The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 47

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807

USA > Iowa > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its. > Part 47

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"God save us from ever seeing again such a sight as that village pre- sented. To describe it would be impossible. No conception could be formed of the scene except by seeing it, and once seeing it would haunt the memory forever. Although almost as familiar there as in Clinton's streets, a particular quarter of the town could not be recognized.

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"It was with great difficulty that we picked our way over fragments of build- ings, fences and loose materials of all kinds to the few shattered fragments of houses that still remained upon First street. Here were chiefly gathered together the dead that were found and the wounded who still lived. Parents were weeping for their children and children for their parents. Here a husband bent sobbing over his dying wife, and here a mother, with frantic joy, pressed to her bosom the child she thought was lost and found to be alive. Many seemed blessed with a calmness from on high ; many were beside themselves, and many were bewildered and overcome with stupor. Here we could not stay, we could be of no service, so we rushed on as a relief to join the eager souls who were toiling like giants, removing the rubbish in search of other victims. Here- after, in lonely hours, in the still watches of the night, and in feverish dreams will come to many minds the vivid recollection of that sorrowful scene. The ruins strewed around, the hideous distortions of the dead, the mangled bodies of the living, the multitudes of eager, grimy workmen, the peaceful summer night and the clear moonlight overhead, form a grouping never to be erased from the minds of any who were present."

All night the work continued. The next day, free special trains ran every two hours loaded with persons to assist and attend the wounded, care for the dead and feed and clothe the survivors. From the country all about teams poured in a continual stream, for those same purposes .. Early in the day a mass meeting of the citizens of the county was held, and a committee, consisting of N. B. Baker, Milo Smith, A. R. Cotton, Benjamin Lake and Horace Anthony, was appointed for general purposes. Sub-committees were appointed for special objects, and some degree of order sprang from the chaos which had previously reigned.

By night, it was ascertained that the following were among the dead: G. C. Westphal, wife and child, Hannah Curran, Mary Greenleaf, A. Hoeft, Eliza- beth Rathbone, D. Waggoner, D. Stolenburg. Mrs. Amelia Davis and son, Philip Peper, Margaret and Mary Fass, Eli Millions, George Burnham and wife, Mrs. J. Stolenburg, Theo. Arpe, H. M'Kendrick, L. D. Bigelow, Jacob Meyle, Augustus Meyle and a Meyle child, Mary Knapp, a child of G. W. Chase, child of W. White, a Smith child and a German girl known as Liza.

Many others afterward died of their wounds, and many more bear on their bodies scars, and, in their minds, equally indelible memories of that awful evening.

The funeral services over the Camanche dead on the Tuesday following were most solemn and impressive. Over two thousand sympathising friends and neighbors were present, and frequent outbursts of grief amid the deep hush that pervaded the assemblage attested the profound grief of the stalwart men as well as tender-hearted women. The twenty-five coffins were ranged in front of M. Dunning's bank, where the services were conducted by Revs. Freer, Edmin- ston and Youngs, of Camanche; Hebard and Brindell, of Clinton ; Kynett and White, of Lyons, and Gleason, of Low Moor. The immense concourse then, forming in procession, moved to the old burial-grounds, where the bodies were committed to the long row of graves prepared for them, there to slumber till awakened by a more pervading and awful trumpet-blast than even that of the fatal storm in which they perished, that of the Archangel.

Wherever flew the news of the awful disaster, generous-hearted men and women anticipated the appeals of stricken humanity and contributed most liberally to the relief of the bereaved, afflicted and destitute sufferers. Not only did Clinton and Lyons vie with each other in measures of relief, bat from

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all over the country, from the great marts of Chicago and New York to remote hamlets, came contributions. At Clinton, on Monday evening, was called a meeting to co-operate with the general meeting at Camanche. Messrs. W. H. Lunt, Simeon Baldwin, Lucius Howard, C. H. Toll and G. F. Lovejoy were appointed a committee on subscriptions, and $350 were raised on the spot. The Clinton and Lyons ladies, inspired with the same spirit that afterward developed during the war the great sanitary fairs, devoted themselves to pre- paring food for the destitute. supplies for the wounded and clothing for the naked. (Many victims actually had their clothing completely stripped from their persons.) These noble women, whose works were sanctified with the very spirit of Dorcas, made hundreds of new garments, besides following their Savior's injunction to divide their own raiment with the unclothed. The reception-rooms of the Iowa Central presented the appearance of the work- rooms of a large ready-made clothing establishment. Chicago ladies also con- tributed from their wardrobes. Dubuque, Davenport, Le.Claire, Keokuk, Rock Island, Moline, Savannah, Mt. Carmel and notably Wheatland sent generous contributions. Meetings were held and liberal collections taken on steamers and railway trains. The Masonic bodies nobly obeyed the charitable precepts of the craft, and the German portion of the community came energetically forward to the aid of their kinsmen. The large-hearted Rev. Robert Collyer was the fitting bearer of the munificent Chicago relief fund, and, as he moved among the sufferers, his cheerful presence brought scarcely less encouragement and comfort than his gifts. Pre eminent among the local good Samaritans was Milo Smith, both as an individual and as Superintendent of the C., I. & N. Railway, and the aforementioned committee, of whom N. B. Baker, as chair- man, displayed the same capacity and energy that subsequently distinguished him as Adjutant General. They were ably aided by the distributing com- mittee-Messrs. C. H. Toll, O. A. Anthony, Horace Anthony and T. W. J. Long. The irretrievable disaster was not without a certain compensation in knitting together the different portions of the community, and also illustrating some of the most shining and benevolent qualities of human nature.

At a meeting, in Chicago, $2,085 were raised. The following poem was composed for, and read on the occasion, by Benjamin F. Taylor, who has, since then, become nationally celebrated for his glowing prose and brilliant verse. It was entitled

TORNADO SUNDAY.

"The winds sweetly sung, In the elms as they swung, And the woods were in time and the robins in tune;

One cloud just forgiven, Lay at anchor in heaven, And Iowa asleep on the threshold of June.

"All the air a great calm,

And the prairie a balm, For the Lord, when He blessed, left the print of His hand ;

All the roses in blow,

All the rivers aglow, Thus the Sabbath came down on the bud-laden land.

"On the bride and the bold,

On the clay and the gold, On the furrow unfinished, on fame to be won,

On the turbulent tide,

On the river's green side, Where the flocks of white villages lay in the sun.

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"All the world was in rhyme, Bid good morning to time ! Oh, sweet bells and sweet words of the dear golden then ; It is fair all abroad. From blue sky to green sod ; Let us pray while we can ; blessed Sabbath, amen :

"Not. a murmur in the air. Nor a lament anywhere, And no footfall of God on the ledges of cloud ;

'Twas a breath, and it fled-

Song and Sabbath were dead, And the threads of gold sunshine the woof of the shroud.

"Oh, words never spoken,

Oh, heart and health broken, Oh, beautiful paths, such as loving feet wear;

All erased from the land -

Like a name on the sand, All like thistle-down drifts on a billow of air.

"Like the sighing of leaves,

When the winter wind grieves Like the rattle of chariots driving afar,

Like the wailing of woods, .

Like the rushing of floods, Like the clang of huge hammers a-forging a star !

" Like a shriek of despair

In the shivering air, Like the rustle of phantoms with tempest abroad,

Like a soul out of heaven,

Like a tomb trumpet-riven, Like a syllable dropped from the thunder of God.'

"Then these to their weeping,

And those to their sleeping, And the blue wing of heaven was over them all :

Oh, sweet South that singeth,

Oh, flower-girl that bringeth The gushes of fragrance to hovel and hall.

"Oh, bluebird, shed spring With the flash of thy wing, Where December drifts cold in the bosom of June ; Set our hearts to the words, Dearest songs of first birds, We are brothers at night that were strangers at noon."

There are no reliable figures, as to the amount of pecuniary damage done by the tornado at Camanche. Indeed, that seems immaterial, compared with the suffering and loss of life, the wreck of hearthstones, and disappearance of family heirlooms and keepsakes, and the town suffering an irretrievable dis- aster.

Accurate enumeration, however, showed that there were totally destroyed, no less than ninety occupied dwellings, sixty-three barns and stables, five ware- houses, several new brick blocks, two hotels-one a three-story brick, 56x96 feet, being shattered to atoms-two churches and thirty-six places of business, in addition to twenty-three sheds, ice-houses, etc. There were more or less wrecked, seventy-six occupied dwellings, twenty-four barns, sheds, etc .; a school- house, two warehouses, a flour-mill and two saw-mills, besides twelve other places of business. Probably $300,000 would not have covered the loss that could have been replaced.

One peculiarity of the tornado was the singular belt of calms, that in some stages of its progress, appeared to flank it on either side, while at the same

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time there must have been a tremendous widespread agitation in the upper regions of the atmosphere. At some farmhouses, back of Clinton and Lyons, it was noted, that the tropical pour of rain that occurred at the same time fell per- pendicularly, and there was not a breath of wind. At the same time, pieces of debris, some large boards, fell from the upper air into adjacent fields. Their edges were splintered and ragged, showing that they must have been brought from a distant point, and by a fierce wind far above the low and heavy rain- clouds. The rumble of the storm was distinctly heard at Charlotte, sixteen miles distant.

The most reliable authorities estimate the' total number of killed, by the storm in Iowa, at 134 at least, and over 2,500 people must have been rendered homeless.

On March 10, 1876, Deep Creek was traversed by a furious storm, which was probably a true tornado. At least it certainly assumed the shape of one, and, though it fortunately missed doing damage as extensive as that inflicted by those that crossed the southern part of the county, gave some most alarming evidences of its power. It also manifested some rather peculiar meteorological features. The day had been wonderfully hot and sultry for so early in the sea- son. Late in the afternoon, the rotary center, it is presumed, formed some- where to the southeast of De Witt, and moved in a northwest direction, striking the farm of Thomas Cavanaugh, five miles from De Witt, and, passing thence toward Charlotte, providentially passed to the southward of the village, injuring the places of Thomas O'Toole, John McGary and Paul Engler very considera- bly, twisting up trees and carrying fence-rails and boards in its vortex, but seriously harming neither life nor limb. Its noise was so loud as to be alarm- ing to those who did not see it coming, and it was heralded by sharp thunder and lightning and tremendous hail. Coursing diagonally through Waterford and Deep Creek, its center passed close to the house of Thomas Watts, of the latter township. A considerable and abrupt rise in the ground to the wind- ward of his house and barns would have been thought sufficient protection from the most furious ordinary storm. Mr. Watts and a domestic, who were the only persons in the house, lost consciousness from the shock the wind gave the house, which, though not destroyed, subsequently appeared to have been moved in four different directions in less than as many minutes. Two hired men had sought shelter in the solid barns, which were totally wrecked. One of them took hold of an iron reaper, thinking thereby to anchor himself against the blast. But he narrowly escaped being crushed by the machine, which was found resting upon him at some distance from where it had stood. His com- panion was nearly smothered in bulk grain-the singular phenomena of 1860 being repeated, of a building blowing away and leaving hundreds of bushels of loose grain heaped upon the ground. Many horses, cattle and swine were killed by missiles, or by being dashed against the ground or fences, and fowls were, as in the more southern whirlwinds, stripped of their plumage. A short distance to the northwest were the farm and dwelling of Fenton Dolan, seem- ingly protected, even more perfectly than Watts' place, by being under the lee of a steep knoll. But again the wind, like water pouring over a dam, swooped down upon and destroyed the house, Mrs. Dolan being severely hurt. Hers was the worst injury done by the storm to any person, though narrow escapes were numerous and the panic great. As if satisfied with its work at Dolan's, the tornado, rising so suddenly that it spared outbuildings only a few rods beyond in its track, rose like a gigantic bird in the air, to again seek terra firma many miles beyond the Mississippi, destroying the town of Hazel Green, in

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Wisconsin, almost as completely as the disaster of 1860 did Camanche. Probably $30,000 would not cover the money-loss inflicted in Clinton County by this storm, yet the people through whose territory it passed considered that they had escaped quite cheaply.

COURT-HOUSE CONTROVERSY.

As the population in the river portion of the county increased more rapidly than in the interior, by the growth of the cities and the more dense settlement of the surrounding country, the question of changing the location of the county seat, which had always been a vexed one and never wholly concurred in by the river towns, was, from time to time, agitated. The De Witt Observer, in its issue of January 19, 1866, gives a warning note to its patrons, and the people of De Witt particularly, of the initiatory movement which resulted in the removal of the county seat to the river. It says : "The river folks have been talking of the removal of the county seat to Lyons or Clinton ever since it left Camanche. Heretofore, it has been all talk, and no work ; but now it seems that they are at work vigorously, circulating petitions and taking other preliminary steps for its removal to Ringwood (a piece of open country and duck-ponds between Lyons and Clinton). The people down there are in earnest in the matter, and unless De Witters bestir themselves and work faithfully, early and late, the thing will be accomplished."

In its issue of January 20, notice is given of a county-seat meeting.

In the issue of February 2, the Observer contains the following burlesque petition :

" To the Honorable Board of Supervisors of Clinton County, now running at large :

" Your petitioners would respectfully represent that,

" WHEREAS, The Hogle House (vulgarly called the Jail), in this place, is patronized, to a great extent, by the city of Lyons, an uneasy little village at the Mississippi River, at the extreme eastern end of the county ; and,

" WHEREAS, There is a numerous brood of attorneys in the aforesaid vil- lage who, occasionally, have a tax to pay (for a neighbor), or a case in Court which requires their personal attention, and which is attended with the expense of a journey to the county seat ; and,

" WHEREAS, There are a righteous few men there who, for the sake of the public good, would consent to hold an office if the Court House were near enough to them to be convenient ; and,

" WHEREAS, There are a few persons there who, to make capital for, and those who seek to promote the public good by being willing to sacrifice them- selves and their friends, and, if not stayed, will surely rush to destruction and future oblivion ; and,

" WHEREAS, It is of no consequence to the inhabitants of the western end of the county how far they will have to travel, or at what expense, as they are nothing but mudsills of society and spend their own money ; therefore,

"To save feelings and promote the interests of the inhabitants of the afore- said village of Lyons; to save them from anguish by day and nightmare o' nights; to spare their pockets in the matter of railroad fares, and to gratify their laudable desire to promote the public good and save expense to the county at large, your petitioners would pray that you take into consideration and sub- mit it to a vote of the people whether-as the town of Elvira is sufficiently near for a short buggy ride from Lyons-the county seat be not re-located at the flourishing town of Elvira, or whether, as a matter of compromise, we cannot

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surmount the difficulty and gratify their ambition of serving the public by removing the Mogle House (ycleped Jail) to the village of Lyons, and thus divide the honors in the manner that they will most appreciate.' . On the other hand, a movement had begun in Lyons to inaugurate measures to bring about a vote upon the question of a removal of the county seat to Ringwood. Some discussion and expression of opinion was had, and the field was looked over, but no active steps were taken, and the project slumbered, although not a dreamless sleep, for visions of the coming contest were frequent and vivid.

In the spring of 1869, the question, which had lain apparently dormant, began to assume an active shape again. The agitation came principally from among the attorneys of both cities, and through their discussion of the subject, and the possibilities of success, the public interest began to gather strength. The first fundamental step to be taken, was to decide upon the point of location. The rivalry between the two cities, which in the past had been carried on with more or less acrimony, and, as many residents in either city felt, greatly to the det- riment of each, made it a question of grave doubt whether the common good of both could be made to appear so vital as to bury old antagonisms and present selfishness and local pride. Semi-official committees from Lyons and Clinton held mutual conferences. At the outset, Lyons selected the location at Ring- wood, and Clinton named De Witt Park. Of course, no agreement to either location could be reached. Block 10, in Clinton, was then named by the Clin- ton representatives.

At a meeting of the City Council of Clinton, held March 24, 1869, a special committee of three was appointed to confer with Lyons with reference to the time and place for a joint meeting of the two cities, then to consider the propriety and expediency of removing the county buildings. This seems to have been the first official or formal action on the part of the movers in this enterprise. This committee at the Council meeting on the 29th instant reported progress, and asked further time. On the 14th of April, the various confer- ences between committees constituted by authority and committees self-consti- tuted, resulted in a public meeting of Clintonians, pursuant to call, which was held at Union Hall, on the 14th of April, 1869, to take into consideration the Court House question and its location.

At this meeting, the Committee, previously appointed by the City Council, made a report which was substantially, that Lyons proposed as her choice of location the slope near Mr. Felch's residence in Ringwood ; while Clinton pro- posed as her choice Block 10, which location was opposed as low and unfit for the purpose. After discussion of the questions before the meeting, the follow- ing resolutions were offered :

" The people of Clinton in mass-meeting assembled, believing that the time has come when the cities of Clinton and Lyons can afford to bury all dissensions and jealousies, and believing that it is for the interest of the people of both cities to labor for the union of the two, with the view of forming one large commercial and manufacturing center, and ultimately organizing under a single corporation ; and, being influenced solely by these objects, we present the following propo- sitions :

"First-That the two cities unite with those towns favorable to the project, in removing the county seat to Block 10, North Clinton ; that we guarantee that said block, containing between four and five acres of ground, shall be donated to the county for the purpose of erecting the necessary public buildings thereon; and, that the city of Clinton will grade, fill and properly improve Second street,

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to the north line of the city of Clinton ; that upon the removal of the county seat, we agree to furnish, in the city of Clinton, free of charge, convenient apartments for holding court, and for the use of the county officers until such time as the county buildings shall be erected and ready for occupancy ; Provided, the time this portion of said proposition is to run shall not exceed three years; and that we will guarantee a contribution of $10,000 toward the erection of said county buildings ; Provided, the citizens of Lyons will guarantee a contri- bution, for the same purpose, of $5,000, or in like proportion should any other sum be agreed upon.

"Second-Believing the location of the county seat at the point herein named will materially advance the progress of those projected railroads which are to have their terminus at the center hereinbefore contemplated, and that the con- struction of roads which now lag for the want of means to push them forward, will have a new impetus given them by the removal of said county seat ; we, as citizens, encouraged by such removal, will do all in our power, by contribu- tions of material aid and otherwise, to hasten the completion of such roads.

"Third-Believing that the construction of a horse-railroad between Clinton and Lyons will tend to the advantage and prosperity of both cities, and serve essentially in wiping out the conflicting local interests which might appear to exist, we agree to co-operate jointly with the citizens of Lyons in the con- struction of such a road as the necessities of the two cities may seem to demand. "Fourth-That a committee of five be appointed by the President of this meet- ing, to co-operate with a similar committee appointed by the people of Lyons, to carry out, as far as the same can be done, the propositions herein contained."

These resolutions were separately passed upon and adopted by nearly an unanimous vote, and the committee appointed in accordance therewith.

On the 19th of April, a mass-meeting of the citizens of Clinton, together with a delegation from Lyons, was held at Union Hall.

The Committee of Conference made a report, stating that the committees from each city met upon Block 10, Clinton, and discussed the question of loca- tion, and finally came to an agreement, by compromise, that they would jointly name Block 8, Clinton, as the proposed site for the Court House.

In the mean time, public meetings had been held in Lyons, and at one of these meetings the following report and resolutions had been introduced and adopted :

" The Committee appointed by the City Council and citizens of Lyons City to confer with a committee appointed by the citizens of Clinton, upon the pro- priety of taking action upon the removal of the county seat to some point between Lyons and Clinton, and to designate such point, subject to the indorse- ment of the citizens, beg leave to make the following report :

" At the first session of the Joint Committee of the two places, no site was definitely agreed upon satisfactory to all the members of the Committee, and, on inotion, an adjournment was had for the purpose of further consultation with the citizens."

Afterward, a public meeting was held at Clinton, at which resolutions were passed, which are herewith submitted.

"On the 15th inst., the Committee again met, on ground in the vicinity of the proposed sites, and, after due deliberation, agreed upon Block 8, North Clinton, as the site upon which the people of the two cities would unite, sub- ject to the ratification by the people.

"The Committee adjourned to the 16th inst., at the Central House, in Clinton, and at that time and place it was considered by the Committee that

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The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 47

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 807

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807