Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-06-14
THE WORST In MANY YEARS
Sunday Nights Storm Did Great Damage to the
Surrounding Country Bridges and Growing Crops
Badly Swept Railroad Traffic, Suspenus viro-
qua is Again on the Frontier.

Every CENSOR reader, in Vernon eoun-
| ty at least, is familiar with the work of
the elements, ON Sunday night. North
western Wisconsin has suffered severely
IN life and destruction of property The
storm ragged with unabated fury for
about seven hours and the rainfall was
| almost unprecedented, registering in
many communities five inches Itswell-
ed the rivers washed roads, swept away
bridges, damaged and destroyed grow
ing crops and hay
The following article, ON the local
situation was put in type Wednesday:
| If we mistake not. Monday was the
| first business day that Viroqua has
failed to have train and mail service
during the past fifteen years The
storms of summer and winter have be-
fore failed to impede traffic on the
| branch. 1t will be the close of the week
| before train service can be re-established.
| On the hill between Cashton and Mel
vina track is washed out, including
all the bridges and culverts, and the
| line is unfit for use most of the distance
through Leon valley
On the main line the st. Paul road has
, never had such dose before. No
trains have passed Sparta on either road
since Sunday night The washouts both
east and west of Sparta are very severe
and the damage is great. No trains run
to La Crosse except on the Burlington
route, and on that lin ashes were ex-
perienced north an south of that
city. Throughout NJ. .nwestern Wis
consin practically the same conditions
exist
The Kickapoo Valley road made the
| run from Wauzeka to Soldiers Grove on
Monday, but the water is now so high
and track so badly damaged that it is
probable trains will be suspended for a
week or more
No rain storm in years appears to
| have done so great damage to roads and
bridges as that of Sunday night and
Monday morning. Travel is well nigh
cut off in every direction and the popu-
lar mode of travel is on horseback
Few of the many stage lines from Viro-
| qua made any heaGway ON Monday or
Tuesday, but it is believed most of them
will succeed in making trips by to-day.
The Coon Bad Ak and Kickapoo riv-
ers have not, for forty years, shown
such stages of water.
Chaseburg received genuine deluge
and considerable damage resulted to
mill property and other interests Two
bridges were GSker, out. At Coon Val
ley water stood several inches deep in
the Touring mills, and beat the record.
Newton also saw its highest water.
Damage to mill dam and other property
Is not so large as first reported Loss
of considerable live stock in the flood is
reported from that section. Very gem
orally the small bridges and culverts
In the western towns of the county
We're swept away
The two Kickapoos break their records
for booming floods. On the.east fork
Ontario was deluged and much of lower
town was adoat At Rockton Hon.
Van s. Bennett says there has not been
such volume of water for sixty years,
according to the best authority. It was
at least 81 feet above all high water
marks. The Fulmers and other farmers
south OF Rockton were driven from their
homes. Seeley burg, except the higher
points, was all under water At La
Fargo the railroad tracks were covered
Viola has not known such an avalanche
The town was practically surrounded
A portion of Cushman's dam went out
bridges wrecked, etc.
The west Kickapoo food went with
rush and was soon over 1t did damage
u all nature. There is scarcely a bridge
left on the stream except steel structures,
and some of them were slightly dam
aged. AT Avalanche one-half of the
large covered bridge went out. Jewett's
mill dam was swept away and Hanson's
wagon shop partially undermined. A
goat drowned in this building. The old
mill, dam and wooden bridge at Browns
Mills were completely carried down
stream. The fat where the business
portion of Soldiers Grove stands was
covered with surging water.
Trains now run to La Crosse A large
crew is working on the branch, and it is
certain that Viroqua will have COM
munication with the outside world on
Friday.