Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-06-19
Disastrous Flood.
The Most Unruly ever Expert
enced in Mineral Point.
-Four Miles of Railroad Track
Completely Wrecked.
Thousands of Dollars Worth
Of Lumber Carried Away,
A Young Johnstown, Except
ing the Loss of Life.
MEMORABLE OCCURRENCE,

4fA AaAA C4AAl ~ ~ - - &A4 AaAh ~ L.
Throughout last Friday stormy
elements held sway in Mineral
Point, at times drenching the earth
with rain and startling the inhabit-
ants with exceptionally loud thun-
der and vivid lightning. 1t was a
day of storm to be remembered by
everyone who witnessed it.
The latter part of the afternoon
there was a calm, but as night
approached heavier aud darker
clouds than before made their ap.
pearauce, and many feared the con.
sequence.
At about eight o'clock rain com
menced falling in torrents contlnu-
ing for two hours without abate-
ment Streams were swelling
rapidly, and soon the water became
independent of the old courses,
spreading rampantly in every di-
rectlon.
The first indication Of danger was
at the depot, when water began
rushing over the platform, about
half past nine. Shortly after this
huge current, like unto a wall of
water it is said, came rushing down
the ia me east of the depot carry
ing everything before it. After
tearing down and passing through
the old Butler dam the destructive
wave attacked Whites lumber yard
with increased force. The major
part Of the lumber in the yard was
picked up and carried on the bosom
of the water in large sections just
as piled. The mad current thus
freighted struck broadsides of the
railroad track Immediately below
the depot building. Ties and rails
were swept clean from the bed and
the hard, solid bed between the
water tank and the first bridge
artisticaIly gutted. Lumber, rub
bish, gravel, grass, etc, were strewn
promiscuously around the depot and
cars standing on the tracks up as
high as the body Of the cars. The
rushing waters with its cargo OF
lumber continued down the course
of the railroad, crossing and re-
crossing, making a complete wash
out of ties, rails, road bed, telegraph
poles and fences for nearly four
miles.
The destruction was decidedly
complete. Rails were bent and
twisted into most every conceivable
shape, and sections of rails and ties
from one hundred feet to hundreds
Of yards long were gathered up and
floated away to distant banks and
meadows. These facts attest to the
powerfulness Of the flood, and had
humanity or buildings been exposed
thereto they most surely would have
met with annihilation, and why not
call it young Johnstown2
How fortunate for It's crew and It's
passengers that the evening passen-
ger train was on time. A half hour
later and the results would have
been most terrible.
The loss to the O., NJ. d st. +.
railroad company is estimated at
fully S25, 900 without calculation on
what might be lost in consequen ce
of delay Of trains. Outside Of this
the principal loss is that Of the
proprietors Of Whites lumber yard.
Their stock was scattered for four
miles and all badly broken, dented,
besmeared with dirt, etc, making 1t
Of but little value after collecting.
| Three miles down was enough lum-
| Der, if ii good condition, to stock q