The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-06
BATTLE WITH THE WATER
Householders Struggle to Keep
the Flood Back.
RIVERS IN THE STREETS
The Chinook Sets the Water to Moving
and People Have Hard Work to
Keep 1t Out OF Cellars-A Great
Day for Children.

The chinook that put in its appear
ance yesterday started the snow in the
hills to melting, and as a result the
water poured through the streets of
Anaconda in a manner that remind d
one of springtime. While the volume Of
water that flowed through the city was
enormous. 50 far as is known little or
no damage was done.
All day yesterday householders and
business men Were out in the cutters
with shoyels and picks and brooms and
boards trying 10 keep the water in he
straight and narrow path toward Warm
Springs creek. They succeeded fairly
Well but at times the path was Little
too narrow and not quite straight. and
the refractory liquid ran over the inn
provsed dams and made threatening
salles toward the cellars. Then there
would 'ensue a struggle between the
man with the shovel and the wa er
such as is only read of in the romantic
histories of Oriental wars. In most in
stances the water got the worst of ii,
and the army of householders defend sd
their cellars against the bold advances
of the flood with great valor.
At the corner of Fourth and Hickory
streets the spring flood always has
great time. Here two or three streams
direct from the hills form confluence
and the water goes tearing along under
the sidewalks and out upon the vacant
lofs as though ii We're a torrent falling
down the mountain sides. The vacant
lot at the corner of Fourth and Hickory
streets yesterday was filed with water
to a depth of two or three feet.
Some preparation had been made by
the street department of the city gov
ernment To meet the food and several
bitches and culverts had been put in. so
that the damage was kept down to the
comes from the west side is now divid-
ed into two streams, where formerly
there was but one, and at present half
of the water runs down Park avenue
and part down Third street
These spring thaws and floods of
water while they make people anxious
for the safety of their property, have
still their beneficial side. For instance,
about all the men who We're out with
their shovels yesterday have not had
particle of exercise since last spr ng,
and with the exception Of the inevitable
sore muscles they viii derive much
good from their day of exercise Along
the streets where the business men
were out in their patent leather shoes
and fouf-inch collars, with big shoVels
in their hands, stood line of men
whose only occupation seemed to be to
crack jokes at the poor fellows in the
ditch. How do you like working at
your old trade2" and similar remarks,
Were kept up all the afternoon.
The Hoods are a great thing for the
children. tpo Especially, if. as was the
case yesterday. they come on Saturday,
when the school bell is not bugbear.
Little todjllers. hardly any taller than
the water was deep, waded from one
end of the ponds 10 the other. They
made shipa, boats and RATS and floated
them doWa the streams and shouted
and laughed anj Eot soaking. sopping
wet from head TO foot, ard altogether
We're in &C stasies the whole day.