Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-08-13

found the next afternoon four miles
below the city
The raging stream had by this time
aroused people all along, those of
Cold Brook being especially frightened,
as the water had raised to cover the
entire flat. Robert Milligan and fam
lily escaped from their home in water
knee deep and had no sooner got out
than the house was carried by the
waters across the street and dashed
against the Burlington coal bins, where
it toppled over on its side and was
wedged in, where it was found next
morning after the water had gone
down. Their furniture, clothing and
household goods were almost wholly
ruined bv the muddy waters.
Frank p. Hesnard's cottage was car
ried off shortly after himself and wife
had got out. They saved only the old
clothes that they quickly put on after
the rushing waters awoke them. They
lost much valuable jewelry and cloth
ing, and the house must have been
completely demolished, as scarcely a
piece of it or the furniture has been
found. Mr.. Hesnard estimates his
loss at about $4,000
Bridges stood no show at all and
the Burlington bridge above the city
was picked up and hurled with awful
force against the famous and popular
plunge bath structure, the upper end
of which was soon battered in and the
great pool filled about as quickly as we
can tell it with all sorts of debris
rocks, timber, ties and mud. The in
running waters soon forced an outlet
through the lower end after which the
rapid current swept through the struc
ture, carrying with it much of the de-
bris with which it was burdened. The
large arches which support the roof of
the great building and against which
the whole force of the torrent was i'm
PEELED. stood the shock unmoved and
without apparent strain, though most
of the dressing rooms were demolished
by the timbers which passed through.
The damage is upwards of $4,000.
The Buffalo Gap Lumber company's
yard suffered next, almost the entire
yard being swept away-about 10000
feet of various cuts of lumber Their
sheds remained intact. Loss to the
company is about 81, 800.
| The engine room of the Touring mill
was torn away, and the old pop factory
popped" down stream, cracking and
swapping under and against the r.il-
road bridge. The latter clogged with
lumber, buildings, ETC., for some time
and the water backed up to within an
inch and half of flowing into the
court house basement. Finally the
flume, railroad bridge and wagon
bridge all went out with a creak and a
crash, bending and breaking the rail-
road rails as though they were but
boards.
The foot bridge by the Union depot
was gathered in with the mass of tim
bers and carried down, pounding and
humping against the iron bridge be-
tween the Evans and the Gillespie,
but that structure withstood it all and
forced everything underneath.
Kidney spring house, with the shape
ly maiden "Nlinnekahta" statuary upon
its gable, was torn apart and the side
wall washed away-two great railroad
rails being found as evidence of the
force of the bombardment. "Minne-
kahta" has not yet been found.
Tho Elkhorn railroad bridge then
had to go and the private car Of X. G.
Moorhouse. general freight agent of the
road, which was standing upon the sid
ing near the Evans, had narrow es-
cape from being swept into the fierce
current. The water surrounded the
car and reached to the floor. The oc-
cupants, X. c. Moorhouse and son
Kicks, w. s. Blackwell and William
Barrows, had q great scare and were
ushered out in their midsummer night
apparel-though it required quite an
effort on the part Of Frank Money to