The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-15

about four O'Clock the rain was the
worst he ever saw for a few minutes,
and then stopped. When they left
Deadwood it was not raining, but it
commenced shortly after, and when
they passed Sturgis it was pouring.
They got about five miles this side
of Sturgis, when it became evident
that the train could not proceed, and
it was with great care backed to
Sturgis. where they remained all
night. Coming down yesterday Mr..
Wood saw some fearful sights. Much
of the ballasting is washed out,
bridges rendered unsafe, and in some
instances the track is gone. Elk
creek suffered much worse than Box
Elder, great volumes of water rush
ing down it's banks, carrying destruc-
tion with it, Work of repair is al
ready being carried on, but it can
not be stated how soon traffic will
be resumed.
The Pierre, Rapid City & North
western railroad has been put out
of commission, for two weeks at
least, several bridges being gone, and
some OF the roadbed. This will be
great hardship for many new com
crs as we'll as, the; people of Rapid
City, and it is hoped that there need
be no delay inHspairing the damage.
1t is not lsiNE'n how much dam
age the Milwaukee as sustained, ex-
cept to the bridge below town, seven
hents being washed away in that.
II is possible THAT more damage will
be reported today.
The train from the south was over
two hours late, caused by soft road
bed. There were evidences of severe
storms at Eermosa and at Spring
creek, the bridge at the latter place
being in bad condition. The train
could go, of course, no farther than
mere, and went back last evening.
1t was not known how they would
find the Spring creek bridge, or
whether the train could get over it
or not.
Word from Hill City was to the
effect that there had been a terrific
storm there and the Burlington road
was washed out for some distance.
Thus :. will be seen that every rail-
road has suffered more or less in
the storm, and traffic in this seetioa
will be somewhat hindered for a
time
Judge Levi MCGEE, who was at
Il 10
and another man got rig at Sturgis
and were driven as far as Box
Elder. The team then turned back,
and the two men tried to cross the
creek on a raft. When about half
way across the raft began to go
down with the current and the judge
thought he saw plank and jumped
for it. The plank turned up minus,
however, and he grabbed a tree,
which he climbed for safety For
tunately for him Arthur Morris and
Howard Wells were in that vicinity,
having gone up on work train, and
they went to his assistance with a
picket rope. Mr.. Morris rode in as
far as he could, and then threw the
rope to him. The judge tied it
around his waist and thus found
safety. His companion staid with
the raft, and in due season got to a
place where he could wade to shore,
and he and the judge finished their
journey on foot.
Fred Quartmanche on Box Elder
had an awful experience which he
will not care to repeat. When the
water came up he thought there was
no hope of saving his life. The
water was rising, and he could not
escape, SO he laid down on the table
in his house, hoping that if he should
fall asleep he would not know when
death came. He was awakened by
feeling the water around him. He
stood up on the table, that being as
high as he could get, and as it still
numbered. Fortunately the water
went down in time. He lost several
fine Shetland ponies.
The reporter heard that the Cleg-
horn family had to get out of their
lone west of town in the night, and
John L. Spayde, wife, and Miss Audie
Carr spent sleepless night with
!. their horses all saddled ready to ride
to safety If they had to-. Fortunate
ly, too, for them, the water receded
in time to make it possible for them
to have daylight for their journey.
On Box Elder the house of l.. d.
Taylor was moved 500 feet, and the
operators cabin was moved about
500 feet.
On Box Elder all the saw mills are
gone SO far as heard from. The one
owned by the Rapid City Lumber
company, bought from Henry Smitz
Iast year, has gone no one knows
where. 7. x. Potter's mill is miss
ing, and it is reported that the John
son mill on Rapid creek is also gone.
Canyon Lake is a thing of the
past, for about half of the dam is
gone.
Ole Peterson, who lives west of
the city, says that on a meadow
where he has cut hay for several
years he now has a large wood yard,
there being between 1000 and $500
cords of wood there.
y The mill race at the Downie-
Wright plant is seriously injured,
, and the company is the loser by be-
!. tween one and two thousand dollars.
Mr.. and Mrs, James, market gar
j, deners, have lost half of their gar
den. and James Wilson has lost q