Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1876 — An Lowa Town Destroyed by a Flood-Thirty-nine Lives Lost. [ARTICLE]

An Lowa Town Destroyed by a Flood-Thirty-nine Lives Lost.

Dubuque, lowa, July 5. An extra of the Dubuque Timet of this afternoon contains the following abridged account of the dread disaster that befell the little village of Rockdale in this county. On the night of the 4th the little hamlet of Rockdale, three miles southwest of this city, was swept away as with the besom of destruction. Every building iu the little town, save Catfish mill, was washed from its foundation and torn into wreck that quite defies description. The dozen buildings, all that were located on the bottom lands of the Catfish Creek, save the mill, were carried off as if they Were no many cockles dotrn the surging and boiling efis. rent, crushing them into fragments. With two exceptions,, all are torn into splinters; and sctfrcely a frag ment can be recognized as belonging to this or that building. Stores, shops, dwellings, burns, everything, fell before the terrible torrent that came rolling in K,t surges down the ten miles of valley ugh which the Catfish runs. For a full mile down the stream fragments are strewn along the banks or piled in gorges from a few feet to twenty feet high J But the worst is not told. Thirty-nine human beings were hurriedly swept from life into the great maelstrom of death. Men, women and children to that number were drdwhed and their stiff' bodies—those of the thirty that have been rescued' up to this hour—Were ranged side by side along the 'shady side of the mill,' awaiting the last sad funeral rites. Jn one instance we saw an entire fatoijy of four all lying dead. In another every member of the family but one lay dead. Th# bodies of some were found in the debris of the crushed buildings near the scene of their death, while others and the greater part of them all were found ifong, the banks from a few rods to a mile down the stream. .Some were, almost entirely hid from view by the floods of mud ffiat had been swept along by the maddened waters, with perhaps a hand only exposed to sight, or foot, or perhaps only a small portion df die face or of their Clothing. A large number of little children—boys and gir|s —ranging from three to twelve years- old comprise this dread holocaust, and, altogether, the scene was a most sickening one. One young man, Charles T. Linjmesch, who escaped from Home’s store, informed us that two of his uncles, one aunt and seven of his cousins were drowned. - Through the day the people of the village had joined, more or less, in the festivities of the Centennial Fourth. In the evening the rain began to fall, and aB took shelter in their homes, or at the stores or the saloon. At about half an hour after midnight the Catfish was discovered to have become so swollen , that the streets were overflowing and escape, to the surrounding highlands cut off. Higher and higher rose the rushing waters, while the storm kept pitilessly pelting down. The surging water of the creek came in great waves several feet high, and soon the smaller Buildings were swept away. At about one a portion of toe dam gave way, and this was followed by the crash of the railroad bridge, the fragments of which went tearing down, striking the hotel and Home’s store. Both of these were capsized, tiie former being tom in pieces, and tiie latter swung against a large tree BtaHding but * few feet away, against which it lodged, resting upbn its side. Now the stream had grown to 2,000 feet wide and fully twenty feet deep. As the buildings Were swept into the wreck, the inmates were Jjurtied into the surging current, toe vmces crying out for help amkl thAfour of thunder and .storm and qrash t while lurid lightning flashed every minute, liglitiiig up the dyeadfuj {(bend for .an ifastant, ana leaving it blacker than before. John Klassen’a coopershop first gave way. Then came tbe hotel bam, then Peter R. Becker’s bouse, then Martin C. Cary’s saloon, then Thos. Blenkirs6h 1 8 store, Tom Coat’s blacksmith shop, Peter Becker’s meat market. Kisssen’s house, Becker’s saloon, Home’s store and'house.' Luckily, Home’s family were saved. The house, as before stated, lodged against a strong flee. The water had risen and driven Me faprily Into tbe upper stoiy. When, they clung to the rafterg and other projections they were ablej to keep their heads only above water. Th# dead are; Joseph Becker, Ellen, his wife, and two children; James Pearce, Emma, his wife, and two -children; Peter Becker and five ’ait® his* arid her two children; Mrs. .Cany two children; JbhhKlasSeh, wife and five children; Peter Knapp, wife and fotir dren- Mrs. Kingslev, Thos. Blenkirson, Oliver Blenkirson, Wm. Bradbury and Richard Burke—thirty-nine in ail. Altogether the siene was one to touch a heart of stone. Eater— Thirty-one bodies of the drowsedbeen recovered. Thxy are experimenting in London with a gun which weighs eighty-one tons, throng a nail weighing 1,650 pounds, and consume# 300 jjouods oi powder at each discharge. r • "3 r : a r '-y - -z~ j Ths Indian bead-work sold at Niagara Falls is a little cheaper this year. They have discovered how to make beads m wax.