Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-11-29
Floods I'm the Southeast.

Floods i'm the SOutheast.
A most unprecedented rain storm
visited Piedmont, beginning at ono
O'Clock last Wednesday morning and
ending its fury at six o'clock in the aft
ernoon. The rain fell in q perfect tor
rent, almost increasingly during the
hours mentioned, and the consequences
were most disastrous. McKenzie's
creek Is small stream that runs al
most through the centre of town, and
is generally nothing more than the
little babbling brook that poets write
about. OF course, when storms come
1t il increased somewhat beyond these
proportions, but never before In the
memory of any citizen now residing
there has it been the raging rivey that
it was that day.
About ten o'clock that forenoon It
began rising, and by noon the swell
was at snch rapid.rate Ms to cause re-
most people pooh-poohed any sugges-
came despite their poOh-poohing.
With every minute that past the
stream increased In volume, and the
current gained in swiftness until there
was mad roaring, rushing river rum
ming through the town. Although
many people watched tho swelling
flood, nobody seemed to think there
was really any danger to life or prop
erty until things had gone 30 far that
the town was converted into q panic
stricken community.
All the buildings situated along the
banks Of the creek were flooded and
number completely washed away and
carried piecemeal ON the bosom Of the
angry torrent. In such . state of af-
fairs OF course there was great danger
to human life and plenty ofwork in the.
way of rescuing people FROM dangerous
hands and stout hearts enlisted In the
work as soon as 1t was realized that
there was real work to be done.
Despite the heroic work Of the reseu-
ers, two women and three children
were lost in the flood.
By good fortune the clerk of the cir
cult court, r.. E. Buehler, had skiR
on freight car awaiting his order of
shipment. The boat was speedily got.
ten out and manned by Harry Charl.
ton, the agent Of the Ut. Louis aud
Iron Mountain Railroad COMPANY,
who ran amidst the drift descending,
consisting of houses, great trees and
roots and swift current, and who sue
oeeded In saving many lives.
After he was worn out the boat waS
taken through equal dangers and
still higher flood by Mr.. Andy Lap.
pan, also of the railroad office, who
brought the women and children out
Of trees, whittier they had taken refuge.
Horses and cattle were drowned and
fences were taken entire by the flood.
The loss of property by the food to
the citizens of Piedmont will exceed
SIC, 900.
To add to the scene the track Of the
Iron Mountain road was washed out
near Piedmont, and into the gap thus
made freight train crashed. wrecking
the e0gine and four or five cars. Teie-
graphic and mail communication be-
tween Piedmont and northern points
was completely interrupted and traffic
on the Belmont branch of the line was
at q standstill for several days.
East of Poplar Bluff the storm as
sumed the form of q cyclone. AT Ber-
grand, Mississippi county, dwellings
were demolished and immense damage
done. One man was killed outright
and twenty persons were wounded by
falling timber and flying debris.
MADISON COUNTY
suffered from al exceedingly heavy
rainstOrm the same day, none exceed
ing 1t In severity except the one of 1871
that swept away the village Of st.
Michael, on which ground now stands
q part OF Fredericktown. The Saline
creek, ordinarily small stream that
can be waded, got out Of Its banks and
became rushing torrent that carried
on its bosom great trees and washed
stables and lighter buildings from their
foundations. Dwellers in houses on the
north bank Of the creek, which flows
through the town, were compelled TO
move out on to higher ground. Corn
| fields in the bottom lands on the creek
were completely submerged, and the
damage done to the ungathered crops
cannot be just now estimated. 1t is
feared, however, that In many Casesit
will result In q three tOurtAs loss. Fenc-
Ting for miles has been washed away.
At one time heavy wind came up
that threatened to becOmo = Cyclone.
IChimneys, signs, awnings, eec., were
! in many instances blown down. A
COW, owned by an old daFkey, got into
the creek and floated down stream .
hundred yards or more before 1t was
able to stem the torrent and effect .
landing. individual losses cannot Oe
obtained, but it will certainly be up IN
the Thousands Of dollars. The foot.
bridge was washed away, and for
awhile tho wagon bridge was expected
to float away, but the storm abated,
and no further damage was done.
IN ARKANsAa.
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