Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-03

entire valley has been devastated and the
loss to the Pocahontas coal region is
enormous. The railway loss is Also
heavy, for the track and roadbed washed
away was probably the most expensive
piece of engineering work in tle country
for its length. The roadbed was almost
carved out of solid rock, and only last
year $1,00o,000 was spent in better
ments.
1t had been raining hard for several
days in the Elkhorn region, and the hun
dreds of small mountain creeks were
swollen to their full capacity and pour
ing their waters into the Elkhorn river
Early Saturday morning the heavy
dewnpour of rain became more notice
able, and it was accompanied by severe
electric storm, which violently increased
In volume and continued for several
hours. The storm continued throughout
the entire day and night.
Saturday toward noon the rain ceased.
but the heavy storm clouds hung over the
valley, threatening every moment an
other downfall. The clouds held back,
however, untis-about midnight, when the
rain again began to fall.
Cloud burst Adds to Terror.
minute and finally eliminated in cloud
burst which precipitated great volume
of water into the Elkhorn valley, already
flooded to the danger point by the rains
of the preceding forty-eight hours.
The great mas of wafer started down
the valley with a roar that was heard
before it--trees, telegraph poles, huge
A-.lI a 81
steel rails, box cars, and coal sheds.
Into the mass of tangled wreckage of
the food were swept helpless men, wom-
en- and children, caught in its path, and
as all were swept along in the fury of the
storm they went to their death with none
to hear their last cries for help.
buildings Float Away.
The valley was peopled almost entirely
with miners and their families Their
frail cabins and cottages offered no re-
sistance 20 the impact of the food and
the buildings were tossed upon the front
of the great wave which was rushing
down the valley. There was no chance
for escape for the unfortunate Rople.
caught without warning.
The flood began to make its terrible
force felt at Ennis, and it extended the
entire length of the valley to Vivian. AS
The crow flies the distance is fifteen or
sixteen mics, but by the tortuous path
of the river it is thirty-fve.
The Elkhorn valley at mis- point IS
great gorge, cutting its way through
the mountain range. 1t is mile wide
at one place and then it narrows to
width Of only 300 feet At its narrow
est point its rocky walls rise to- a height
of from 200 TO 1000 feet
1t was through this gorge that the
storm tore its way. The great wave OF
water which swept everything before it
wrought its destruction in a few minutes.
Ii twenty minutes it was all over bul
the desolation.
Like Johnstowu.
In many ways the crash came like i
did at Johnstown. The pent-up waters
suddenly descended down channel
whence they could not escape save by
tearing everything before them in the
rush to the rivers beyond
A series Of electrical storms and cloud |
bursts preceded the deluge. To add 10
their horror, they attained their greatest
violence between midnight and O'Clock |
Sunday morning. Darkness intensified !
the sudden terrors Of the valley from |
which hundreds Of the victims fed in |
vain. Finally, the Elkhorn, fed stimuli /
tsneonsly By it's mountain branches. leap |
ed over stS banks and rushed down the |
valley. the crest Of It's Good waters |
spreading out until they touched the /
mountain wxlIs % both sides.