July 24, 1933
Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Dubuque County Before 1880

Scenes and Incidents.
  Charles Thimmesch, as the saloon was struck, tan to the upper story and breaking out a window, jumped on to the roof of Horn's store and post office building adjoining, which, from its more substantial character, was thought to offer safety.  Feeling the building moving from its foundations, he stripped, plunged into the raging  waters and struck out for shore.  Being an excellent swimmer, he succeeded in reaching land after a desperate struggle, and, through the pelting storm, made his way, naked as he was, to a neighbor's house, where he gave the alarm.
   Lambert Kenkels, was also in the saloon, in bed, when the waters struck it, but crawled out through an open window, and, floating down about fifty yards, landed on a tree, to which he clung till morning, when he was released.  Martin Casey and John Harker also stranded on trees, from which they were released after five hours; terrible suspense.  Harry Adams succeeded in making the shore.
   The most remarkable escape was that of the three Kapp boys- John, aged fourteen; Nicholas, eleven, and Joseph, five.  The family fled from their home at the hotel, and, when the house was struck, had gained the upper story,  All were swept out, but floated into some hospitable treetops and were saved.  Joseph was caught by Nicholas, and John floated farther down stream, but within hailing distance, and so kept each other's courage up until morning, when they were rescued.
   John Gleason was rescued by Mr. Munger, train dispatcher, from a tree, to which another boy clung, who was cold in death.
   There were numerous incidents connected with the disaster which lack of memory and absence of record preclude detailing.   Thousands visited the scene during the subsequent days, and willing hands labored incessantly to recover the bodies lost.  As soon as word reached the city, details of men were assigned to the recovery of bodies, and to this fact is largely due the rescue of nearly all those lost before they drifted off with the current, to be seen no more.
                                                        The Locality.
      The scene ot this disaster was laid in a ravine among the bluffs west of the city, which nature had formed for a water-course.  It was only within a few years that a village, or trading port for farmers, had been established, being attracted principally by the large flouring-mills, erected in 1834, among the first in the state.  The distance across the ravine, from bluff to bluff, is scarcely eighty rods, and passed by a macadam roadway, raised ten feet above the level of the ravine. Equidistant from the bluff was a massive stone bridge, affording free passage for all the water which unusually runs, and on each side of this highway were erected the buildings destroyed.  Between the mill and the dam ran the track of the Illinois Central railway, over a bridge about two hundred feet long, and this bridge, falling against the buildings, precipitated the ruin.
   Above the bridge was the dam, which seems to have withstood the torrent without serious damage; but the race, which leads to the mills, and which had just been constructed, was completely washed out, making the main channel of the stream contiguous to the mill.  East of the mill was another railroad bridge, which was left standing, although filled with the wreck of buildings and some of its iron supports twisted out of shape.  Along the banks were strewn terrible mementoes of the devastation which had been wrought, and the sight, for a mile down stream, was in the last degree appalling.  The damage was estimated at thousands of dollars, and, for many months after its commission, the vicinity bore evidences of the visitation to which it had been subjected.
   The storm though, happily, unattended by loss of life, was equally severe in Dubuque and neighboring towns, and evidence of disaster were to be seen whethersover the eye might gaze.  The damage was almost beyond computation, the avenues of travel centering in Dubuque were temporarily embargoed, and for a time nothing greeted the sight but the effects of the storm, unparalleled since 1851.  But, in time, repairs were completed, and the storm itself existed only in the memory of the witnesses of its violence.
    ( From another account published in the Times, the following is taken):
                                      The Centennial
   The centennial will long be remembered in Dubuque, not for the magnificence of the daytime display, but for the dark tragic history of the night.  The day was competitively pleasant, but coming on evening, suspicious electricity laden clouds began to fleck the northwestern heavens, which gathered with muttering grumbling, which was continued until after 10 o'clock, when the rain commenced to descend, apparently increasing in  quantity with the passing hours.  Darkness took possession of the earth, so deep, so impenetrable that it seemed as if a curtain of  blackness was spread across the face of nature.  Nothing could be seen  save when bright flashes of lightning blazed over the sky, and for an instant dispelled the darkness which appeared only the more intense when it again held away.  The thunders rolled almost incessantly, peal after peal seemed to leap from hilltop to hilltop, or roll away on the hillsides, shaking the earth as they passed, as if nature were in her death throes.
   It is said that there is something terrifically grand in the flash of the glaring lightning and the peal of  loud-mouthed thunder; but in the storm of las Tuesday night there was that which inspired the heart with awe, and sent a feeling of uneasiness through the soul of those who are not given to fear.  The earth trembled like an aspen leaf, as bolt followed bolt, and belt of heavenly flame succeeded belt, as if to light the waters tumbling from the heavens, enmasse, on their errand of destruction.  The hills quivered, and the most firmly seated houses trembled until one might well remember historic accounts of cities deluged, and the houses of men laid waste and leveled on the earth, by the irresistable hand of an unseen power.  At or about 10 o'clock, the rain began, and until 11 is poured in streams from the overburdened clouds, and thus it continued for hours with no intermission.  When day dawned a bright sun burst,  but ah, how black, how fearful, how rendering was the picture that it rose upon!  Desolation was spread broadcast everywhere, as if some avenging hand had swept with insatiable thirst and far-reaching scourge.