Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-06-06

being at this time seven and a half
feet Of water, according to the
government water gague above the
bridge. Old citizens who are
acquainted with the habits Of the
river say that the water will raise
to twelve feet, if it rains any more.
This will nearly equal the flood
records of past years.
BIG FLOOD rs YEARS AGO
Just twenty-five years ago the
twelfth of this month, the greatest
flood in the history of the Wisconsin
river as known to people in Grand
Rapids, took place. On the day
before this, a raft of lumber was tied
up below the city for lack of water to
float it. On the day mentioned, the
water had risen six feet, and within
week, it had gone up to the highest
mark ever made before or since.
Continuous rains fell for week, and
the country drained by the Wisconsin
river was water soaked. In the old
files of the REPORTER, of the date of
June II, 1880, we find this on the
flood Of that time.
"The oldest inhabitant can recall
nothing so terrible as the flood that
has devastated our city the past week.
The freshets of 1S47 and 1864 were
the most terrible manifestations of
the power of water but they pale
into comparative insig niticance before
the terrible picture presented by the
flood of 1880.
ION Saturday the twelfth the river
began to swell, and telegram
received from Wausau brought the
unwelcome news that the river had
risen % inches above the highest
previous high water mark. The
vast contribution Of the tributaries
this side Of Wausau were not taken
into consideration, and only when the
water began to trickle through the
slab entertainments and to cut it's way
through the main street of the city,
did we consid der the impending peril
in it's terrible proportions. During
the night the water continued steadily
to rise, increasing in force and
swelling in volume.
One Lie Lost.
cat about half past three occurred
the most terrible calamity Of the
flood. The tin shop Of. Brundage &
Furgeson parted from the main
building and with it tons of stoves,
nails, and heavy goods went down in
the seething tide, carrying with it
Mr.. FurgeSon, who was in the rear
room endeayoring to remove the more
valuable part of the stock. The
building careened and fell into the
hell of waters, upon it's south corner,
precipitating the vast stock upon the
unfortunate man and burying him in
the debris in the bottom of the river.
He made no cry, and the building
was soon torn to pices by the fury of
the flood. MIR. Brundage narrowly
escaped like fate. He fell into the
flood but was able to reach project
ing timber and save himself.
City Part Of River.
By noon the main street was
surging torrent. Cables were at
tached to buildings and every means
available were used to prevent the
buildings from being washed away.
Huge logs, trees, and other debris
floated down the main street and
clogged up in the buildings"
What is now the ravipe from the
court house running toward the
High street, became rushing torrent
according TO the account of that time.
The current was as swift in that part
of the city as it was in the main river,
Even at this time the river was rails
ing at the rate Of four inches per
hour. and no sign of its being stopped.
The account in the paper at that
time runs further;
Damage to Grand Rapids.
1.-The large store room of Spafford s.
Coles parted from the rest of the
building and fell into the seething
flood, carrying with it $5, 900 worth of
goods. BY Sunday the water was
sixteen feet above low water mark,
and still rising at Wansau. Already
dozen buildings were down and the
outlook was cherries enough. More
than twelve million feet of logs were
lost by lumber companies along the
river. From the Rablin House site
to the bridge, the street is washed
away, leaving great chasms and
abysses which tell of the terrible
force of the water, while on either
side are only ruins of what were, but
few hours before, houses full of
commercial life. The list of losers by
the flood is long one.
Rablin House Burned.
"During the midst of the flood, the
old Rablin House was to be discovered
to be on fire. The fire is thought to
have been the work of a tramp who
slept in the attic. While the furni-
ture was being taken out. n. n