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.