River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-09-05

blocked from two to six hours by the
fearful effect of the storm and flood.
Every road entering the city was ter
ribly handicapped by sand and dirt
| which was swept over the tracks.
| Several washouts occurred, the worst
being on the Lake Shore near Gordon
park, where the trestle was buffeted
about by the force of the water until
rendered almost worthless The dam
age to the railways, which will also be
great, cannot be even estimated until
the large force of track hands, sent
out on emergency cas-. can be heard
from. The mail service from the east
was completely tied up from ten
o'clock in the morning until eight
o'clock at night, when a train got
through on the Lake Shore. But the
vast amount of damage falls upon the
householders within the flooded dis
trict.
Residences Flooded
The great sea of water reached a
depth of one foot on the first floors
of scores of the East end homes.
! boiling up from the sewers and pour
ing in off from the streets. CARRYING
everything that came in its path
along with it. In many cases the
fear-stricken residents battered down
cellar walls in order TO give the tor
rent an outlet and prevent the
swapping of their entire homes. A
remarkable feature of the storm
which caused such terrific destruc-
ton Is that up until six o'clock this
morning hardly a drop of rain fell
west of Wilson avenue, while during
the morning hours the East end was
| being fairly swamped in perfect
deluge of rain. Another remarkable
thing is that no thunder and light
ming accompanied the record break
ing downfall. While thousands of
citizens in the most aristocratic Sec
ton of the city were aroused, see
ing thousands upon thousands of
collars worth of their property be-
ing crushed and destroyed, another
and greater portion of the city was
wrapped in slumber, totally obliv-
ious to the danger surrounding their
fellow-citizens. A remarkable thing
is that comparatively little damage
was done along the banks of the
river outside of the washing away of
loose piles of lumber. The damage
to houses and their effects cannot be
estimated accurately perhaps for
days, but it will reach close to the
half million mark.
| Residents along East Prospect
street near Lincoln avenue. on Lin
coin avenue and Glen Park place.
were aroused between four and six
! o'clock in the morning by the sound
of the booming waters. The water
continued to steadily rise until it was
! eight feet deep. BY six o'clock the
residents along Lincoln avenue COM
menced to move furniture and val
uables to the second story as the
rushing torrent reached the level of
/ front porches and in a number of
/ houses swept into the first floors.
| The water rushed hack from Lincoln
avenue until the big space just east
Prospect street and Euclid avenue
/ was one great mass of angry water
/ from four TO ten feet in depth. Barns
/ and huge pieces of lumber were
swirled about like light corks aud
banged into many Lincoln avenue
| homes, threatening their destruction.
/ The residents along the north side
1 of East Prospect street from Lincoln
avenue to within a few feet OF
/ Billings avenue were penned in their
| homes like stranded islanders. The
water came up to the porch steps
and within a few feet of the porches
it was from four to five feet in depth.
One FamiIy's Experience.
The family of Mrs. V. f. Newton
on Willamette court had a terrible
experience with the flood Mrs New
! tons mother. Mrs. Caroline Hamm,
aged Sc years is in a serious condi-
ton as q result of the fright and ex-
! posture. For three hours the woman
| signaled for help from their house
which sits down in little valley
which placed it at the absolute mer-
/ cy Of the rushing waters. The barn
and shed were swept from their foun-
dations, and this added to the terror
of the two women. who were alone in
the house. As the water reached a
depth Of six feet and commenced to
pour into the first floor the women
became almost frantic. No boats
were at hand, and as wading was out
of the question. neighbors called 10
the frightened women to remain
where they were until other means
of rescuing them could be secured.
\ rude raft was hastily put togc;h-
er and the families rescued.
Drowned in Pool of OIL
Marion, Ind, Sept. D. Henry Pin
gree, a tool dresser in the Marion
oil field, met death under peculiar
circumstances Sunday. He fell from
an oil tank into small pool of oil
which formeu on the ground near the
tank In falliuu his head etrrrl- E