The record-union., 1896-07-22
Two Houses Washed Away and All the
Occupants Drowned.
The Disaster Occurs About Four
O'Clock i'm the Morning on Benson
Creek, Four Miles From Frankfort,
People Were Unable to Make Any
Attempt to Save Themselves.

LOUISVILLE Ry.), July 21.-Ten
lives were lost and great havoc wrought
to property by a cloudburst last night
and early this morning, which seems to
have vented its fury on Benson, in
Franklin County, where two houses
were washed away and every one of
their occupants drowned
The dead are: James Bradley and two
children, bodies recovered; Mrs. George
Bryant and two children, bodies recov-
cred; unknown man, body recovered;
Mrs. James Bradley and two children,
bodies not recovered.
While the rainfall within an area of
100 miles ranged from 205 to 10
inches, no further loss of life is reported,
though bridges are down and communi-
cation from the county seat to the out
lying portions is cut off.
The disaster occurred about 4 o'clock
this morning on Benson's Creek, four
miles from Frankfort. The houses of
James Bradley, a farmer, and Mrs.
Bryant, a widow, were washed away
and all the inmates were drowned. All
of those in the two houses were asleep
when the food came. and were unable
to make any attempt to save them
selves.
In Bradley's house there were him
self and wife and five children, all of
whom were drowned Mrs. Bryant's
two children perished with her. It is
feared that this does not include all
the dead and that other bodies Will be
found during the day
Besides the loss of life great damage
was done to property in the county.
The most serious loss was that of the
bridge, which was swept away.
Mrs. Bryant kept toll-gate near the
bridge. The little dollhouse was right
on Benson Creek, just across from
James Bradley's, and not far from her
fathers, Squire Moore. The CONWAY
mill, just above, was the first to 60.
It's tirnbers must have swept away the
Bryant and Bradley houses. These
houses themselves must have hit the
railroad bridge two miles below, as no
mill tinberS are seen below. The
bridge was swept away with terrible
force. Everything about it, iron and all,
except the main buttments, is gone.
In ten minutes after the cloudburst
Benson Creek, which empties into the
Kentucky River Immediately below
town. was a mad, swollen river, cover
ing the valley on either bank and car
rying everything before it. All trains
are laid up until repairs are made Pas
sengers are carried around the break in
carriages.
The largest property damage was
probably at Pence's sawmill. The sup
ply of logs were tied up in great RATS
in the river just below where Benson
Greek empties. Every log, representing
-. 00O feet of lumber, was swept away.
The iron rails for fifty feet back of the
iron buttment of the Louisville and
Nashville bridge were twisted in two
and dragged down stream with the
bridge,
Dispatches from all parts Of the east
central portion of the State report great
losses. Bridges of the railroad were
washed out. and traffic is at a stand
still. Farmers in this section suffered
heavy loss, entire fields of wheat and
corn being swept away. The loss to
lumbermen along the Kentucky River
will be enormous, several mills and
thousands of logs having been swept
away. At Shelbyville Clear Creek over
flowed the lower portion of the town
and put out the fires in the gas works.
At Louisville over five inches of rain
fell. The Louisville and Nashville Rail-
roo6 tho crrpo Gil ffarar