River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-09-06
a CLOUD. euRsT.

An Unprecedented Rainfall Causes Flood
which sweeps Through Ho: Springs,
Ark, with Awful Effect Thirteen lives
Lost. and Damage Done TO the Extent
of 100000.
LITTLE Rock, Ark. Sept 1.-The Gazsite's
Hot Springs lark. special SAYS; To-day
is an epoch in the history Of Hot Springs.
The city is Quilted. Ruin and wreck meet
the vision everywhere, and nothing like it
has ever been known to compare with the
result of Thursday nights storm, which
occurred too late to be telegraphed. It
was waterspout and the valley was
swept with mighty tidal wave. The loss
TO property is fearful, while the sac
rifice 20 human life is, under the circum-
stances, appalling Swift and terrible
people were awakened from slumber To
find themselves threatened with destrue-
ton by mad waves Strange TO relate few
people were conscious Of horrible disaster
till they awolze TO look upon the des5lata
scenes this morning and drag the drowned
from drifts
The storm struck the town at II o'clock
Thursday night from northwesterly
direction II was accompanied By stid
cool winds, though not strong enough 20
produce damage Rain fell in tor.
rents from II 70 l o'clock W tn
out intermission or cessation Indeed
those who were up and witnessed the
awful scene describe Il as one never
before seen by EN-. The vivid flashes OF
lightning displayed, as il were, great
sheets of falling water. At the close Of
the storm a great aud ominous sound.
mingled with the shouts Of people and cries
Of distress, went up from the valley, and
such people as were in the vicinity Of tho
creek and ravines went forth to render as
sistancc.
The flood on Central avenue, the princi-
pal thoroughfare, assumed an angry river,
whose rushing tide swept every thing NOV
able on its bosom For over half an hour
the avenue was transformed into q
torrent fifty yards wide. Barrels, boxes
and parts of houses came down on the
tide and were left strewn on the side
walks. Several large hotels were flooded
to the depth of four feet with murky
water, and many buildings were totally
destroyed Up to this hour six persons
are known TO be missing, five Of whom
have been found dead in wrecked build
ings. The damage to property is estimated
at 500. 600
1t is impossible TO accurately estimate
the damage TO property, both pUblic and
private, bus it goes away up in the thou
sands. The greatest damage was from
Malvern crossing up TO the northern sub
urbs.
The destruction was augmented by the
formation Of drifts at the upper ends Of the
creek arch. The mouth Of the arch on
both Wilmington and Park avenues cholled
comp etely, which threw the main body OF
the food over the streets and down Central
al
up the two creeks above the two arches
On Wilmington avenue there was but little
damage done until the food reached tho
Josephine Hotel The Office floor OF this
house is considerably lower than the
street, hence the food rushed in through
the front doors, and when at the highest
stood at least four feet deep on the lower
floor, completely covering the counter il
the office and the billiard tables in tht
b lizard room.
The da mage along the line from Upper
Park avenue to the junction with Whit
tington avenue proved grave on invcstiga
tion. The first building moved from il.
foundation in the north part Of the town
was one of the small dwellings owned b.
Hon. Nicholas Bell. and occupied by a col
ored family named Fletcher. II was sweep
away, and the mother Of a family, Matti'
Fletcher, and her four children wer,
drowned The husband had miraculou
escape
When the rain was heaviest cries fol
help were heard in the creek back Of DR.
Frankln's residence. The dark was i'm
penetrable, and the rain came down il
sheets. Through the roaring and crashing
the voice of the man could be heard grow
ing fainter Jack Franklin hastily drew OF
some clothing an6 wading into the tOrren
In the direction OF the cries succeeded /.
drawing the man out, disabled by the fdl
of his house, and landed HMM his father
residence He gave the man wine and KEEP
him until morning, when the poor fellow
was able to get out and find the bodies o
his wife and children caught in the debr.
of the creek below.
An old man and his wife named Harri
son, who recently moved to the city, occu
pied a small cottage near the Arlington
4 stable The force of the water caused tn
| building to collapse just as the old man an
his wife werC making their escape. Tn
/ wife was caught underneath the debris an
perisL ted Her body was found in tn
ruins. In the rear Of the Wayerly Hote
were q couple of small buildings VIII G.
were carried away, in one OF VII ch MI
! o. Brien's cook, a colored woman, wa
sleeping. She is supposed to have bee
/ drowned. as she has not yet been hear
/ from The Big Iron and old Hale bath
| houses were badly flooded as wer
/ all the buildings all the way dow
I Central avenue In the rear of Douglas
/ book store the embankment caved in
I smashing the rear door and hOOding tn
/ book and stationery store with mud an
I water to a depth of fourteen inches, d0in
/ much damage.
/ The Army and Navy Hospital an
/ grounds were considerably damaged Tn
/ loss is estimated at 81, go
I Mayor Kimbell and the entire polio
/ force were out promptly, and did ever
! thing possible 10 render aid where needed
/ The mayor called to his assistance larg
/ force of men, and the work of removin
| drift and searching for bodies has bee
/ pushed forward.
DROWNED WHILE ASLEEP.
PCEBLO, Col, Sept. Seven cowboy
pitched camp last Tuesday night in th
! dry bed of a creek just west of Pike
/ Peak During the night rain came u
and cloud burst near them. hocd 0
/ water six feet deep came sweeping dow
upon them, carrying every thing in its patti
/ including seven g. eping cowboys. B
a terrible strug y two Of them succeede
i in getting hold Of the branches Of trees
and there they chung half dead until tn
/ food subsidized, which was almost as qujc
as it had come upon them. The bodies q
the other five men were found scattere
along the bed of the stream one to az
miles below their camp. The names Of oni
two-Plasher and Royal-have been ascel
/ tanned.
Tir 4 of Life.
r. rrpr,>-D n Sent A speciai Z