Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-31
LAST WEEKS DELUGE.

This section was last Thursday
and Friday visited by what was
probably the greatest rainfall in
its history. The rain commenced
falling about seven o'clock Thurs
day evening and continued for
twenty-four hours. During Thurs
day night there was a steady rain,
but Friday morning the water COM
menced to fall in torrents and con-
tinued throughout the day. The
total amount of rainfall in the
twenty-four hours, as recorded in
the Valley, was seven inches. But
there were nearly six inches of the
water fell from seven o'clock Fri
day morning until evening. In
consequence of this most unusual
rainfall great damage resulted.
Creeks and branches became rag
ing rivers, bottom fences washed
away, fields overflown and deluged
with beds of gravel, and the roads
in many places washed out and
made impossible. The railroad
suffered great damage and incon-
venience. Many landslides and
washouts were reported, and for
three days traffic was at a stand
still, not a train going over the
road from Friday noon until Mon
day evening. For three days we
had no mail, the telegraph and
telephone wires were down and we
were utterly without communica-
ton with the outside world. The
rainfall, as stated, was probably
the greatest in the history of this
section. 1t is certain that there
has been nothing to compare with
it since the floods in the spring OF
1892.
NOTES.
The water played havoc with the
road south of the wagon bridge
between here and Arcadia. The
creek cut a new channel and the
water swept over the road in VOL
umes cutting a chasm wide and
deep. The only way the road can
be satisfactorily repaired is to put
in another panel of bridge.
There is considerable dispute as
to whether the creeks here in the
Valley were as high as they were
in 1892. Some insist that they
were and some say they were not.
The difference was not very great
in any event.
If the water in Stout's creek
hadn't found an outlet by cutting
through the roadway south of the
bridge, Speck, Newman and Bald
win would have suffered great
damage. AS it was the water
stood two feet deep in the road as
far north as Emerson's.
The railroad reported two land
slides this side of jefferson Bar
racks, the sinking several inches
in the middle pier of an iron bridge
a short distance south of Annapolis
and all kinds of washouts along
Black river north and south OF
Mill Spring. The landslides were
cleaned up Sunday and the bridge
at Annapolis gotten in shape for
use that evening, but it will prob
ably be the last of the week be-
fore the track is in shape again at
Mill Spring. Saturday morning
water several feet deep was re-
ported running oyer the, track there
for a distance of miles. =:
We received Fridays st. Louis
papers about noon that day and
then we had no more mail until
Monday afternoon. We had nc
Sunday papers, we knew nothing
of the elections, heard naught Of
prize fight, and did not know
whether Collins was hung unit.
Monday evening. We were, so tc
speak, clear out of the world.
Nc. 8, the passenger train thai
goes south about noon, landed al
Hogan that afternoon, and had tc
stay there until Sunday evening
when it proceeded-as far south as
Piedmont. There we're about
thirty passengers on board and
when the train finally left Hogan
the dining car had just about run
out of things to eat.
Our train service now consists
of one train each way a day. A
train leaves Bismarck about moor
on the arrival of the Belmont trair
from st. Louis. This train reaches
here about 1890, going as fal
south as Piedmont, returning
through here at $3.50, making con.
nection with the north bound Bel.
mont train at Bismarck. This will
be our service until the road il
placed in shape and the trains cal
run as usual.
Every water gap on the Big
Muddy Coal and Iron Company
land was washed away. 1t viii
cost 5000 to rebuild them.
In a sanitary way the rain wa
a great benefit to Ironton. TIT
streets and cutters are cleane.
than they have been for years.
All, the roads, the roads. They
are desolation and despair.
For a day or more the only way
to get to Arcadia was over tn,
railroad bridge.
The dam at Iron Mountain wa,
washed away by the rushing
waters. In consequence of thi'
washout, it is said, a railroad
bridge near De Lassus, on thu
branch, was washed away.
The water got into the engine
rooms of both the hub factory an,
the screen factory Friday, ant
operations had to be abandoned
for the day.
The postmaster and the station
agent had several holidays.
Water was three feet deem /,