River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-08-07


and buildings, frame and brick, fell be-
fore the devastating element as though
they had been sand. Dwellings,
stables, workshops and debris OF all
kinds mingled together in one con-
FUSED lnass, making it absolutely inn
! possible for spectator to discover even
the street line. In some instances
houses were literally turned upside
down. On o. Hara street, the dwelling
of Aid. Bolsterwas reduced TO its orig.
inal elements, and one of his children
drowned On the same street a family
of seven We're lost.
On Chestnut street ut the intersection
of Spring Garden avenue the water at
tanned IL depth of fully 20 feet, but the
buildings withstood the force better,
and in only one instance was any pre-
carious damage done. A large frame
building occupied as beer hall was
moved from its foundation, hoated di-
rectly across the street, completely OBJ
structing the way.
1t is estimated that in this district
about seventy dwelling houses were de-
stroyed, but no estimate has been made
of their value. A large number of peo-
pie are missing. 1t is thought many
bodies are still in the debris As fast
as recovered, they are taken to various
undertakers in the city, and 80 are now
known to have come from this district.
Spring Garden Run lies in the south
Of Butchers Run. 1t is separated by
high hill In this valley the same
scenes we've enacted, on a smaller scale
as regards loss Of life. It would be inn
possible to give anything like a detailed
account OF damage done to dwelling
houses in this vicinity. Those which
were not totally destroyed were very
greatly damaged.
\ Beyond Cedar avenue fortunately
there were but few lives lost, at least as
far as could be ascertained. Some two
or three are reported.
At the foot Of Spring Garden Run
the loss of life was fearful.
In Kasper Raves saloon, along with
others, were Philip Hess, constable,
and Hy Schaffer. They rushed out of
the saloon into the street, and that was
the last seen of Them alive. Another
man also rushed from the Paris saloon
with Hess and Schaffer. His body was
recovered in the yard between Chestnut
and Center streets.
About one mile out on the Run a man
named VIM. Peats, tied his family,
wife and several children, with a clothes
line in a room, fearing some of them
would rush away in their alarm, and be
lost. The house and the entire family
were saved.
Three-fouIths of n mile up the Run
the breast of the food would give
cross section of 4 feet in height, and
$50 feet in width, and by the time il had
reached the city limits it had assumed
the proportion of the Mill River food.
The number of persons lost is undoubt-
edly considerably more than already re-
covered. At Woods Run, on the same
side of the river as Butchers and Spring
Garden, and four miles west of them, at
the head, two houses were swept away.
A number of other buildings were
washed away.
Several bodies, terrible sight, lie at
McCaskey and McChesney's livery
stable near the scene on the south of
the Ohio river. Temperanceville was
the heaviest sufferer. A narrow stream
from saw-mill run, empties into the
OHIO. Up this stream, hardly a vestige
of two iron bridges remains. Stones
three feet thick by five feet long, were
torn from the abutments, and carried
down stream, like pieces of cork. Five
wooden bridges, and three trestle works
over the same stream were also swept
away. The gasometer at the gas works
was also badly injured. G. S. and j.
G. Taylor's salt works are also q COM
plete wreck loss $25, 900.
| At Brooks, Palantines & Co.'S refin-
| ing tanks, two stills, the two worms of
three hundred and fifty feet of pipe,
are swept away. A brick store near
Washington turnpike, owned by Geo.
II. Gumbel, was struck by the food
and melted away. Nothing can nowbe
seen where it stood, save pool of wa
ter. The lot on which the store build
! ing stood has also disapp cared, the
course of the run here being CT anged, so
| that its bed is now where the building
was formerly located, above the forks
Of the run. Sixteen buildings and fifty
coal cars were destroyed. Seven bodies
have been taken out and twenty-six are
missing, supposed drowned.
In CHARTERS Valley, a stream which
runs parallel with Saw Mill Run, empties
into the Ohio three miles below, the
| loss OF life IS reported to be very great.
All the little runs emptying into Char
tiers creek became rushing rivers. On
Brush Run the fences and bridges are
all gone. and n great deal of valuable
property destroyed. The loss of human
life has been frightful At McLaugh-
Inns Run eleven persons were drowned.
During the flashes of lightning, horses
and cattle, and animals of all kinds
could be seen floating in the torrent,
and their bellowinos Of terror could be
heard above the roar of the flood
Tho most carefully prepared figures,
however, give the total losses of life at
2l9. With regard 70 property itissimply
impossible TO give an idea that can be
considered reliable
----
Famine in the Irish Isles.