Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-04-25
FIVE PERSONS PERISH

FIVE PERSONS PERISH
A Wisconsin Farmer. His wife ana three.
Children Fall Victims to tho I.ofo Drosh-,
ot-The River Still Rising.
MILWAUKEE, April 2l-The first casualty,
from the floods in the northern mart Of
this State occurred Thursday night near the
little village Of Embarras, o small station;
on the banks of the Upper Wok river and;
near the line of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore
d Western railroad short distance
from the town lived a farmer named
Lathrop, with his wife and three chill:
dren. Their home was situated close upon,
the BANKS OF the river where it's course
takes sudden bend When the Wolf,
river commenced to rise the fam
lily made preparations to leave their
home and take refuge on the higher;
lands but finding that the river re-
NAMED within its banks, they decided to.
stay In their own house. Thursday the
river commenced to rise rapidly, it's waters
having been largely increased by
the melting snow in the for
ests along it's banks In a short time it
had overlooked the land surrounding La.
throp's house, and by evening the strong.
current was striking the house, threatening:
to tear it from its foundations Lathrop..
fully aware of the danger to which he and
his family were exposed, resolved to take
them to the town, where they could re-.
main until the waters subsidized He
accordingly built raft as best he
could out of the doors Of his home, piecinga
them with loose boards His work:
was concluded about dusk, and thinking
mat the raft was strong enough to bear his
FAMILY he embarked them upon it and
pushed away from the house, padding
along with piece of board. He:
had not counted on the strength
OF the current, which. when he
reacned the midst of it, whirled him
rapidly down stream He worked hard to
cross the narrow strip OF water which sep
arated him from the dry land. and had
nearly reached the sh-llows when the.
raft suddenly went to piecea The whole
family were thrown into tae water. and.
though they struggled hard, were caught
by the current and carried down
stream. Lathrop's body was found some
miles below his home lying in meadow
wnere the waters had left is Tightly
clasped in his arms was the body of his
youngest child, little girl, whom he had
evidently seized as the raft parted None
of the other bodies have been recovered
At Prairie du Chen the Mississippi river
still continues to rise. and already the
Fourth ward is entirely under water and
many other portions OF the city are sub
merged The water in the streets is
from three to four feet deep, and in
many buildings the occupants have been
driven from the first floor: The depth of
tie water in the streets forces the people to
use boats, and the streets are flied with
boats, skiffs and RATS, many people
padding around because of the novel
ty of the situation In the morning RATS
"nd homemade boats loaded with chill
DIR n. can b seen max ng their way to the
s~nool-houses- A rise OF three inches more
in the water would subme.ge the track of
the Chicago, Milwaukee & 81. P-.u, road for
long distance No greai damage has been
done yet, as the saw-min yards have been
doomed in, and it is almos isn1 s Bile for
any of the property to foat away
At Kaukauna portion OF the bank of the
Government canal has been washed away.
and gang of men has been hard at work
for some time endeavoring to repair the
damage before the water shall have risen
sufficiently to inundate the surrounding
country. The water has carried away a
portion of the hume of the American Pulp
Company's mill. and the Kaukauna Lumb Der
Manufacturing Company's works have
been shut down.
At Portage the Wisconsin river is neither
rising nor falling, but continues to flow
over into the Fox river valley in consider
able quantities. The fats of Caledonia are
Hooded, and there is no communication
with the west side of the river except by
boats No cattle were drowned as far as is
known, they having been driven to the
bluffs before the floods became dangerous