Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-07-26
WRA!HFUl WEATHER /!
THE ANGRY ELEMENTS MAKE
THINGS LIVELY FOR THE
HUMAN RACE.
The Entire Country Swept by Some Of
the Severest Storms
Ever known.
The Village Of Cobb struck by a
Cyclone and Many Buildings
Wrecked.
most Discouraging Reports In Regard TO the
Prospect for the Coming Crops all
Over the County.
STORMS ALL AROUND.

STORMS ALL AROUND.
The past week has been one of storms.
The elements appeared to be having
celebration of their own without re-
gard to consequences. As might be
supposed this elemental jollification
did not meet with unqualified approval
on the part of the jewellers upon earth.
The joke of seeing fine field Of oats as
Hat as if they had been rolled for the
occasion is hard to appreciate, while the
mirth provoking proclivities of a crack
field of corn with large proportion
broken off and share of the rest with
riddled leaves are, to say the least, of a
mild type. Hence it is hardly unnat-
ural to expect that people will grum-
BILE when storm follows storm, the last
playing havoc with what was left by
the first. In fact grumbling in this
section has become one of the fine arts.
The storm of a week ago Sunday
was thought to have worked consider
able damage but Friday morning show
ed up one which caused the first to
drop out of sight. This storm, which
was composed of wind and rain with a
dash of hail to add variation, made its
appearance here between four and five
a. IN. The outlook for few moments
was anything but promising and cellar
doors were held at a premium. 1t is
even limited that the alacritv shown by
some parties in descending cellar stairs
was astonishing when the weight of
years was considered. but the storm
passed over without further damage
than to destroy a few shade trees, one
of the hard naples in the courtyard
falling victim to the blast.
Friday night, about. midnight, the
second go-as-you-please match opened
up. The pyrotechnic display all the
evening had been remarkably brilliant,
but extremely dispiriting to nervous
people. The storm did not put in a
business like appearance until between
one and two a. m. when the heavens
opened and the water decended as
though some one had pulled the bottom
out ola gigantic tank This was ac-
companied by thrilling display of
lightning, such as is rarely witnessed
except in the tropics. This storm
brought with it but very little wind in
this section of the county and the dam
age done was entirely by the water. A
resume of the work of the storms was
found to yield quite list of damages.
THE NET RESULTS.
First of all the oat crop in this imme-
date vicinity, and in fact throughout
the entire north of the county, has been
badly wrecked. Many fields will be
hardly worth the cutting and some are
not expected to fill out at all. Corn
escaped with not SO much injury, al
though the more advanced fields re-
ceived the most damage. As far as
can be learned, about one-tenth of the
crop as it stands was broken off or
stripped. Hay, which was down, was
badly washed, much of that in the bot
toms going out entirely in the freshets
that followed.
In the city the immediate damage was
very slight A bolt from the storm
Friday morning took the corner off the
chimney on the depot, and similar
visitation from the storm of Saturday
morning struck the chimney of Mr..
Nelson Thomas new residence, passed
down under the roof and down the
water-pipe, which was near by, to the
ground. Mr.. Thomas and family ex-
perienced no disturbance from the shock
and it was not until late Saturday, that
he discovered the damage. The hollow
leading down by the mill and past the
creamery, must have presented lively
spectacle during the night, as che refuse
and debris of the flood was deposited
on the sidewalk leading up to Mayor
Holloway's residence, and even up to
the creamery door, showing that there
must have been a rise of at least four
feet in this little stream, which ordin-
arily is only bare ribbon of water and
a narrow ribbon at that.
As parties began to come in from out
side, Saturday, the full extent of dam
age could be learned, in fact the
storm and storm notes was the princi-
pal topic of conversation during the
day. Bridges were reported gone in
every direction. Nearly all the bridges
over the dry branches" north and east
of town were reported out. Mr.. VIM.
j. Dyer said all but one in his neighbor-
hood had been taken out, and similar
reports were received from every point.
Mr.. John Duncan, living in the Hurri-
cane. in conversation with HERALD
man, said the storm of Friday morning
broke the timber down badly. He in
stanced one tree three foot through.
which had been blown over. while
smaller trees which were broken were
numerous. The fences also had suf-
fered severely.
/ BOOMING RIVERS.
As was to be expected. the rivers were
booming. No trouble was experienced
between this city and Platteville and
the stage came through all right but
Grant, as usual, had its liquid back up
to an extent that travel was entirely
| blocked.
The first storm transformed the
stream into roaring flood and at Por-
ter's and Flora Fountain it was impos-
sible to get across until nearly evening
Mr.. Win. Richards essayed trip to
Bloomington, Friday afternoon. but af.
ter trial of both crossings had to turn
back. Mr.. Jas. Hannum, of Cassyille