Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-08-13
Cold Brook Gets Over its Banks Fridav
Night and Plays Sad Havoc.
Results in Loss Of One Life and Much Loss of
Property. The Trains, Water, Lights,
and Everything in Order Again.

The Black Hills towns have all had
their catastrophies of flood and fire.
and Hot Springs has not escaped. The
flood has been almost an annual visi-
tor. doing little damage each time, but
never in the history of Hot Springs
have the ravages of high waters been
so serious as this year.
On Friday evening this immediate
locality was visited by downfall of
rain that was enjoyed, but many en-
pressions we're heard of fear that the
storm had been more severe farther
north and west and that there was dan
ger of high water from Hot or Cold
brook. The rain in the city fell be-
tween s and 9 o'clock and not until
lO:45 was there any evidence of a rise
i'm Fall River. At that time the stream
rose from 10 to u feet at one rush,
and having fall of about So feet to
the mile always being plunging,
foaming stream. so rapid is its down
fall-one can form a partial concep-
tion of the raging torrent that would
he formed with the banks overfiowing
and the waters rolling and tumbling,
filed with debris of all kinds. besides
about two feet of hail covering the sur
face of the water.
The first habitation that realized
that the flood was upon them was in
Cold Brook. Charley Brundage was
lust retiring when he heard the rush
ing waters. He called to his engine
wiper to run down and warn the camp
ers below to hurry to the banks as the
water, was rising. Then MIR. Brundage
gathered up an armful of clothing
and started for the hillside, but i'll the
darkness plunged headlong into the
raging waters that had by this time
surrounded his cottage. He let go his
clothing and scrambled and grabbed
for something solid while he was rapid
ly going down stream amid timbers
and debris of all kinds, which prodded
and scratched him mercilessly, he
fearing every moment that some heavy
timber might knock him insensible or
kill him instantly. He finally managed
to strike the embunk.nent about forty
rods below, where he got out of the cur
rent and cot ashore. He heard cries
for help back toward the Burlington
track and supposing there was no deep
current in that direction. started to as
sist them, but was instantly again
swept into the current and carried
down. After plunging about for an
other forty rods i'll which he was badly
bruised, he managed to get near the
bank and grabbed hold of Il clump of
bushes and pulled himself out. His
experience was thrilling indeed and
could not have come nearer resulting
seriously. He said it was almost I'M
possible to keep himself above water,
the timhers and logs and rubbish of all
kinds were SO thick and rolled and
tossed SO mudly about.
The engine wiper managed to reach
the campers in time to warn them and
they scrambled from their slumbers
in the tents just i'll time to escape the
bank of water The campers consisted
of Prof. q. L. Williams, wife and son
and daughter. Prof j r. Mackey and
wife and Miss Mary Marston, teachers
of Pine Ridge Agency. The first flood
of water did not carry away their
camping equipage and Prof. Williams
and son Bernard. aged l6 years, went
back into the tent to gather up some
clothing and bedding, when the second
and fatal torrent swept upon them and
carried the tent. father and son down
into the awful current. After strug-
Cling desperately in the water for q
few minutes Mr.. Williams managed to
free himself from the tent and get out
of the current just above the b. Il NJ.
railroad bridge and saved himself. But
the boy, just at this time called out,
s'Oh, papa!" and passed down under
the bridge amid great timbers and
creaking and bending railroad rails,
and that was the last seen or heard of
the poor little fellow until his body was