River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-09-18

Losses at Eau Claire.
That part of the North side which was in
undated is a low fiat along the river, occu-
pied principally by one-story frame dwellings
of poor people. The scene has already been
described in general in these dispatches, and
a more careful survey only emphasizes the
seriousness of the disaster The bank of the
river rises quite abruptly for few few
feet to an elevation of about one hundred or
so feet wide back to Forest street, on which
is the track of the Milwaukee road, and
which is depressed three or four feet below
this and the river was well filed with popu-
lous shanties, and when the big rise occurred
Wednesday night the people at first refused
to leave. When the logs came down, how
ever, and battered at their DOORS nothing was
left for them but to fee They found
that Forest street, which they must cross,
was a rushing river, whose depth was more
than the stature of q man, and full of crash
ing logs The crossing was made success
fully, however, and as far as can be learned
not life was lost, nor was any serious
injury incurred. The flood made great havoc
with these little houses. They were floated
away in every imaginable shape. The topog-
raphy of the land is entirely changed The
drive along the river front is gone, and with
it is annihilated fifteen or twenty feet of the
rear of the lots What were fertile gardens
are now beds of quicksand and sawdust, or
ponds and creeks, the whole covered with
logs on which one may walk over the whole
district without -puching the ground Forest
street and its railway track is piled with logs
three feet deep. A smart lawyer could no
doubt involve these poor people in some
interesting legal complications For in
stance, one mans wood pile floats off
to the premises of his third or fourth neigh
Dor; whose will be the wood and what out
slider can decide as to it's identity? A mans
house floats block or so and finds an
anchorage In some one else's back yard II
the building is worthless and its owner don't
take it away, can he be sued for trespass?
Such are some of the problems which will
arise to the legal mind
THE LOSSES.
The principal loser here is August Huyssen,
who owns and rents eight of these little
dwellings, His tenants are all poor and
many of them lose their little all Mr. Hugs
sens loss, including his own premises, which
were quite ornamental, will amount to
81 900 Other losers in this vicinity on
houses and contents are A. Anderson, 5000;
Pierre Neirsger, 5000; G. Sclosser, $500;
William Ulrich, $4,000; Peter Warner,
81, 900 On the east side of Forest street
and the railway track, and on cross streets,
great damage was found The houses there
were mostly two-story frames occupied by
Norwegians and Swedes The principal
Chris Sack, residence, 5000; William Schrie-
Der, residence, $780, J. Repricht residence, 300;
Pete Petersoa residence 500 Lena Hole Tss
Joe Senenkugle, 5000; +. White, residence,
$500; G. Falls residence, 800; A. Huyssen,
residence 5000; Lars Nelson son residence, Sna2;
dencs, 5000; g. III. Bartle residence, $10S: w.
Klumeter, residence, 5000; N. Johannes,
and f6etor sdoooo ,o 6arse6
Nelson, residence, $500; A s. Bostwick,
residence, $500; Mrs. Garland, residence,
500: Madison hotel, 5000: r. Yum, residence,
800; Luner & Bransteads' store, SO, 900; Run
stead block, $500; William Bachmann, resi-
dence, 500; Anton Meyer, residence, 300; J.
$500; John Olson, residence, 800; E. solberg,
residence, 1850; Ole Hanson, residence $500:
Miss Berg, laundry, 5000; five or six residences
near Phoenix mills, owned by ole Mortimer,
Jacob Lorbe and others damaged over 81 900.
These are only the principal losers, there
being great number of little houses demol-
ished, the foreign names of whose owners it
is impossible to obtain correctly, much less
to send by telegraph.
on BARsTow STREET.
On Barstow street, going north from the
bridge and on the East side, losses are:
Ullrich & Ntgardis store, 5000; S. Arnold,
saloon, 5000; Nelson Bros, general store.
store, $3.50; A. Halverson store, $500; s. strum,
store, $500; Simpson d Co. store, $500: Idle d
Co., store, $500; Nelson d Palmer, store, 5000;
ware, 800; Frlwleys block $500; f. Kemps,
Val. Blum, saloons, each 5000; George
h and da SafsTy $780, Paul Brom1 HS5
furniture, $500: Holm & Thompson, dry goods,
$500; McIntire, groceries, 81 200; Fl. Schwan.
butcher, 5000; s. G. POsick. gents furnishing.
1900; Larson 4 Johnston, grocery, $500; ten
saloons, 800 each. Other losses on the North
side were: J. G. Olson, cigars and tobacco, $500;
II. Peterson, saloon and dwelling. 500; q r.
johnson, hotel and dwelling, 81, 600; Eric Skam-
sen, hotel, $500; John f. Wilson, dwell
ing, 5000: joan Higgins. dwelling, $500;
H.. ~ r1nA
dwelling, $500: Bersang 81 Girnan. tobacco,
$500; John Girhard, dwelling, 800; CASTOR
Brothers, boiler shop, 5000; Frank Nc
hotel, 5000; d. B. Campbell dwelling. $500; w,
f. Ridell, dwelling, 800: Sam Regelman, dwell
ing, 5000; Olson & Foss, saloon and livery
stable, 81, 200; N. J. Anderson. dwelling, 800;
b. storm, two dwellings, 5000; Jung 81 Bur-
ebert, beer depot, 81 100.
These figures are obtained In majority of
cases from owners To the above damage
the track of the Milwaukee road, damage to
rolling stock and depot of over So, 600. Over
500, 600 feet of logs foated into and on
most of the North side property
IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
Madison. Hobart, Forest, Wisconsin and Gal
loway streets are badly damaged, filled with
debris and logs. Many people in this district
are destitute and suffering is feared. Nelson
Brothers donated 5000 of tinware to the poor
The water went no farther east than Barstow
side, and suffered most of all the mills. +. era
ham. treasurer of the Phoenix company, says
that their loss is dry kiln. 100000 feet of hard
wood lumber. and minor damages to nills
Total, about $1I 600.
THE EAST SIDE
The East side Is the principal part of Eau
Claire. and the part which was inundated was
substantially built so that to the eye, at
least, there is as yet but little injury TO
the buildings Figures as to losses to their
occupants are as vet unattainable, as the
damage 70 most of them was injury to goods
in Easements, Most of them are yet under
water. and the goods inaccessible Many OF
such stocks viii be found uninjured by the
water. The principal retail business is
saloonkeeping, and the proprietors of these
establishments can give no estimate until
they find out whether their spirits are still in
the barrels The following is, however, the
list of the losses as they could be ascertained
to-day. Only partial list Of the losses can
be given on the East side:
Gurnan d Doherman, shop, $1,000. John
Powers. residence $40: NJ. Smith, livery, 5000;
A. Messenger, residence, $500; J. Iangdon-
store, $500. Windsor house. 81 900: johnson q
Murphy, livery, $3.50: E. a. Ballard, drugs,
s., 900: s. J. Smith, grocer, $1,000: McCumber
: Co, auction, $500; Newlins, saloon, 500;