Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-22
FLOODS IN THE GULCHES.
FOUR CITIES IN DAKOTA WASH
ED AWAY.

Half of DeadwOOd and Part of Central
City also GOne-The Loss in Deadwood
Alone Over OO,OO0-FOur Lives
Known to be LOst--None of the Bodies
yet Recovered.
BISMARCK, d. T., May 21.-A special
dispatch to the Tribune gives the follow
ing details of flood at DeadWood: CAL
most every day for a month there has
been fall of rain which has rendered the
roads impossible and thoroughly satu-
rated the ground. A heavy fall of snow
followed, but disappeared rapidly under
heavy warm rain of Friday night and
Saturday. The gtilehes or valleys in the
hills are from "a few hundred feet
to probably a dnarter of mile
wide. DeadwOOd is situated at the juno
tiOn of the WhitewOod and Deadwood
gulches, and humber Of other gulches
empties their accomplishing water from
the mountain into these main gulches,
making a volume of water that rushes
down WhitewOod gulch with resistIess
force. Central City, Anchor City and
Golden Gate are in the DeadWood gulch
above Deadwood city. The greater portion
of Central City was above the flood, but
for Anchor City and Golden Gate there
was no escape, the gulch theEe. being not
over six hundred feet wide. Bennington
is entirely gone, the valley is flooded and
half of Speak Fish is washed away.
Crook City is nearly all gone. The water
is now falling, though there is much snow
in the mountains yet. George Chandler
and wife and two unknown men are
known to have been drowned. Rope and
basket communication has been estab-
llshed between two parts OF the city. The
main residential portion of DeadwOOd is
Ns.s.ue IN 80 l. II
the main business portion is also above the
danger line. The portion DESTROYED was
occupied by cheap tenement houses,
secOnd-class hotels, laundries, small
traders, sporting houses, livery stables,
etc. Some of the buildings are built
over the stream which, at its ordinary
stage, is but few feet wide. This
locality is generally avoided, however,
its danger being recognized. When
the flood came timely warning was
given by means of the telephone
system which exists in the hills, and the
most valuable articles were removed by
the residents. So far but three bodies
have been recovered, but it is believed
now that the loss of life has been great.
When the flood came it swept everything
before it, excepting the most substantial
buildings. The losses in Deadwood will
reach 100000. Golden Gate, Anchor
City, Central City, South Bend and Crook
City are all heavy losers.
Several mills in Deadwood Gulch have
been destroyed, and the damage to the
mines by the floods cannot be repaired for
several weeks. All the roads are i'm
passable, and trains have been forced to-
suspend on the Hills Railroad. The
Methodist Church and public
school building at DeadwOOd
were destroyed, as was also Miller's fire
proof warehouse, Ismond a. Ayres' hard
ware store, and the brewery. One hum
dred houses are known to have been
washed away, and five lives have been
lost. Spear Fish and Rapid creeks are in
broad valleys, the former being from two
to twelve miles wide. The flood was not
so destructive there, but did serious dam
age nevertheless.