scene Of til,
accident set to work at once to rescue tn,
: imprisoned persons, while the genera
, alarm was sounded, which called out TIN
fire brigade and police. The flames wer
soon eAtinguished. and the men from tn
1 battery began the work of extricating TIN
. unfortunates from the ruins, assisted b,
many OF the citizens.
I A detachment of Battery D Canadian
Artillery, under Major Wilson, 500
l. started at a double quick for the scene o
destruction. The water police and the me-
( of the civic police force also worke
bravely, every one present working hi
fo FOR \, fall a
soldiers especially distinguished themselve
by their braveay.
After the first few bodies had been ex
J tracted the work proceeded more rapid,
till ut last an almost continuous string O
dead, dying and wounded kept pourin
}, into the marine department. where almos
all the doctors Of the city were assembled
\ The spacious rooms of this building wer
soon filled with crowd of Borrowing rela
tives. 1t is estimated that between twent
: and thirty persons are dead and owe
i. twenty wounded. Two men of the fiji,
brigade were also injured, but not serious
ly. Some families have not yet been re
covered, and it is feared that their mem
cred dead are: Thomas Farrell. two Far
4 rell children, two Burke children, an un
j, known child, Mrs. Berrigan, five unidenti
l. fed bodies
. Besides these it is believed almost to
I certainty that Richard Maybury, lahore,
: and wife; Henry Black, grocer and pre-
prietor Of large foundry, and his Who'll
!. family; Maggie and Ellen Walsh, Mrs
i, Stevens Mrs. Allan, Mrs. Henry, Richar
Kemp and family, and the Lawson famil
can never be reached alive The rela
tives, neighbors and workers are afraid t
S guess at the actual number of the dead
Among the injured so far recovered are
!: Thomas Graves leg broken; Stephe
. Burke, injured internally; w. Power, badl
crushed; Mrs. O'Neal badly hurt; p.
Fitzgerald, leg broken and badly hui
u otherwise; M. Reddy, injured internally
: Nellie Deehy, leg broken.
d 1t will take hours to get down to til
}; Black family and others, who are believe
to he beyond all assistance
!: The occupants of the destroyed house
were the following, with their familie
Z. Charles Allan, Thomas Berrigan, Tim Be-
>: rigan, Blacks grocery, Henry Black, Mr.
w. Bracken, James Bradley, Stephe
|; Burke, Michael Dehey, Thomas Farrell
:; Patrick Fitzgerald, Henry Lawson, Rot
= ert Lawson, Richard Leahy, Frank Car