The record-union., 1894-05-17
FLOODS IN THE NORTHWEST
Great Damage to Property in Wis
consin and Minnesota.
FAMILIES IN LOW LANDS DRIVEN
FROM THEIR HOMES.


Washed Out and Houses Flooded at
Stillwater-Immense Amount of De-
struction to Railroads.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
BLACK RIVER FALLS (Wis.), May 16.-
The biggest flood known here for years
visited this section of the State last night,
and the destruction of dams and bridges
along Black River and it's tributaries is
large. The Dells dam, about twenty
miles above here, and the most important
one on Black River, was in danger of be-
ing swept away, and force Of men were
ordered to blow up portion of it to save
it from entire destruction. Black River
has been at a twenty-foot rise at this
point all day. Several families have been
forced to abandon their homes to save
themselves in the lower portions Of the
city. The loss of dams and bridges about
here will amount to thousands of dollars.
The city is in darkness tonight. it being
impossible to operate the electric light
plant with the present stage OF water.
WATER SWEEPING DOWN THE VALLEY.
MILWAUKEE, May 16.-The water
sweeping down the Black River Valley
struck the river falls at O'Clock this
morning. Fire alarms were rung, and
the people hurried from their homes to
aid those living in the lower parts of the
city.
The dam of the Prairie Mill checked
the rush of water for a few minutes, but
finally gave way. Two big bridges were
swept from their fastenings and several
small bridges followed. Medley's starch
factory was swept down the stream. An
other large bridge went next.
All the families on the low lands were
rescued at Blummer.
At Chippewa Valley several dwellings,
large planning mill, city pumping house
and fire engine-house have gone.
The big dam sluiceway of the Glen
wood Manufacturing Company was car
ried away with several hundred thousand
feet of logs.
Every bridge on Tiffany Creek is gone.
Many dwellings in the lower part of
the village are under water.
The Wisconsin Central Chicago train is
cut off by washouts in the woods about a
mile and half from town.
Advices at the railway offices at Mil
waukee report washouts on all the roads
north and west of the city. No trains
are arriving to-day from st. Paul and
Minneapolis.
The extent of the washouts could not
be learned by officials, as the telegraph
wires are down or badly crippled.
AN OCEAN OF WATER.
CHIPPEWA FALLS (Wis.), May 16.-The
loss by the flood of last night and this
morning in the Chippewa Valley will
aggregate about S500,000, the heaviest los
ers being the Omaha and the Wisconsin
Central Railroads. The damage at
Bloomer let an ocean of water into the
Duncan Creek, which became a raging
river and took with it dozens of little
houses and great quantities of lum ber
and flooded and ruined the contents of
many houses in this city, where the loss
will be upward of 100000. The water is
now receding and the worst is over.
DISASTER THREATENED.
EAU CLAIRE Wis.,, May 16.-Late to-
night word from Menominee states that
Red Ceder River is rising rapidly. Word
from Rice Lake says the water cannot be
held. and the dam has been opened. The
dam at Cedar Falls has given way, and
now the river is rising and threatens dis
aSter. MenOminee is cut off and the
depot is under water. Several houses
were badly damaged by lightning during
last nights storm.
FLOOD AT SALTWATER.
SALTWATER (Minn.), May 16-Last
nights storm left the city in worse con-
dition than any of its predecessors. Many
of the streets were washed out badly.
Several houses were undermined and let
down in a gully thirty feet deep. The
yard and shops of the State Penitentiary
were flooded with sand and water. There
| will be no trains in or out for several
days.
Big rocks were loosened from the hill
sides and crushed in the roof and sides of
the Schopp warehouse. The loss here is
estimated at $4,000.
DAMAGE FROM A CLoUDBURST.
ST.. PAUL (Minn.), May ia severe
storm in the nature of cloudbursts, ex-
tending over twenty-five miles, with st.
Paul on the western edge, did terrible
damage last night. Mrs. William Bren-
nan of Erwin Prairie was killed and
others severely injured by lightning.
All the Chicago roads suffered severely.
No trains are running on time.
1t is still threatening, and it is feared
| the worst is not over.
CELLARS FLOODED.
ST. CLOUD (Minn.), May 16.-The heav-
| lest rainfall known in many years poured
down in torrents last night, and did much
damage in the way of washouts. Many
! cellars in the business portions of the city
were flooded. Five hundred feet of track
| on the Great Northern south of this city
were washed out, and five culverts OIL the
! Northern Pacific are out below Rice's.
| Reports as far west as Alexandria and
| east to Milaca show much damage to
| Great Northern tracks. The water gauge
! to-day showed precipitation of five
| inches. No train went up to-day on the
Northern Pacific. A big landslide oc-
CURED between Nelson and Alexandria,
and big washout between Dalton and
| Ashley.
CLOUDBURST IN INDIANA.
| LEBANON Qnd.), May 16.-The cloud
burst reported this afternoon proved 10
| have been three hours rain of unusual
| severity. The damage WAS confined TO
| the destruction of fences, small buildings
| and road grades.
INTERNATIONAL REGATTA.
| Gaudaur Defeats Peterson In a Hotly
| Contested Finish.
| AUSTIN (Tex), May 16.-The second
day of the internatioal regatta was a
grand success. Fully 5000 people at
tended it. The principal event of the day
was the professional quarter-mile dash,
straight away, for Sl00 purse, Jake
Gaudaur, Ed Durnan, Ed Rogers, J. j..
Rice, Harry Parker, 81. IL. Peterson, John
Teemer, George Hosner and Frederick
Plaisted contesting. The race was good
one, the men bending their oars with a
! force that made the boats fairly jump out
| of the water. Gaudaur gained the lead in
the start and held it down to the finish,
though Peterson pushed him very hard
at the finish, coming in close second.