The daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami Co., Minn.) 1903-1904, 1903-09-16
The Northwest Suffers Sc.
verely From the Heavy
Rain Storm.
WE'RE SEVERAL WASH0UTS ON
THE RAILROADS.
Heavy Snowfall in Western States
and Regular Blizzard
in Manitoba.

st. Paul, Sept. 16. - With losses
amounting to S250,0OO a day for three
days, several fatal wrecks, numerous
| derailments, more than LOO Washcuts,
I telegraph wires down, soaking rain
| in progress over several states and
snowplows working on the Western
lines, Northwestern railways are taxed
to the utmost limit Of their ability to
maintain anything like regular service
and to preserve the safety OF their
passengers 1t has been years since
there was a situation so serious.
Beginning with the heavy rainstorm
Friday night and early Saturday morn
ing, there has been an almost contln-
uous downpour over Minnesota, Iowa
and the Dakotas and sections OF Ne
braska The widespread damage OF
the first storm has been followed by
incessant Washouts,
and In every direction tracks are In
bad condition and the operation OF
trains requires the utmost precautions.
Late Yesterday afternoon reports
from the northern part OF the state
showed that rains were still general.
Southwest of ST. Paul worse condi-
tions prevail, and through most OF
Iowa. Southern Minnesota and Eastern
Wisconsin it was raining. The y1o-
lence Of the first big storm was lack
ing but the rain was even more
dangerous than that Of Friday night
because 1t is steadily eating away
rcadbed and enlbankments. undermtn-
ing the tracks and swelling the rivers
and streams. Another sudden and
heavy rain, conservative operating Of
ficials said yesterday, would of itself
cause loss of more than $1,O00,0oO
Grain In the shock suffered great
damage throughout the Northwest.
There has been no such disa ous
harvest weather in the Mort vest
since 1881.
Bridses and Dams Carried Away.
Pepin, Wis, Sept 16.->...sTer in the
history of the oldest settlers in this
country has there been such destruc--
ton from rain as there has been here
since Friday evening. The water
rushed down the valleys. taking every
thing before it. Bridges. fences, and
in many cases stock were carried
away. Throughout the country mill
dams were taken out. Fields that had
been plowed and sowed to fall gr-4in
were washed away down as far as the
plow had gone. Lost creek, dry run
two miles north of here. raised twelve
feeet filling the valley with raging
river
Lake Pepin is rising at the rate of
an insh an hour. During the night
word was sent to people living In the
Chippewa bottoms, below here, that
dams above were going and warming
them to fee at once.
Rain Falls in Torrents.
Menomonie, Wis, Sept. 16. The
heaviest rainstorm of many years oc-
CURED here, the rain coming down IN
torrents for twelve hours. This whole
farming region is flooded and exten-
sive damage has been done. Ihou-
sands of acres of unstacked grain have
been soaked with water and ndcl OF it
ruined.
Ashland reports 100 feet Of track on
the Northern Pacific road near Brule
washed out, delaying traffic.
At Black River Falls the river Is
fourteen feet above low water mark
and many bridges have been washed
away Farmers suffered heavy Cam
age.
Ten Inches Of Snow.
Winnipeg, Man, Sept. 16, - One OF
the earliest autumnal storms expert
enced in the Northwest for many years
swept over the country on Saturday
and early Sunday morning. 1t is i'm
possible to learn to what extent the
crops have been damaged, but reports
to hand are not reassuring.
The only fatality reported comes
from Gretna, where an old man fell
from buggy and perished in the
storm. At Hartney, twelve horses
died in the anadian Pacific yards and
in the vicinity other live stock are re-
ported to have pertshed The fullest
fury of the blizzard appears to have
been felt in the northwestern part of
Manitoba
A telephone message received from
Minnedosa reported that the storm
was one of the worst experienced
there in five years. 1t started to blow
about 10 o'clock in the morning and
heavy rain soon followed. AT noon
this developed into a snowstorm, and
by dark the snow was ten inches deep
| on the level prairie