The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-25

Fourteen families were rendered
homeless, and their household goods
to large extent destroyed by the yell
low torrent, which swept through Hap
py Hollow last night. The residents
would not listen to the warnings of
the police, firemen and friends, who
entreated them in vain to move their
furnishings to a safe place, and va
cate their homes. Obdurate to the last,
some of the residents had to be taken
from their homes, the patrol wagon
being called into service to rescue
some of the women and children.
Only one wall of the old Nixon Paper
Mill stands today. 1t was sadly bat
tered by the angry waters.
The damage will total several thous.
ands in this small strip of land be-
tween the two forks of the river.
Household goods were ruined by the
flood which swept through the lower
floors of the dwellings with such
force as to break heavy window panes
and force open the doors. Chairs,
stools, tables, and small articles of
furniture were swept from the homes
and into the swirling waters to be
taken miles away and lost irretrieva-
bly,
Swollen Waters Rose Rapidly.
At seven O'CLOCK last evening the
water had receded almost foot from
the five O'Clock mark. At eight o'clock
it had risen a foot. At nine it had ris-
en- two feet, and at ten o'clock a few
farsighted members of households
prepared for the inevitable. Most of
them, however, refused to believe that
the water would reach their houses.
AT ten o'clock two small streams
of water touched in the middle of the
hollow, and the union of the two bran
ches of the river was made. Ten min
utes later with rush and a roar that
almost swept the volunteers from
their feet, the snarling flood surged
through the hollow, into the lower
Floors of the houses.
Weeping and trembling with ter
ror, the women finally permitted them
selves to be lead from their houses
some of them being carried on the
backs of the volunteers. In twenty
minutes the water rose three feet.
The patrol wagons manned by city
police drove into the flood hub deep
On the wagon, and rescued Mrs. HUI
bert Burden and her four small chill
uren, and Mrs. Jim Cont and her three
small children.
William Sparks, the sage of the hol-
low, and his wife refused to move
even when they saw the yellow flood
surge about their very door steps.
Their home is the highest in the hol-
low.
Volunteers Did Valiant Work.
A corps of young men of Fairview
equipped for wet weather and carry
ing lanterns after the power plants
suspended, rushed into the hollow at
ten O'Clock and carried practically all
the heavy and valuable pieces of fur
niture from the homes of Fred Wea-
yer, James Williams, John Carol and
George Weaver The remaining houses
were under water also, but the own
ers had taken their goods to the Sec
ond floor or refused assistance.
The scene of dissolution wrought by
the water was awful. The two branch
es of the river. raging in their power,
rose to point unequalled for twenty
or more years, eclipsing the previous
high water mark of 1895. The street.
Bridge avenue, was transformed into
q surging river.
At the home of Hubert Burden, the
mother and four small children were
taken from their home by the patrol
wagon, the water being three feet
deep. The family of Jim Cont,
wife and three children, We're taken
in the next trip of the wagon. The re-
manning residents of the hollow were
either able to walk through the flood,
or were carried out by the Fairview
youths.
Covered Bridge Was Weakened.
At eleven O'Clock the covered bridge
below the Rumely company plant be-
gan to creak and groan. The string
ers of the bridge We're breaking un-
der the strain. The bridge was deem
ed unsafe, and traffic over it suspend
ed except foot passengers.
Newman's Hill was crowded with
the unfortunate refugees from the
hollow, some of them in thin clothes,
all they were able to save. The mad
rush of the flood, when it finally came
at eleven O'Clock, was so sudden that
the obdurate residents who refused
to leave early in the evening We're I'M