Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-06-06
The Floods at CassvIlle Waters
Dividing tho People, and the People
Dividing the Waters-Start of the
Mineral Point Cyclone.

Mineral Point Cyclone.
CAssvnLE, Wis, june 8, 1878,
EDITOR GRANT COUNTY HERALD:
On the day Mineral Point was Wis.
tied by the storm, May 2Sd, the cloud
carrying the machine was a heavy.
black monster, lowering over the
Iowa side of the Mississippi, but
though moving middling fast, kept its
even tenor till it came as far as Es-
tace's Point, in Iowa Bluffs. There
the cloud was shaken by whirlwind
and split, one side crossing (the S. E.
line OF it) just above and partly over
the upper part of the village of Cass-
vile. This is supposed to be the one
going to Mineral Point. While in the
lower end of the village scarcely any
rain fell, the upper part was mum
dated by water coming down Fur
mace Branch, and the Mccartney
road. Cellars were filed, gardens
ruined, and things upset in general.
Some parties having profited by for
mer experiences, had erected barriers
to fortify themselves against such
floods, and neighbors who were not
so fortified had to take double quanti-
ties, and considerable excitement pre-
vailed over the simple question as to
who is really to blame, when l fill up
my ground SO as to keep this drain
age water off, aud in the street, and
your lot is low also, and you neglect
this precaution and consequently have
to take it? The consequence was "a
meeting" the appointment of a
committee to devise ways and means
to guard against the recurrence of
the floods experienced heretofore.
The committee were to report to an
adjourned meeting to be held on Sat.
urday, June lst, and lad it not been
for the kind Intervention of Provi.
dence the project would again have
been nipped in the bud. but on Satur-
day afternoon we received forcible
reminder of the fact that the water
must at least be taken and led away
over ground where it is not liable to
do 80 much damage. Our Saturday
afternoon shower filled nearly every
cellar and partially destroyed every
garden in the upper part of town, and
what the afternoon shower did not do
the shower during the night accom-.
plished fully. The afternoon drench-
ing had the effect to bring almost ev-
cry man to the adjourned meeting,
and in the absence of definite report
of the aforesaid committee the meet
ing resolved that the water must be
taken from where it now runs
whereas, in about 10 rods 1t has 40
feet fall, and an easy place can be
found where, If left to its own natural
course it will accomplish the fall in
about 235 or 24O rods. A committee
consisting of d. B. Stevens, John
Vogel. Karl Kleinpell, F. Beilharz,
and }. H. C.Sneclode were appointed
to go about the work at once; collect
money by subscription, and turn the
water up hill. The people expect the
committee to act promptly, and we are
anxious to see the result.
On Sunday morning the Mississippi
had risen at least q, some say feet.
The bank was lined with cord wood,
fence rails, boards as if from stables
or sheds, and all manner of debris,
coming perhaps from Glen Haven and
above, but the shower must have ex-
tended away up Turkey River in
Iowa, as the river is foaming, carrying
logs, bridges and lots of It's trophies
downward on its course.
On ex-Gov. Dewey's stock farm, a
long string of stone fences was washed
down on what was formerly your
fathers place on Sandy Lake during
Saturday night.
Lightning struck Fred. Schwerin's
shoe shop, land went out again through
the window without any further dam
age.
On Sunday, sterday--consider-
able skirmishing was going on in
town between the sections and fac
tons. One party, who has been
blessed with the water for 90 years,
and where all the drainage has been
led together to inundate his prem
ises, wants to have its course turned (;
the other party, for fear of wet feet,
does not want it turned, and we have
our special pity for the Committee.