Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-10-31
THE COUNTRY IS FLOODED.
Railways Washed Out In West
ern Part Of State.
MUCH DAMAGE DONE
In Twenty-four Hours 7.27 Inches of
Rain Fell at La
Crosse.


the various roads entering La Crosse
which was suspended all day yesterday
was resumed at a late hour last night
and now. save for the delays which are
due to the soft condition of the track, all
trains are running.
The storm was the worst that has oc-
CURED since the flood Of two years ago,
when not a train entered the city for
week The damage cannot yet be esti-
mated with any degree of correctness
but it is believed that it will reach
100000
The rain continued from 8 o'clock Sat
urday afternoon until late hour yeSter-
day morning. During most of that time
the rain fell in torrents. The streets
were rushing rivers Of water and the sew
ers were unable to dispose OF the lm-
mense volume, and many Easements IN
the business district were flooded, large
amount of damage resulting.
La Crosse seemed to be the center or
the storm which extended over the entire
Northwest. The southern Minnesota dl-
vision Of the Milwaukee railroad reports
very heavy rain and numerous small
washouts. The principal trouble lay. be-
tween here and West Salem, Wis, where
the tracks of the North Western and
Milwaukee roads were washed out III
numerous places and nearly the entire
distance the tracks were covered with
large crew of men We're put at work
making repairs and by this morning the
tracks are in such shape that trains can
be run over.
All through the surrounding country
roads and bridges are washed out and
traffic is impossible.
Remarkable Fall of Rain.
A rainfall of 7.27 inches in twenty-four
hours is unparalleled in October. Many
bridges and some milldams have suf-
tered. The dam at Hokah, which holds
Il body of water known as Lake Como,
broke Yesterday morning.
On II. Goddard's hay farm house
vas undermined and tipped forward on
is front gable. The family took refuge
III tree until rescued early in the mora
ing.
The Burlington road has had some
track undermined at Grand Crossing, but
traffic has been but little delayed.
The Green Bay road has a washout on
the marsh thirty feet wide and ten feet
deep, which viii require at least three
days to repair. On the Southern Mime
sofa division the track was buried by
With ScrapCTS were required to clear It.
There is a great deal of damage through
the country, but reports are not definite.
Loss is 100000.
Storm damage continues to grow, as
all Of the rivers conyerging here are still
rising. A conservative estimate places
the damage at 100000.
Residents of the lower portion Of the
city are moving to higher ground today.
In some places it has almost reached the
Sec0nd-story windows.
At West Salem it is feared the dam
VIII go out. Traffic on some of the
roads is resumed.
In twenty-four hours 7.27 inches of
rain fell, and it is cloudng up again.
This is the greatest fall in twenty-nine
years record of the weather bureau.
Winona, MINI. Oct: 29.-Ths city and
vicinity were visited by the worst storm
in many years Saturday and yesterday.
Lightning did considerable damage in the
city. The North Western had 1000 feet
of track washed out near Rockland,
Wis, and 1000 feet near West Salem,
Wis. The Milwaukee road has two
ley and another at Lanoille. All passen
ger trains On the river division of the
Milwaukee are abandoned.
{ Damage at Sparta.
Sparta. Wis, Oct. Special. 1.-The
heavy rains of Saturday have raised the
streams in this vicinity so as to cause
much damage to bridges and other prop
eerty. Many Washouts on railroads are
reported.
dollars worth Of damage to city property.
Many bridges and approaches are washed
aout.
woman and two children were res
cued at midnight from a house surround
ed by water. The water was rushing
into the windows. Railroad traffic has
been resumed.
= At Black River Falls.
Black River Falls, Wis. Oct %
Especial. ]-One of the most disastrous
transforms in recent years swept over
this section of the state last night. AS
result dams on all the small streams are
swept away and the highways leading
into the country are in an unpassable
condition. The river is rapidly rising and
fears are entertained that the water will
reach a higher point than it did few
weeks ago when it lowered near the
danger point. In this city much damage
was done to property by the flood that
swept down the stream carrying away
outbuildings and washing away embank-
ments julius Rhods, owner of the
foundry and machine shop, was the heav-
lest loser in this locality.