Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-04-07

some caught fire and their unfortunate
people were compelled to intrust them
selves to the mercy Of the swirlng
/ water on tiny floats of wood to avoid a
more terrible death by fire.
Many Take to the Roofs.
The first rush of the current did not
do all the damage. When the black
| water had slackened somewhat many
houses were still standing, but it was
quickly seen that the frame ones would
not last in the steady crush of the
flood. BY means of plank RATS and
swimming in the cold water 70 or so
| people We're transferred from their gar
ret windows and roofs to the fat tops
Of the Gallatin county bank, brick and
stone building, and the courthouse,
which is of brick. It was hoped that
these would withstand the pressure
and the undermining, but when the
single courier who rode for help to
Cypress junction left Shawneetown
only those two buildings showed above
the broad sheet of the flood n the lower
part of the town, and its full, sullen
force was being thrown against them.
Took Refuge on High Land
Beside the hundred or more who
were on the roofs of the two sound
buildings it is known that nearly / 900
of the inhabitants managed in one way
or another to make their way to the
high hills back of the town or to houses
in the higher section of the village it.
self. ~ few Of these survived the sud-
den burst of the waters, but their first
and sometimes their second floors were
under water. Those who made their
way to them went only in the clothes
they were wearing when the water
came. None had time to secure either
treasure or clothing.
The property loss is enormous. Mer-
chants will lose their goods which had
not been moved to upper stories of
buildings, as no danger was appre-
hended.
Awful scenes.
The scene in the streets at the upper
end of the town where men and wom-
en- were painfully fighting their way
against the muddy water to higher
ground, some carrying babies on their
heads, where water was up to their
necks, others half-swimming, half-hoat-
ing on odds and ends of lumber from
homes that had gone floating down the
river, many struggling in vain and sink
ing in the roaring waters, was one that
will live in the memory of every behold
or. 1t was perhaps more terrible than
that on the bosom Of the flood, where
members of families chung in at least
temporary security TO the roofs of their
floating dwellings,.
At one place mother had reached
safe spot and turned to help her hus-
band, who had followed with their child
AS she reached down from window
for his hand he was thrown from his
footing and he and the child were swept
away in the zigzag current The woman
saw him sink the second time and then
threw herself into the water.
Another family padded half way to
safety On broad plank that but half
held them out of the water. \ side cur
rent caught them and sent them out
toward the middle of the stream, where I
in the rougher water they were seen to
capsize and sink.
An old. man of the name Of Griffin.
living on high ground, stopped in
the upper story OF his trembling house
to secure hoard Of money hidden I'M
der the bed. His son, young man of
p, had to climb up the porch to rescue
him, so quick was the rise of the water.
and when the two attempted TO swim
to safety, the younger man supporting
the other, floating house that came
rolling and tumbling on the current
overwhelmed them.
Died Helping Her Mother
A school-teacher whose name is sun
posed to be Josephson. was warned of
the danger in time to get to the high
ground, but in turning back to help
her mother was caught with the elder
woman in an eddy and both were
drowned. One woman made an effort
to save her lover by throwing a clothes
line to him from the roof of her house.
His house was swept away at the mo-
ment and he was thrown into the water.
He swan manfully to aid the girl,
but she was standing on the side of
a gable roof and was pulled from her
insecure footing. Both were drowned.
Story of an Eye Witness.
These are some of the incidents Of
the disaster witnessed personally by
John Graham, the'sing.c survivor of the
disaster, who reached the wires Sun
day night. He made his way to Cypress
junction, from which place he tele-
phoned here for help. He said that he
had heard that in the first rush of water
so houses were carried away in one lot.
He said, when closely questioned, that
it was possible that half Of the town