Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1906-07-14
CLOUD BURST NEAR CUSTER.
The Water Sweeps Down French Creek
Dong Much Damage to Property.

| IL ralned very heavy In Custer on
Wednesday last from IL o'clock to IL,
when the clouds rolled away and the
sun shone in all its wonted splendor.
! The cloud burst must have occurred
about the head of French creek and
about o'clock the wave of high water
struck the town. In few minutes the
creek was out of its banks and the water
was about two feet deep on the cross
walk from Custer Avenue to the depot.
There was an immense amount Of drift
wood, logs and lumber, sheds and shan.
| ties, and with it all the timbers from all
the wagon bridges that spanned the
creek from Custer TO the limestone range
on the northwest There were no ia
talities thus far reported as the food oc-
curing on a bright afternoon when
everybody was up and stirring gave all a
chance to get to high ground and thus
save themselves. There was great des-
truction of poultry as every piece oftim
ber that came down with the first wave
seemed covered with chickens which
could not be rescued and were lost. So
| far as can be learned at this writing
every wagon bridge from the head of
| French creek to Fairburn in the valley
has been swept away, which will entail
great loss 10 Custer county and great in.
convenience TO the travelling public.
There were some thrilling incidents
which took place during the panic
which insued with the sudden rise of
the water and some which were quite
amusing. One man living in a small
frame house across from the depot was
seen coming out of his house loaded
down with big mattress. This he
seemed determined to save at all haz-
ards by carrying it to the elevated ground
of the railroad station. The water was
then about knee deep but for fear that
the mattress would get wet, he retreated
and went back TO the house. In a few
minutes the water had risen so that il
was dangerous to leave the house, and
still more dangerous to stay in it, for it
looked as though it must soon 90 down
stream. But he stayed with his mat.
tress and saved it. Another scene Dor.
dering more on the pathetic occurred
when party of men, namely
| Newton Allison, ira Barnett and Ralph
| McHoes made rush for the house
| where Mrs. Battlefield resides. The lady
is sick and unable to rise from her bed,
but they put her on a stretcher and just
in time before the second high wave
came carried her across the water
aud left her we'll cared for in the Klee.
mann hotel. This was thoughtful and
heroic act and deserves much praise.
The passenger train from the east was
somewhat late when they came to the
bridge in the upper end of town, and
although il seemed intact yet the water
was so high that the railroad motto was
adhered 10, make assurance doubly
sure whenever you can" The en-
gneer wisely pushed back the train and
waited till the water had somewhat sub
sided, and after due examination of the
bridge they crossed it about o'clock
and passed on to Deadwood.
| The greatest destruction of property
was probably the ruin of the crops on
the bottom lands on both sides of the
creek all the way down to the valley
This will be very severe on the ranch
men that live along the creek and we
sincerely hope it will not result so badly
as present appearances would seem to
indicate. There was also deluge of wa
ter came down the Laughing Water"
tunately this flow had reached its ex-
treme height and had gone down con-
siderably before the French creek rise
arrived, otherwise the joining of the two
streams at their highest tide would have
resulted in a much greater destruction
than we now have to chronicle.
AS we write there is reported to us
several incidents which are worthy Of
mention. One Of which is that which
happened TO Miss Ollie Courtney, the
very efficient and pleasant young lady
who serves us with our mail as deputy
in the postoflice. While trying to re.
move a trunk from her home, and the
house being on low ground was sur
rounded with water she stepped on a
piece Of board and lost her footing
and fell into the muddy water and might
have drowned. But she kept her head,
and being young and active she regained
her footing and got to high land. Her
appearance. however, at that particular
time was such that no one would have
taken her for ball room belle.
Another incident which might have
proved serious was that of the cousin
of Mrs Jack Mallon, Tom Hoy, who un-
dertook to ford the creek after the bridge
had gone out at the Hawk Wright cross
ing on the Four Mile road. He was
mounted on good horse and plunged
in to cross the swollen food when the
current carried him down stream and
against barb wire fence. He had hard
work TO extricate himself and it was a
very narrow escape from drowning. But
all is well that ends well, and the young
man got out all right and saved himself
and his horse.
There are several fishing parties camp.
ed on the creek some miles below town
which have not been heard from and
some fears are entertained as to their
welfare and safety, but We have reason
to think they are all right. 1t is esti
mated that the county will be put to the
expense of rebuilding at least twenty
new bridges on French creek alone, tC
say nothing of the bridges that have
gone out that spanned the lesser stream.
that enter from the side guIches. Alto