Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1873 — The Dixon Calamity—A Graphic Description. [ARTICLE]

The Dixon Calamity—A Graphic Description.

[Special dispatch to the Chicago Inter-Ocean,] Dixon, 111., May 5. This is a dark day for Dixon. Over the whole city there is a pall of sadness that the most disinterested cannot help feel. The calamity strikes at nearly every household, and the rich and poor meet together in mourning. So closely bound are the citizens by the ties of blood and intermarriage there is scarcely a family in the whole place but takes the sorrow to its home. The stores are closed and the houses darkened. Everybody is on the street, and all the country around has emptied itself into the town till the roads and walks are crowded, and both banks of tlie river by the wreck are black with human forms. The meager information' published this morning gives but a faint idea of the disaster—and as details develop—as survivors tell the story of their escape, as fathers report the names of missing children, and friends of friends who are missing—the catastrophe grows in magnitude, and it will be days before the horror can be fully comprehended; Sabbath morning flawed warm and bright. The ceremony of immersion by the Baptist Church, which had been several times postponed, was announced for twelve o’clock, and eleven- converts presented themselves for the rite of baptism. The mildness of the weather drew a large crowd to the' river,>which gathered upon the steep banks anil upon the bridge, at the north end of which the ceremony was to be performed. The morning service in the other churches was just closing, and as the bridge was a thoroughfare the throng received constant accessions, till nearly two thousand souls were gathered at the place. The bridge, which stretches not more than fifty or .sixty feet above the natural font which was used for the baptismal ceremonies, was the favorite outlook for the women and children. Just as the third candidate was presenting himself for baptism there was a sharp, quick crash, a heavy rumbling, and a ' prolonged, soul-rending shriek from 500 lungs. The main western stringer of the north span of the bridge broke like a reed, tipping 300 persons into the stream, and falling fifty feet with crushing weight upon them. The fall dislodged the stays from the abutments ; the shock ran along the whole length of the bridge like a flash of electricity, and span after span was drawn from tile piers and sunk sagging to the water’s surface, tijl the whole five were coiled up like massive bags, holding a bruised, bleeding, frightened, frantic mass of men, women, children and horses. The imagination can .scarcely conceive of a more terrible calamity. The situation was so terrible, the chances of escape so few, the sources of aid so scanty that it is merely marvelous that the loss of life is comparativly so small. The water runs in swift, frothy currents over a dam not more than 100 yards above, and it was no swollen by recent rains that its depth was about twenty feet. Not only* those who were precipitated with the falling span went under the water, but many on the other spans were either thrown by, the shock into the stream orplunged in themselves to escape being crushed by the crazy crowd. The,. scene cannot be described. ‘ The fancy cannot -picture it. The eves of those who witnessed it were blinded with horror, and the whole crowd on the banks stood paralyzed for a moment, unable to think, speak, or move till the mind could catch a faint conipre-Jumsdon.ai-lhe.aidhl„mtuation. An_ oldman who sat on a log near the bank when the bridge went down says, “I heard the crack, I saw a swayingj rolling line; I heard voices, and then my head was dizzy, and whirled till the sky looked black"” As soon as the fact was felt in the crowd on the banks there was a rush to the water, strong men plunged in to rescue those who came to the surface, boards and planks Were throwmto Uxeir relief, and a number of boats, which were fortunately at hand, were sent immediately to the aid the wounded. Few of those who were "saved can tell who rescued them, and most of those who were most instrumental in saving lift! ate unable yet to recall what they did or whom they helped in the moment of frenzy. There were stretches Still clinging to the abutments, which were not looseni-u by the fall,- and to these were clinging persons desperate for life.

As soon as the observers ftilly comprehended the horrors of the situation messengers ran over the city to the hotels and churches where Sunday schools where in session 1 ; and for the rest of the day the town was one grand chaos. Men were working and women were weeping at the bank of the river ; mothers rushed frantically into the crowd half crazed with anxiety, and calling frantically for their children; little ones terrified into stupor, stood mutely still until found by their parents, or taken to places of safety.. There were scenes of joy and scenes of anguish, and as the crushed and pallid bodies were brought to the shore the air was rent with wails of sorrow from broken hearts robbed of their dearest treasures. Husbands and wives were clasped in each other's arms'. Pious mothers knelt down in the dust and thanked God that He had been merciful to their households, while others whom- the blow of Providence had stricken heavily fell senseless to the ground. There were cries of thankfulness and curses of despair. Weak women fainted, and strong men bent down and wept. Each lifeless body brought to light rent some heart anew, and each one rescued alive caused a shout of joy. Mourning and rejoicing were general and universal, for the ties of kindred were hiddenAn the closer relationship of sorrow.. The work of rescue and recovery continued through the afternoon. Nearly all the loss of life was owing to the crushmg force of the bridge, for all who came alive to the surface of the water were quickly saved. Men seemed to have superhuman strength given them, and took alarming hazards without the quiver of a muscle. Edward Patrick, Fred. Shaw, William Dauntler, William Lawsons, William Shylock, Atwood Burr, Henry Woodyet, James Van Arman, and other young men, plunged boldly into the water and swam like heroes with the bodies of senseless women and children. Jacob Armstrong went down with the crash, but crawled on the bottom of the river from under the net-work of iron that hemmed him in, swam to the surface, and after a few moments’ rest plunged in again and saved others as he had saved himself. — - William Schuler, Joseph Haden, and Eustacie Shaw narrowly escaped death, but extricated themselves from the iron work and swam ashore. Tony Brantigan, a boy eight years old, cl ung to a plank and was rescued after floating down half a mile with the rapid current. Several bodies, which had been carried by the undercurrent, werepicked up a mile or more down the stream. The body of Frederick Hope, a German baker, was found floating nearly two miles below the bridge. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler clung to the iron rail and were rescued exhausted. A young lady named Hazenplug had a miraculous escape, being protected by a network of iron at the side of the stone abutment. A child of John Wadsworth was seized by the hair by a bold swimmer and drawn to the bank. The Bev. Mr.- Pratt, of the Baptist Church, the officiating clergyman, was just repeating the ritual over the third candidate for baptism when the crash came. He threw off his coat and boots, and by persistent and courageous efforts succeeded in saving six lives. The man is totally crushed with a weight of sorrow. He wanders about the wreck in melancholy sadness, and seems constantly in silent prayer. He has some injuries and suffered much from exposure. Miss Keith, of Dixon, stood on the outer edge of the bridge, and when the crash came she started to leap into the water, but was caught by Mr. George Anderson and held till both were rescued from their perilous position. A Mrs. Keener, from Chicago, who is visiting this place, had a very narrow escape, as also did Mrs. Duschon, who clung to a jutting stone in the pier for some minutes. She was painfully wounded. The town is full with rumors of other marvelous escapes. Some of the prominent citizens, among them Mr. Stickney, editor of the Sun, were just approaching the bridge when it gave way. Had they been two minutes sooner they would have gone to eternity with the rest. The work of rescuing the living and recovering the dead was carried on all Sabbath afternoon, large gangs of workmen employed on the Northwestern and Illinois Central Bailways, under the charge of John C. Jacobs, offering timely assistance, and their labors were kept up during the greater part of the night. A derrick was erected and a seine stretched across the river to catch any bodies that might be loosened from the watery prison and float out, and several were recovered in that way. Night settled like a mantle over the scene, and made more ghastly the horrid and fantastic shapes which the broken bridge had assumed. Men continued to work with torches until midnight, when a watch was stationed and further operations postponed till morning. When your reporter reached Dixon, at three o’clock this morning, there were still a few persons lingering round the place. People from the country were constantly coming in to inquire after friends, anxiously peering over the dead list. One gray-haired farmer, who lives five miles away, reached the place about four o’clock this morning to inquire after the safety of a son who was working in Dixon. He could not find the boy at his boarding place and sought on the dead list for his name. He did not find it there and wandered to the wreck with a heavy heart. On reaching the wreck he found his son alive and watching with the rest. The meeting was an affecting one. From the high hill which overbrows the town bne'Cduld see flie"'night"ddtted ’ with lights in hoiises here and there, each of which marked a home thjtt death had entered. The list of the dead and missing is as follows: « Mre. Dr. Hoffman, Dixon; Mies Catharine Foley, Dixon: Mrs. Joseph W. Latty; Miss Maggie O'Brien; Mrs. Samuel Vann,' Dixon; Ida Vann: Geo. W. Kent, Dixon; Mrs. Carpenter; Clara and Rosa Stackpole, North Dixon; Mrs. C. W. Kintner, Dixon; Mrs. Gilman, widow of Lieutenant Ben. Gilman; Mrs. H. T. Noble, wife of Colonel Noble; Nettie Hill, Dixon; Mrs. Henry Sileman; Kittle Sterling, Dixon; Mre. Elizabeth Wallace, widow, Dixon; Mre. Thomae Wade; Jay Mason, Dixou; Mre. Petereberger; Mire Petereberger; Fred Halpe; Emily Deming, Dixon; Thos. Hafcy: Ida Drew, Dixon; Mire Bessie Rayne, daughter or the editor of the Chicago Magatine; Mre. Cook, Dixon; Melirea Wilhelm, Dixon; Mre. Mary Sullivan, Dixon; Irene Baker, Dixon; Mre.- Wilcox, Dixon; Mre. James Gable; Robert Dyke; Lizzie Mackey; Mre. P. M. Alexander; Mre. Wm. Merriman. one of the candidates for baptian; Mire Agnes Nixon; Edward Doyle, Wooeung, Ill.; Frank 11. Hamilton. The wounded are : Seth H. Whitmore, dangerously; Charles Murray, severely; Mre. Charles Murray, slightly; Mre. Daniel Cheney,severely; James Camp, severely; James W’. Sha. severely; Mrs. Lilly, ankle broken; Wm. Loveland, severely; J. B. Countryman; Mre. B. Deshon; Wm. Crook; Wm. Hart; Mre. Taydor; Mre. W. Wilcox; Mire Thatcher; Mre. Wm. Stevens: Miss Addie Crate, severely; Mre. E. B. Baker; Mre. Dr. Smith: Mire Page; Mrs. Marsh; Mire Marion Thatcher; Mre. John More; Mrs. Vann; Mire Lizzie Mackey; B. F. Burr’s daughter; Eliza Cndlhgton; Mre. Edgerton; Dr. Hoffman; Mire Hazenplug; Mre, P. M. Alexander. There were several buggies on the bridge, to say, no one in them was injured, and the horses also escaped,