Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-03-12
DISLIKED BY NATURE
Towns That Seem to Be Chosen
Marks OK the Elements.
where Rain FaIIs Heaviest snow
Lies Tbickest and Thunder and
lightning Exhibit the
Greatest Violence.

There is more than one town against
which Dame Nature seems 20 harbor
a curious spite, as II she would say:
"TIKs site Is not meant 20 build upon.
Langtoft. a little place Of some 600
people in the East Riding Of Yorkshire,
England. is one Of these. over and
over again has the weather all round
been fne and clear, yet the valley in
which Langtoft stands has been
shrouded iu heavy clouds and drenched
with rain The snow in winter always
seems 10 lie thickest on tie wolds
above the town. and 10 cause floods
more or less disastrous as it melts in
the spring
The climax came on a Sunday even
ing two summers ago, says the Chicago
Tribune.
After a hot day a violent thunder
storm broke. Then there appeared in
the west an inky cloud, from which
hung four long, twisting black col
umns.
Suddenly, just after six o'clock, wall
Of water came roaring down the hill
side above the village. When it struck
the upper end Of the street # was seven
feet high. in twinkling it had demol-
ished q number Of houses, and torn par
titions from others, and swept away
everything IN its path. What was left
was 80 plasiered with mud and earth
as to be almost useless.
No one was killed but the destruc-
tion Of domestic animals, Of houses,
property and roads was complete Gar
dens and grazing lands were ruined.
Even the parish well was utterly
choked with mud and dead animals.
Southbourne-on-S four miles on
the east of BourHemouth. has far bet
ter air than the latter town, and looks
as II it ought to be Just the Site for
health resort Tens u thousands have
been spent in the effort to make it so,
yet nature had said no. and mans eff
forts have proved uuayailiug.
handsome pier was built. support
ed on the shore by immense cement
walls The pier is now only APP
preached by a single plank Itscenter
supports are gone, and IL is the resort
only of two or there fishermen The
cement wall looks like a waye-eaten
cliff. Further along the shore a neat
row Of houses was built In n great re-
cess, cut back az vast expense in the
cliff. The sea cut in below them. and
the owner was forced to raze them
and carry the material away.
There is no great city in Europe
which nature so evidently wishes 10
be rid Of as St. Petersburg. Built in
the first place on fow-lying swamp,
which was filled in at q cost Of hun
dreds Of lives and hundreds Of thou
sands Of pounds, feyers reduced its
population and gave it death rate
higher thUn any other European cap
ital. Failing 500 to oust its builders, ma.
ture used new weapon The ice came
down in spring ont Of Lake Ladoga,
and, pilug against the new wharyes
and bridges. damned the Neya and
hoojcd the city. Every spring saw a
repetition of these disastrous floods,
which even after they dried away, left
the streets mere quagmires. The ST
Pctcrshgruers now defeat the food
10y setting to work thousands of men
nt the first spring thaw who cut and
II0si thc river icc and leave free pass
age, fur the lake ice TO sail down
stream uuhm1rrri
Yet -till the struggle goes on. For
some years pnst it has been apparent
that ST.. Petersburg is becoming city
ot toothle.s people Dentists ascribe
this curiuu. fact to the ciiluyia from
the rotten vegetation deem buried nm
der the now suburbs Of the city. So !
serious is the matter becoming that !
there is strong agitation In favor of !
once more removing the capital OF Rus
sin o. some other site.
Russia has another town against
natural forces are waging n terrible |
war mi, is Schcmacha, i'm the eau |
caus Whom schcmacha W., founded |
IL was Tor long impossible Goo get sup- |
ply ~ drinking vntcr The difficulty !
WIS overcome hy bringing water from |
q distance. Next came q series ~ ter.
rihlc cpi1.wies first smallpox then |
cholera aui them smallpox again Vet !
the city grow. helped to prosperity by |
the petroleum trade. and began this |
year with $4,000 people
In Februar, last the town was hum
ming with industry. when one dun hut |
warm morning came suddenly a terrific |
crash ~ thurI.r TlpsYlIF Ground I...