The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-06-13
A BIC CL0UDBURST
4 Fearful RainStorm Visited This Section
Last Friday Morning at 46O and
Did Much Damage.
Storm Was Accompanied by Hail That
Broke Many Windows in Resi-
dences and Business Places.
The Streets Were Converted Into Nina.
turo Rivers and Cellars We're Filled
With Water.
"A FEARFUL transform.
FEARFUL transform
A ClOudbnrst Covered the Section Of
Country for Radius of Ten
Miles This Morning.

An unprecedented rain and wind
storm, with some hail visited this
section Friday morning, and Mitchell
was covered with a volume of water
that was never approached in it's
past history.
Last Friday morning the wind
came up from the northeast
with great velocity and rain began
falling in torrents. / t seemed as if
the very heavens had been turned
loose in all the fury imaginable.
The rain had barely got started when
hail set in and it beat ferociously
against the windows, and in many
cases over the city lights were brok-
en- and the rain poured into house
with a perfect deluge, as much as the
opening would permit.
For about forty-five minutes the
rain poured with relentless fury and
it was soon evident that the sewerage
was inadequate to carry off the sur
plus water, so fast did it come down.
The streets began filling up anG
covered the sidewalks in many places
to the extent that people coming
down shortly after the storm. .abatec
that they had to take circuitous
routes to get to the business dis
tricts.
Easements and cellars along Mair
street were soon filled with water
From one end Of the street to the
other the water reached in one vast
expanse. Within three hours after
the rain ceased the water had gone
down the catch basins on Mair
street from Fourth south. Al
Fourth street the catch basins were
not of sufficient size to carry off the
surplus water and it was about thf
noon hour before the ground was il
sight at that point.
The storm was not general IN ex
tent, and the severest part only GOV
cred a radius of about eight or ter
miles. At Mt. Vernon there was {
heavy rain, and at Letcher it wa
a little heavier. Reports from Ethan
were to the effect that there was NJ
storm ahd very light rain. A
Plankinton there was no evidence o
a storm and but little rain, ..and th
same can be said Of the countr.
farther west. Mitchell got the brunt
Of the entire storm. -.
In the business districts the storm
did much damage. Indra's cloth
ing in the rear of the store wer'
thoroughly drenched and about two
inches Of water was standing on th
floor in the front part. The waite
came from the roof and flowed dowr
through the interstices of the wall
He had large number of shirt
and straw hats in boxes on the foo
and these we're all damaged.
Vermilyea had large stock of dr.
goods in the basement that had MOI
been opened and these stood in fou
feet Of water.
Noble g. Shaw in the same buildin!
were also losers by reason of having
furniture in the basement, whicl
was partially destroyed.
Practically every cellar on Mail
street was flooded and wherever good
were stored there was some los
attached. The list of losses coul
be extended to quite length.
o. H. Perry's house on west Sec
ond street, near Main, was about il
the worst shape of any. The base
ment contained about five feet Q
water, and up to noon the sewe
there was unable to carry off tn
water
The editor of The Republican wa
in the swim from the start. O
the corner Of Main and Fourt
street water seemed to congregate i
abundance sufficient to satisfy til
most ardent lover Of water. Will
in twenty minutes after the rain Sc
in the water had 1isen above tt
sidewalk and was creeping in at til
doors and later came in at the wir
dows, which are about foot aboy
the sidewalk. At noon the water ha