The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-07-11
CLOUD BURST.
A Torrent Of Water Comes Rush
ing Down the Clutches, Do
ing Oonsid erable
Damage.

AAB NV VA0 SN4OAAOSy ~
ing Consid cradle
Damage.
The Ground Covered Three Inches
Deep With Hai-stones.
At half past three o'clock yester'
day afternoon q storm cloud, riven
with streaks of chain lightning, was
seen approaching the city from the
southwest. A few minutes later the
storm burst over the city, and al
though the rain fell copiously and
the lightning flashes were alarming
ly vivid, accompanied by reverbrat-
ing detonatinns Of thunder, the sun
was brightly shining upon the sur
rounding mountain peaks and there
was NO pressage of anything more 81
rious than a midsummer show er.
But as the storm moved in its north
easterly course the sky in that direc-
ton became suddenly darkened. as
if the elements had rallied
their hosts and sent an army
of inky clouds to repel the
invasion of the storm king which
had just passed over as. The war
ring elements met on the divide
northeast of the city, apparently Sc
Letting for battle-ground the ridge
extending from the Mountain Con-
solidated to the Bell mine. Gentle
men who happened to be in that vi
cinity, say that the storm from the
northeast was a hail storm, and that
in scarcely more than a minute after
the bail commenced falling the hill
sides were covered to u depth of three
inches. Immediately, after the two
storms met with a clang and crash of
thunder and the most vivid light
ming, which seemed to be all around
them, which they had ever seen, fol-
lowed by the rain, which literally
fell in sheets, and in a moment a tor
rent of water came rushing down the
hillsides. At the head of Town
Gulch scarcely any water had been
flowing, but in five minutes, five
feet of water was carrying everything
before it down the precipitious gulch.
Missoula, Buffalo and Town gulches
all head in that vicinity, and they re-
ceived the torrent of water which
flowed from the three water sheds OF
the divide. On Missoula gulch the
dam and reservoir which supplies the
hydraulic works was carried away
by the flood. Property on Buffalo
gulch, which passes through the
heart of the city escaped without seri-
BUS injury, but the boiling torrent
severely tried the culverts under the
streets, and the foundations of build
ings built over the gulch. The heav-
lest flood was in Town gulch, down
which a great volume of water came,
carrying before it with irresistible
force cordwood, logs, lumber, boxes
and other debris, which had accumu-
lated in its course. At the ole Lex
ington mill, the flood broke through
the embankment and flooding the
tailings dump, washed away
a large quantity of valuable tailings.
At the corner of East Park and Ar
streets the rapidly moving raft
of drift, struck the corner of a stable
and carried it down the stream. A
moment later the culvert under |
East Park street was struck, where
the drift causing "a dam, the water
rose and poured over the !
Ten feet of the culvert was
washed out and the piles supporting
the plank. road which forms about
half the street in front of Chas. Ma !
hay and feed store and Mil
lard Stout's blacksmith shop, were
undermined, causing the superstruc-
ture to sink from four to six feet be-
the level of the street. Charles
Mcguire sustained a heavy damage
by his hi and grain being soaked
with water, and the foundations of
Stout's blacksmith shop will have to
be replaced before the building can
be ~re-occupied. The storm in the
city continued only half an hour and
was not very heavy ut any
time. A few minutes after the cloud
burst. the u was shining brightly
and all nature seemed placid in re
pose. An hour later, the gulch
streams had shrunk to their normal
and there was nothing to
Indicate that a fear inspiring flood
lad 50 recently swept their rocky
beds.
Cloud bursts have occurred period
cally, in the spur of the mountains
aorth of Butte for the past 25 years.
There is no knowing when the next
will occur, or the volume of water
which will come pouring down the
Bridges and culverts should
re built which will prevent the posi-
'ility of a disastrous flood in the fu-
ure.
MONTANA MELANGE.