The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-05
"
FLOODS IN NORTH.
Every Stream in Central Mon
tana a Torrent.
Helena and Butte Cut Off From
World.
DEMORALIZD
WashOuts on Railroads in Many
Places.
Efforts to Save Oregon Short
Line Bridge at Dillon.

Salt Lake City, Utah. June s.
Helena and Butte. Mont. are prac-
tically cut off from the outside world
this morning.
Rain is still falling heavily through
out that part of Montana and traffic
on the railroads already demoralized
by washouts following weeks al
most continuous rain will be tied up
for several days. Every little trout
stream and brook in central Montana
is a raging torrent. while the Big
Hole, Clarks Fork and Missouri rivers
are twice and three times their usual
width and over flowing the lowlands,
threatening railroad bridges and
causing serious washouts on the rail-
ways in dozens of places.
East and west of Helena on the
Northern and also on the Oregon
Short line north and south of Dillon
passenger trains are stalled with no
hope of getting through until the
waters go down and work of repair
ing the tracks can be taken up. Out
of Butte, both the Northern Pacific
and Great Northern are tied up by
washouts.
The Postal Telegraph had a wire
into Butte this morning long enough
to learn that the power house supply
ing the electric lighting and telegraph
power was threatened by floods. The
wire failed a moment later and Butte
therefore is probably without light or
power.
All of the Western Union wires
failed early this morning, north of
Dillon, Mont. as a result either of
the power house at Butte or wash
outs along the Big Hole river. The
the big bridge a mile north of Dill
Ion, and oregon Short line passenger
trains are tied up on either side with
no prospects of the blockade being
broken for at least "a hours. Hun
dreds of men are at work dumping
rock along the river banks near the
bridge in the hope of saving the struc-
| ture from destruction, and the rail-
road officials this morning expressed
| themselves as confident Of success.
1t is still raining heavily. however,
| around Dillon and probably therefore
throughout the region north.
Trouble at Missoula.
Missoula, Mont, June 5.-At noon
the flood situation in western Mon
tana is more serious than it has been
| at any time since the 80 day rain be-
gan. The rainfall for the past "a
hours, has been the heaviest of the
month and the streams are at the
! danger point.
| Word has come to Missoula that the
Moulton dam, above Butte burst this
morning and the flood has raised the
river at Garrison, rs miles east OF
| Missoula, four feet at noon. This rush
1 of water is expected at Missoula this
afternoon. There are two large dams
| in the river between Garrison and
Missoula and their destruction is
| threatened. The largest of these, the
power dam is owned by w. A. Clark
| If this goes out there will be great
injury to the farms in the valley for
miles.
| The railway situation of Missoula
is serious. The Northern Pacific has
not moved a train between Missoula
and Helena OF Butte since Monday
and it will practically be weeks before
the damage to the track can be fully
repaired Miles of the new road bed
| of the ST. Paul road east of here have
been swept away and it is estimated
that it will require more than a
month to repair the damage from this
source.
The Big Blackfoot river. 100 miles
| long, is at flood stage and there is
danger of destruction of the big dam
of the Rlackfoot Milling company at
| T2onner. which contains about 60 mil
/ lion feet of logs.
| wagon bridges along the river have
| been swept away. The Bitter Roo
liver is becoming threatening and the
railroad bridges along this stream
| Tbe Northern Pacific has assembled
On this division all of the pile drivers
/ from the west that it can get; it has
| taken from its own western divisions
and has borrowed from other roads
The fight against the waters is being
carried on by 10000 men, but the watel