The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-04-07

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or another to mike the way TO the
high hills back Of the town or to houses
in the higher section Of the village it,
self. a few 81 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. BE- ~. d
J, 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-float-
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
er. It was perhaps more terrible than
that on the bosom of the flood, where
members of families chung in atleast
temporary security to the roofs of their
floating dwellings. ..,.$.-s E, ...s -, ,
At one place mother had reached a
safe spot and turned to help her hus-
band, who adfollowed with their child.
AS she reached down from a 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. A side cur
rent caught them and sent them out
toward the middle of the stream. where
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, a young man of
II, 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-teaoher whose name is sup
| 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 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
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 single 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
was lost in the great disaster. He was
of the impression that about 1000 peo-
pie escaped to high ground, but he could
not be sure of his statements because
CT the darkness, the confusion of the
scene and the horrors that were every
where before his eyes. He had himself,
he said, pulled ~ persons out of the
water.
On the levee close by the landing
place stood the largest hotel in that
section of the Countrywide Riverside
house-and it is feared, although not
positively known, that this has been
carried away by the gradual destruc-
ton of the levee. When Graham left
the water-swept village the levee was
fast disappearing under the action of
the water and there was every prospect
that the Riverside house would be un-
dermined before two hours had passed
away