The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-08-02
HEAVY LOSSES FROM FLOODS
Vernon and Crawford District Inundated
and Crops Damaged.
Two Thousand Acres of Tobacco Washed
Ont.

Out.
| From our Vernon county exchanges
we learn of the enormous losses sustain
ed to tobacco and other growing crops
from the floods following a heavy rain
which spread over large section in the
| western portion of the state on the Doth
inst. A summary is thus given by the
| Censor:
This section of country experienced
| one of the hardest, il not positively the
greatest rain storm that has ever been
| known here, on Sunday last. The storm
| was divided into three periods. About
| four o'clock in the morning, according
to H. E. Rogers government water
! test, Ill inches rain fell. At the noon
hour l 60 came down. The third period
extended from till 500, and 4.l2 in.
| ches of water fell, making total rain
| fall of 6.83 inches, probably the heaviest
| recorded for one day in this country. 1t
was a perfect downpour, rain descended
| in sheets The afternoon torrent was
| accompanied by terrific west wind. The
damage done to property, crops, roads,
bridges, dwellings, outbuildings and rail-
roads in this section is difficult to esti-
mate at this early date. Telephone and
telegraph wires were put out of commits
sion, and because of this it is impossible
to give even fair estimate of the havoc
that has been wrought to this part of
the state.
Severe and almost past comprehension
is the injury wrought to the farming
sections. Tobacco, corn, oats, grass and
other crops are damaged to the extent of
thousands of dollars. Fields are skim
med of top soil and deep gullies cut.
Farm buildings are injured and wreck
ed, and especially is this true with refer
ence to tobacco sheds and other build
ings of not the most substantial con-
struction. Fences are taken out on both
high and low lands. In the valleys hay
harvest had been on for several days.
Much of the crop has been washed away
and that uncut is covered with sand and
dirt.
Bishop Branch territory feels as keen
| ly as any community can the effects of
the fierce storm. Commencing at the
east limit of the city of Viroqua to Hun
ter's bridge and Ross on the west Kicka-
poo, through the valleys, there was prac-
tlcally clean sweep of fences. In all
| the runways leading to the Kickapoo
water was higher than ever before
| known, extending from hill to hill. Hay
! crops are ruined, corn, tobacco and other
| crops are much damaged. Water was
| fully twenty feet above ordinary stage.
| Nearly every farmer lost live stock of
some kind. B. L. Wigsmoen had COW
barn blown down, granary undermined,
| tobacco field ruined. True Favor had
twenty sheep carried away and his to-
bacco shed damaged The cattle Of A
f. Shilling, j. S. Harris, Jap Hull and
| others were swept by the tidal wave that
flowed from Bishop to West Kickapoo,
but fortunately all we're saved by swim
| ming to the high lands on the farm of
Frank Boggs.
There is scarcely an uninjured bridge
left in the county, either large or small.
The towns have suffered greatly in this
| and damage to highways. The roads,
nearly everywhere, are left in bad condi-
ton. They are filed with hundreds of
tons of loose stones that have rolled
| down and been washed into the track.
! Editor Munson estimates that 1000
| acres of tobacco has been destroyed.
The Kickspoo Valley experienced the
worst flood since 1866. The Indepen-
| dent says:
Never before has the present village of
Gays Mills suffered from high water as
it has in the past couple of days. There
are but two whole blocks in the village
| plat but what are covered or partially
| covered with water. Cellars are all full
| and a number of families were compelled
to move to higher quarters. Scores are
watching for the least raise and are
ready at a moments warning to move
out It is being disputed among the
older settlers whether the terrible flood
of 1866 was as bad as the present one or
not
Main street of our village is covered
from foot to two feet with water, and
| boats, dry goods boxes, stock tanks, etc.,
are used as means of travel.
| The crops of the valley and smaller
valleys are greatly damaged and no
doubt hundreds of acres are entirely
| ruined Communications up and down
the valley are entirely cut off SO that lit
tie is being heard from other points
Soldiers Grove being situated on lower
! ground at point where the valley is
| narrow, suffered the most OF any village
of the district. At o'clock Monday the
| telephone operator was obliged to Leave
| Lu0 C0lGrdi oIHCe7 tuc wafer udFIuS CIV
cred the floor to depth of two feet and
at that time the crest of the food had
not reached them. Scores of families
were obliged to vacate their homes early
Monday morning. In the Headquarters
| hotel the water stood several inches
deep on the floor at the time the tele-
phone operator was driven out by the
rising water. It is reported that the
covered wagon bridge leading from the
south to the village has been rendered
impossible A number of horses and
cattle are reported to have been drowned.
| From Readstown and Viola come the
same reports, the worst floods during
| the existence of the villages. At Viola
| two railroad bridges we're washed away.
| At the annual convention of the Mu-
| tual Protective Association of Bright
Tobacco Growers of Virginia and North
/ I'LL rx,:1l No It1lry