The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-06-09
MIssouLA AND GREAT FALLS 4
ISOLATED BECAUSE OF
FLOOD. 4
DAMAGE IS GREAT
Montana Is Slowly Recovering From
the Recent Flood Death List win
Reach 12 TO 15-Boston e Montana
smeIters Flooded Hundreds 81 rect
OF Track and Five Bridges Gone.

OF Track and Five Bridges Gone.
Helena, June s. With railroad ser
vice still partially demoralized. tele-
phone and telegraphic communication
crippled, Montana is beginning to re-
cover from the food which has been
raging over the state for the last 10
ldays.
Missoula and Great Falls, from Ill
reports, have been the heaviest suf-
ferers and both cities are now cut oif
from the outside world, so far as rail-
read transportation is concerned. The
Great Northern has practically aban-
doned all traffic, and the Oregon
Short Line is running trains on an II
regular schedule.
| Word was received here by long
distance telephone tonight that tie
Boston & Montana smelter at Great
Falls is flooded, water being one foot
deep in the second story. The ma
ctinery will be damaged and 1t is
authoritatively stated that the smelter
cannot resume operation for at least
one month. More than 1000 men are
employed in the smelter.
No Trains for Weeks.
1t is also learned that the damage
to the Great Northern tracks near
Great Falls is such that no trains can
be run between Helena and Great
Falls for weeks. It probably will be
g month before trains can resume SER
vice on their normal schedules.
In northern Montana several small
towns are reported partially under
water. The total death list from
drowning, it is believed, will be at
least - or Is when all reports are
received from various sections Of the
state.
The Northern Pacific is operating
trains to Helena. which for some days
to come, will be the terminus. No. 3
l'arrived during the day and carried q
good many passengers The line east
Of here is operating and is IN fairly
good condition. Traflc to Butte is
routed over the Northern Pacific by
way OF Logan.
Late yesterday afternoon there was
q washout Of 1900 feet Of track near
Sappington, east of Whitehall and this
again isolated Butte. The oflcials
say the damage will be repaired by to-
night. Persons bound from Helena to
Butte may leave Helena at 1 o'clock
or at midnight and then pull out of
Logan early in the morning. This is
the way the mail is now being routed.
It Is not known when service west
Of Helena will be resumed on the
Northern Pacific. Big gangs are at
work repairing the trouble as rapidly
as possible.
q. r. Murphy, assistant superintend-
ent of the Montana Central. who is
making his headquarters here tempo
rarily, says 1t is expected service be-
tween Helena and Butte will be re-
sumed Thursday. Five hundred foot
stretches Of track are gone and FIVE
steel bridges which are from so to 60
feet long. and stood from eight to IA
feet from the ground. These bridges
are now being cribbed.
Enormous Damage.
Five hundred men are at work on
the line between Silver and Butte.
While there is no estimate Of the dam
age, It is very heavy. Bridges are
gone between Silver and Wolf Greek
and the roadbed y damaged. From
Craig to Ulm the track Id md water
and it is not possible to ascertain how
seriously It is damaged.
Several people arrived Al Helena
last night from Lombard, having left
there Saturday morning. The train
was stopped at Summit and from
there to Lombard the passengers
walked, forded streams and rode on
construction trains. Today Il i re.
ported that trains are running reGu-
larly from Lombard to Lewistovn.
The wire situation today Is some
what improved. The Western Union
has restored direct service 70 Chicago,
st. Paul and Salt Lake. as well 40 all
intervening points. The outlook Tor
direct western and northern wires 10 u
not so good, although It will be . mat
ter Of q few days only. However. (,
business for the west Is being routed
by way Of Chicago, San Francisco.
Portland and Spokane, 90 that COM
munication is available, though sub
ject to more or less delay.
Conditions at the East Helena
smelter were 80 improved that the
furnaces were put into commil
this morning, several days ahsad