The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-05-30
The DeadwOOd Deluge.

the great loss of property, and most SIN
gularly, the limited loss of life in the
Black Hills, as has been stated, is the in
creased fall of snow continually lying on
the mountains contiguous to Deadwood.
These mountains are of greater elevation
than any, except Harney's Peak, in the
Black Hills. When it is realized that
more than 100000 acres ofland in these
mountains are drained by small stream,
it can easily be seen why towns and
cities built in gulches and along noun
tain sides are obliterated when deluge
of water sweeps down, as in the Dead
wood gulch. To briefly describe, where
Whitewood and Deadwood creek from a
confluence, Dcadwood is built to the
right, and up the Deadwood creek are
built Gayville, South Bend, Central City,
Golden Gate and Archer City. Through
these towns are distributed dozen of
tons of rock is annually ground, which,
cleaned up, leaves millions of dollars Of
pure Lullion, Even such structures as
at first resisted the water were swept
away by the combined force of water,
timber, driftwood and rolling debris All
the gulch towns have been seriously
damaged, as from their location it would
be supposed. The loss of bridges to the
county is confined strictly to goges and
gulehes in the mountains and oaiy on
the plains Immediately adjoining them.
The losses in prairie towns in no case
compares with that of the gulch towns.
Altogether, the losses are not so great as
might have been, and the great flood
may only prove warning.
The Whitewood creek is now within
its banks and has made q complete new
channel from the confluence of the Dead
wood and Whitewood creek to two miles
below Deadwood. The only way of in
gress and egress is now over Forest hill.
Deadwood cannot now be reached by the
Boulder Park rtadj hence incoming
trains must come by the old Crook City
road. The road down Whitewood creek
is now being repaired by working force
of more than 100 men. To a subscrip-
ton paper circulated for the purpose Of
Immediately repairing the road down
Whitewood, the First National and Mer-
chants National banks each donated
$500
1t is thought that In three days new
road, much higher than the old one, will
be completed to the Boulder Park road.
There is yet some danger threatened by
the constant wearing and cutting away
of the banks of the stream it seems to
he i'll at ease and discOntented in its new
bed. The losses, at first estimated, were
greatly overdrawn. 1t is believed now
that s35O,o0O will completely cover all
losses incurred in the immediate Dead
wood vicinity. The losses at Galena are
estimated at So 900, and at Sturgis City
about $4,000. It is believed that the
lower portion of i,eadWOOd and the other
gulch towns will be great improvement
to it's appearance. Business has settled
down into its quiet, easy-going routine.
No one seems discouraged. and hopeful
industry seems to have taken its place.
Great business losses will be felt but will
be met with good grace, and q few
months will blot out all but the memory
of our great flood.
A report from Rapid City says that the
water is rapidly disappearing from the
Rapid valley, and the streams begin to
assume their normal condition. Hopes
are entertained that the losses to crops
may in great measure be repaired.