The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-04-22
HELENA DAM IS OUT.
Expensive Structure In Missouri River
is Badly Wrecked.

Word was received here by wire
Tuesday evening announcing that the
Hauser lake dam in the Missouri river
had given way, and that the resulting
food might cause damage At lower
river points. As the rush OF water
would have to travel nearly200 miles
along the course of the river before
reaching this locality, there was no
apprehension of serious trouble, the
expectation being that it would cause
q rise Of only few feet at this point.
Advices received late Tuesday even
ing reported that the river had risen
about twenty feet at Wolf creek, and
that water covered the tracks of the
Montana Central at Craig and other
points. The residents of several set.
Elements along the river abandoned
their homes and sought higher ground
until the food subsided. Particulars
of the disaster are given in Helena
dispatch to the Great Falls Tribune
which says In part:
Halt of the steel and concrete dam
of the Helena Power Transmission
company, located at Hauser lake, 20
miles north of Helena, and impound.
ing the waters OF the Missouri river 9
total distance Of q miles, was swept
away this afternoon, wall Of water
70 feet high running down Beartooth
canyon, sweeping everything before 1t.
Faulty steel construction Is the cause
assigned. While there were many mar.
row escapes at the dam no lives were
lost and only one man was injured,
James Belville, who was struck by q
flying piece of steel as he fed from
the power house. His injuries are
slight.
Within ten minutes persons living
below the dam on the river were
warned by telephone and telegraph
and all who were warned fled to the
hills. Couriers were dispatched on
horseback to inaccessible points and
the Great Northern sent special en-.
gine for rs miles through the canyon
some 30 miles below the dam, which
footed warnings to ranchers.
AS soon as the first reports were re-
ceived at Great Falls, men were sent
out by Chief OF Police Pontet to warn
ranchers along the river between
Great Falls and Cascade, and all
points that could be reached by tele-
phone and telegraph were also noti-
fed, so that most of the ranchers were
given an opportunity to get their
stock to the highlands above the river.
The flood reached Wolf Creek in
the afternoon, about o'clock, and
two hours later the river had risen
224 feet at that point. A little later,
report was received that the river
was 25 feet high at Craig, and about
o'clock, the station agent was driven
out. The last man in the village made
his escape On horse. About 1l:30
the river began to rise at Cascade.
There was no danger of the town be.
being flooded on the north side of the
river, and those living on the south
bank had moved across early in the
evening. Most of the stock in that
vicinity had been moved to the higher
country, so that there was little loss
at that point.
At the smelter, every precaution has
been taken to protect the power houses
and the lowe workings of the plant,
and force of men was kept working
all night.
The Hauser lake plant was put in
operation year ago last February
and generated $1,000 horsepower,
most OF which went to Butte and An
aconda. The plant cost 81, 0,000.
The dam was 70 feet high and $50 feet
long.