Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 91

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 864

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"Snow succeeded snow, interchanged with sleet and fine hail, which glazed and hardened the surface. Nine iong weeks witnessed this coming decp snow, until in all these parts its depth averaged from four to five feet. Woe was the day when sleds met on the single beaten track, with plunging of horses, overturning of loads-not to speak of the screams of the belles within, the laughs of young America, or the wrath of the teamsters. Many were the joyous rides the two doctors, with four horses to their sleighs, gave tbe young people. Though the de- scription of these rides, as given at the time, is vivid in my recollection, I shall leave them to the imagination of the reader, with the rough, roomy sieighs, covered with buffaio robes, filled to overflowing with haie, happy companions, be- hind four fiery horses, champing the bits in thelr mouths, ready for a plunge.

"During the long nine weeks the thermometer ranged close to zero; a few times it went twenty below, and the water dropped from the eaves only two days, so intense was the continuous coid. When the snow feli there was no frost in the ground; the sap of the trees had not

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been forced by the cold to the roots. The con- sequence was the peach trees were invariably killed ; appie trees and nurseries mostly sbared the same fate. The summer before I had seeu wagon loads of peaches in some orchards. Such a sight has never greeted our eyes since in these parts.

"Great hardships were endured that winter by men and beasts. When the snow came it found most of the corn standing on the stalks. The fall had been so warm and wet that the farmers had a better reason than common to indulge the careless hahit of leaving their corn in the field, to be gathered in winter wbeu they wanted it. The snow became so deep, tbe coid so Intense, the crust at times so hard, and the people so unprepared for such an extreme sea- son, that it became almost Impossible, in many parts of the country, to obtain hread for family nse, thongh amid stacks of wheat and fieids of corn. Water-mills, scarce and small as they were, were frozen and stopped a cousiderabie portion of the time. If the oue-horse 'corn- cracker' for 'dodger' or the inclined wheel of the ox-mill could go, it was with great difficulty ; and many lived so far from these that it was impossible to go to them. Many had no road and no ability to make one through the depths of snow; and those who had, were compeiled to make them over and over agalu, in conse- quence of the drift filling the track, or a new supply from the ciouds.

"Hundreds of hogs and fowls perished. Horses and cattle were in many instances turned into the cornfields. Pralrie chickens, whose hablt, as is well known, is to roost on the ground, per- isbed that winter in such number we feared that the race of this fine bird would become ex- tinct. When thelr time of roost came they would light upon the snow, if the crust would bear them, or if its bosom was soft, piunge into it. and spend the night as on the earth; but If a heavy fall of snow came that night, especially if it were coated with a crust of Ice, as often happened, the poor imprisoned things were locked in, and thousands and thousands per- ished."

The term "deep snow" is used relatively, for snow much deeper falls In New York, the New England States and Canada, but the long con- tinued period of cold and snow above described was not hefore known In Sangamon Connty and has not been since. Several persons were lost

in the snow aud met death as a result. Deer, turkey, and other wild game, deprived of the food upon which they were accustomed to sub- sist, were aimost exterminated. As the deer runs in successive leaps, the faster they ran the more they were Imprisoned by the snow, as thelr sharp hoofs broke through the crust and their bodies lay on the snow, at the mercy of the of the hunter or his dogs. At the same time a dog or wolf wonid not break through this crust, as its feet were soft aud padded. At this time the more thoughtful people abstaiued from shoot- ing them, especially as they soou hecame too lean for venison, belng shut off from food. There were others who thought only of sport and killed them wben they could. The dogs aud wolves, finding the deer were soon at their mercy, destroyed great numbers of them, so that they were nearly exterminated and never after- ward became so plentiful. There was a tradi- tlon among the Indians that there had been a very deep snow about the year 1800, and it was said by some of the early settlers that, on the highest points of land, buffalo bones were found in large quantities, as late as 1818, the coming of the first white settlers. It was supposed the buffalo collected on the high points because the snow was thinnest there, and perished from cold and hunger.

THE SHOOTING STARS .- Many people belleved that the "shooting stars," observed on the night of November 12, 1833, were the fuifillment of the prophecy of Christ that "the stars should fali from Heaven before that great aud notable day of the Lord's coming," and the sight was never forgotten by those who witnessed it. The air was calm and there were no ciouds in the sky, so that the scene was one of such brilliance as to cause great excitement, admiration and wonder. The appearance was compared by ob- servers to a shower of fire falling from the sky. This wonderful occurrence took place at three A. M., so that It was witnessed hy comparatively few persons. Articles quoted from New York and Philadelphia papers In the "Sangamo Jour- nal" showed that the phenomenon had been wit- nessed in other parts of the country and was not locai In character.

THE MILD WINTERS OF 1832-33 .- The winter of 1832-33 was as mild in comparison as the winter two years previous was severe, and an article in the "Sangamo Journal" of January 5. 1833, remarks on the fact that for several

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

days past there had been no frost and that the weather was as mild as could be expected in April. The following is an extract : "We hear the 'mellifluous' notes of frogs; the grass has started In many parts of the pralries; in the bottoms, the May apple has sprouted from one to three luches ; and most kinds of cattle do well without feeding. Plowing is going on in the vleinity of the town. We have some fear the warm weather will cause the wheat to 'joint.' . . No doubt the citizens who left for Ar- kansas last summer are congratulating them- selves on the fiue climate of that country, while they suppose the Illinoisans are buried In snow and suffering from cold weather. Joy remain with them."

THE SUDDEN FREEZE OF 1836 .- The remark- ably sudden change which occurred on December 20, 1836, made a deep Impressiou upon the minds of all who experienced it. There were several inches of snow upon the ground and the weather was mlld. Rain hegan falling early in the morn- ing and the snow was turned to slush. It is related of Washington Crowder that he left his home, about four inlles southwest of the city, sometime before uoon, intending to go to the city for a marriage license, and that he carried an umbrella to protect himself from the raln and wore a very long overcoat. When he had traveled over ahout half the distance, he saw a dark cloud In the northwest, which traveled toward him and was accompanied by a great noise, so he thought It wise to close hls um- brella before the wind struck it. He had put It under his arm when the cold wave reached him. Water was dripping from everything ahout hlm, hut by the tline he could pick up the reins again and draw them tight, the Ice rattled from them. Running water on the slopes was turned to ice In the way molten lead would harden and form In ridges If poured on the ground. Mr. Crowder said it was but a few minutes before his horse was able to walk on top of the frozen snow and water, so sudden was the transition. When he reached the city and tried to dismount In front of a store, he was unable to move, as hls overcoat had been frozen to hls saddle so that he was unable to get loose from It. He called for help, but two men were unable to loosen him. so they ungirthed his saddle and lifted It off the horse with him, then took the two to the fire to be melted apart. Mr. Crow- der, uothing daunted, went to the County Clerk's

office and procured his lleense, with which he returned home, driving lils horse before him. On the next morning he started out on horse- hack, hnt the way was so dlflicnlt to travel that he dismounted and proceeded on foot to the home of his promised wife. Other storles are told graphically Illustrating the suddenness and severity of the cold blast which struck the re- glon, and one mau gave it as his opinion that it traveled at the rate of about seventy mlles per hour and that the thermometer, which he thinks must have registered as high as 40 de- grecs, would have been brought by the first blast down to zero in a second of time.

A VIOLENT GALE .- On the evening of Decem- ber 23, 1871, a thunder storm passed over Springfield, and considerable rain fell. The weather cleared before morning and the sun shone out, but about nine o'clock clonds came up. the wind began to blow a gale, and within an hour had risen so that roofs were taken off buildings and many chimneys and signs were blown down. The rink, which had been erected about four years previous, at a cost of $12.000, was leveled, and the Rolling Mill and the round house of the Gllinan, Clinton & Springfield Rail- road Company was destroyed. Although no lives were lost the damage to property amounted to many thousands of dollars.

UNUSUAL RAIN STORMS .- At eight o'clock on the evening of June 1, 1872, a severe thunder- storm swept over the city of Springfield, ac- companled by torrents of rain. The pouring raln continued until three o'clock the following morning, and the oldest Inhabitants admitted that they had never seen the equal of the storm for the amount of water which fell. The streets were soon full of running water which the over- charged sewers could not hold, and cellars began to fill with water. In some cases people were even driven from their sleeping apartments hy the water which poured in. The main sewer of the city, which was large enongli to admit the passage of a double team and wagon, was soon discharging a volume of water, ponds that had not held water for several years were filled, and the Sangamon River was, for the the be- ing, a rushing, roaring river.

Another storm, which caused considerable damage, occurred August 3, 1860. This storm was accompanied by heavy thunder and sharp lightning, and the wind blew with such fury as to unroof houses, blow down some bulldings,

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uproot trees, and batter down grain and shruh- hery.

TORNADO STORM NEAR WILLIAMSVILLE .- On May 14, 1858, a heavy storm occurred in the vi- cinity of Williamsville, its greatest force heing spent about a mile and a half north of the vil- lage, where it struck the residence of Evans Britton. Of the persons who were sleeping in the second story at the time, Mr. Britton was . seriously injured, his wife hadly hurt also, hls child hurt slightly and his hired man suffered severe injuries, although no one was instantly killed. The foundation timhers of the house of solid oak, eight inches square and thirty feet long, were carried about one hundred fifty yards from the place where the house had stood. A falling of hail destroyed most of the windows in the neighborhood and most of the hridges were carried away hy the deluge of rain.

TORNADO ON SUGAR CREEK .- A tornado passed along Sugar Creek in the vleinity of Rochester, on May 26, 1859, its course heing in a north- easterly direction. The two-story residence of James Beli was demolished, the roof torn from Ranny & Beil's mill, and in the latter two men were hadly hurt. Mr. Patterson's house was blown down hut no one there was injured, and the home of Mr. Higgins was also destroyed in like manner. A harn heionging to Mr. High- man was also hlown down, Mr. Inslee's orchard destroyed, and the iog house of the latter-a story-and-a-half dwelling-was demolished, leav- ing nothing hut the foundation logs. Hickory trees, two feet in diameter, were hlown down, hut notwithstanding the fury of the storm, no Ilves were lost. Mr. Peddicord's harn was de- stroyed, and although two hoys who were in it were blown some distance, they received . no injuries.

THE SNOW BLOCKADE .- The worst storm in many years occurred on Wednesday evening, December 30, 1863, when snow feli all night and throughout a larger portion of the following day. Rallroads were hlocked and no iong dis- tance travel could be made for several days, during which time there was but one mail from the West and one from the East received in the city of Springfieid.

A NOTABLE SLEET STORM .- A sleet storm of unprecedented severity visited Springfield on the night of February 2, 1883. Rain fell during much of the night, hut froze as it reached the ground and the limhs of trees. By morning

the earth was covered with a layer of ice, the iimhs of trees hroken down and communication by telegraph and telephone cut off hy the hreak- Ing of wires. Streets were ohstructed in some piaces for several days by falien trees or hroken hranches, as the weather continued cold, pre- senting a scene not unlike that of an Arctic landscape. The storm covered a radius of some thirty to fifty miles, with Springfield apparently as its center.

TORNADO OF 1911 .- On the morning of Septem- ber 13, 1911, Springfield was the center of one of the most vlolent windstorms of which history has furnished any report for that locality. In fact, this was made up of three different hurrl- canes or tornadoes, occurring between the hours of two and five o'clock A. M., each of the later ones proving more violent than its predecessor. Some houses were unroofed and partly demol- ished, trees blown down or their hranches torn off, telegraph and telephone wires broken and electric lights cut off, and as a consequence mnauy dwellings and other huildings were left in darkness, while later the movement of street- car lines was ohstructed. The most serious damage was done to the dome of the State capi- tol, hy the tearing away of a portion of the metal roof, and as the wind was accompanied by rain, considerable injury was caused to inner portions of the huilding, as also to some business buildings and private residences. The damage to the capitol huliding was estimated at $50,000 and to the whole city at some $200,000. Con- siderable loss was also incurred by the destruc- tion of harns and other buildings, and the prostration of corn and other growing crops in the country districts. The force of the storm was felt as far north as Bloomington, hut the most serious results were manifest in Spring- field and vicinity.

CHAPTER L.

CASUALTIES-CRIME RECORD.

A SERIES OF FATAL RAILROAD ACCIDENTS-DEATH OF FORMER MAYOR J. W. SMITH-DISASTROUS

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

EXPLOSION IN SPRINGFIELD IRON COMPANY WORKS-A SECOND RAILROAD ACCIDENT-BOILER EXPLOSIONS-CHILDREN KILLED BY LIGHTNING -SANGAMON COUNTY CRIME RECORD- FIRST MURDER AND PROMPT PUNISHMENT OF THE MUR- DERER-OTIIER NOTED MURDERS-TIIE ANDERSON MYSTERY-MECHANICSBURG AND CHIATIIAM KILLINGS-CAMP BUTLER TRAGEDIES-A YOUNG DESPERADO'S TRAGIC END-THE SIIARON TYNDALE MURDER-TIIE SLATER SALOON AFFAIR-AN ILLI- OPOLIS BIOT-A PAIR OF DOUBLE TRAGEDIES- THE SPRINGFIELD RACE RIOT AND LYNCHINGS OF 1908.

A RAILROAD CALAMITY .- A passenger train and a coal train, on the Chicago & Alton Rall- road collided near Lemont, on Saturday night, August 16, 1873, the engines of both trains ex- ploding and fatally scalding or otherwise injur- ing sixty persons, four of them citizens of Sanga- mon County. Of these four, John W. Smith died in Chicago two days after the accident, J. R. Fleury a few hours after Smith, and Noah Divelbiss, Jr., and William Little soon after. The remains of ali were brought to Springfield and funeral services were held in the rotunda of the State House, business of all kinds being suspended during the funeral hours. Mr. Smith had been for forty years a citizen of Springfield, having come to the county in 1833, at the age of thirteen years; was a member of the Legls- lature in 1852, Sheriff in 1860, lu 1863 was first elected Mayor of Springfieid, and being re- elected in 1871 and again the following year. He had held the office of Collector of Internal Revenue under President Lincoln, in 1865 was appointed State House Commissioner by Gov. Ogiesby and shortly before his death (May, 1873), had been appointed Warden of the Peni- tentiary by Governor Beverldge, filling the office but two or three months before his untimely death.

THE IRON WORKS CATASTROPHE .- A terrible explosion took place at the mills of the Spring- fieid Iron Company on Friday morning, Novem- ber 29, 1872. The mills had been running night and day in order to keep up with the orders on hand, and at four o'clock, just at the time the gangs were relleving each other, the explosion took place, shattering the engine house and turn- ing the boilers upside down and end for end. and instantiy killing Thomas Robinson, who had special charge of seven boilers, each of them

twenty-eight feet long and forty-two inches in diameter, in which steam was generated for a haif-dozen engines located in various parts of the plant. At the same time J. C. Milier was terribly scalded. The cause of the accident was lack of proper attention to the condition of water iu the boilers.

A SECOND RAILROAD ACCIDENT .- On Thursday, Aprii 12, 1860, an express train golng north on the Chicago & Aiton Rallroad, and running at the rate of about twenty-five miles an hour, had reached the bridge about three miles north of Springfield, when the timber of the structure gave way and the train was thrown Into the stream bed some twenty or thirty feet be- low. The bridge, which was built upon trestle- work, was broken down about one-half its length of 200 feet. The locomotive had reached a point about half way across and went down there, the tender being beneath it and the bag- gage car thrown up against it. Although all the cars went down the embankment and were badly . smashed, but two persons were killed, although several were badly injured.

A STEAM BOILER EXPLOSION .- On March 5, 1856, both flues of the boller in Huntington's planing mill exploded, throwing a part of the boiler about one hundred twenty yards away, and destroying the smoke-stack and the shed over the boiler. Two persons were seriously injured by the accident.

ANOTHER MILL ACCIDENT .- As Mr. and Mrs. S. W. West were making a visit to Howlett's fiouring mill, to observe the operation of its machinery, on Sunday, May 12, 1867, Mrs. West's dress caught in the large driving gear, and althoughi her husband caught her and tried to draw her out, she was drawn from his hold and crushed among the wheels, being instantly killed.

ANOTIIER EXPLOSION .- An accident which de- stroyed considerable property, but in which no Ilves were lost, occurred September 5, 1867, when the boiler of the City Mill, owned by E. R. Hickox, exploded. The mill and office were com- pletely demolished and the alr in the vicinity was filled with timbers, boards, shingles and fragments of the boiler. Buildings and windows for several blocks around were shaken as by an earthquake, but that no one was killed seemed marvelous in view of the fact that, on the morn- ing of this calamity, five persons were in the mili. The property loss was about $15,000.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

CHILDREN KILLED BY LIGHTNING .- During a ralu and hail storm, which occurred at Spring- field on the night of February 16, 1870, four children of George Brent, pastor of the African Baptist Church, were lylug on the floor asleep, between the stove and the wall, the lightuing ran down the flue and struck two of the chil- dren, who were Instantly killed. The other two children and three older persons, who were in the room at the time. were stunned but were not injured.

SANGAMON COUNTY CRIME RECORD.

The first murder recorded In Sangamon Coun- ty was that of Mrs. Nathanlel VanNoy, who was killed by her husband In a fit of drunkenuess on the morning of Angust 27, 1826. This crime was the cause of much indignation among the early settlers. Mr. VanNoy was arrested the same light and sent to jall, and Judge Sawyer, who had been notified, called a special session of the Circuit Court. A Grand Jury was impaneled and sworn, who found a true blll of indictment against the prisoner, the bill was presented to the conrt, a petit jury was called and sworn, and the trial began on the 28th, the day after the murder. A verdict of gullty was rendered on the 29th, and thus, within a period of three days after the crime was committed the trial was held, the murderer sentenced and condemned to be hung. The execution took place on the spot where the State House was later erected, and a large unmber of persons were present to witness the event.

KILLING OF DR. EARLY .- The murder of Dr. Jacob M. Early was the outcome of political differences. While Dr. Early was sitting in a room at Spottswood IIotel on Wednesday even- ing. March 14, 1838, Henry B. Trnett entered the room and took a seat nearly opposite, keep- ing his eye fixed on the doctor, who seemed oblivions of his presence. Several men left the room, leaving only Dr. Early, Mr. Truett and one other, when Mr. Truett rose and asked the doctor. in a threatening manner, if he were the author of a resolution passed at a convention held in Peoria disapproving of his (Trnett's) nomination as Register of the Land Office at Galena, as he sald he had been informed. The doctor refused to say whether or not he was the author and asked who was Trnett's informant.

Truett, with an oath, called the doctor a liar and a scoundrel, and upon the latter's saying he would uot listen to his abuse and saying he wanted no difficulty, Trnett repeated his re- marks and added the names of coward and hypo- crlte. Dr. Early took up a chalr, but Mr. Truett passed around him to the opposite side of the room, drew a rifle pistol, fired at the doctor, and then let the pistol drop to the floor, making his immediate escape from the house. The ball en- tercd Dr. Early's left side and passed through the lower part of his stomach and liver, heiug taken ont on the right side, nearly opposite the point where it had entered the body. The doctor dled of his wound Saturday night following. Truett was arrested and his trial took place at the October term of the same year, when the jury brought in a verdict of "not guilty," and the prisoner was discharged.

A QUARREL RESULTING FATALLY .- On the even- ing of Monday, October 3, 1853, Delos W. Brown and John Glascock, the former of Springfield, and the latter of Menard County, both having been drinking. got into a quarrel at the Spring- field Coffee House. Mr. Glascock threatened to whip Mr. Brown, and shook his fist in the lat- ter's face. Brown retreated a little and the proprietor tried to interfere, but Glascock caught him and pulled him into the room. In the con- fusion which followed Glascock received severe cuts from a knife which Mr. Brown was hold- Ing, fell to the floor and died within ten minutes. Brown was arrested and a preliminary meeting held, he being bound over to the Circuit Court on a charge of manslaughter, his bail being fixed at two thousand dollars. IIe ran away, forfeiting his bond, and his property was sold to discharge his recoguizance.

A MURDER MYSTERY .- George Anderson was found dead near his home, with a wound npon the back of his head, on the night of May 15, 1856, and great excitement followed, as it was thought by many that his death was the result of poison administered by his wife Instead of being cansed by the blow. She and Thomas Anderson, also thought to be connected with the murder, were arrested, and a few days later, a preliminary examination of Mrs. Anderson was held before Justices Adams and King. She was proscented by A. McWilliams and defended by Antrim Campbell and B. S. Edwards, the speech of the latter on this case being especially able. The Justices were convinced by the testimony

MR. AND MRS. JAMES YOUNG AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

offered that the death was the result of a hlow and not hy poison, and Mrs. Anderson was ac- quitted. When the Circuit Court convened In tile following June Mrs. Anderson and Thomas Anderson were indicted by the Grand Jury, hut subsequently both were tried aud acquitted.

A MECHANICSBURG MURDER .- Two Germaus, giving their names as Rudolph and Henry, were employed in cutting corn near Mechanicsburg in October, 1856, and on Monday, October 20th, both went to a driukiug resort, where they re- mained until Wednesday, when on the morning of that day they started out together to hunt, hut a few hours later Rudolph returned to the house alone, saying his companion had tired and stopped to rest. Henry's hody was found the following Saturday, in the timher, partly eateu by the hogs, and with his head hroken in. A coroner's jury passed upon the evidence of- fered aud gave its verdict that the deceased came to his death by injuries inflicted by some person unknown. It was stated that Henry had considerable money with him, aud it was thought that this caused Rudolph to eommit the murder.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 91

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 864

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 864