The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-06-26
Continued Heavy Rains Have
S0ftened the Earth and
Undermine Tracks.
Milwaukee and Omaha Against
Some Hard Propositions;
Hills Are Dumped.
Telephone Companies Troubled;
Lines Are Down;;Service
Badly Crippled.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
The continued heavy rains have SO
softened the earth along the railroad
tracks that great deal of trouble is
being experienced, and traffic was last
night and a good share of today
completely tied up on all of the roads
leading through Mankato except one.
The favored one was the Great West
ern, which made its schedule.
The Omaha and Chicago & North
western roads were about equal suf-
ferers. The former road had a wash
out mile and a half north of Kasota
and another one at Caroline Station,
and a big land slide at the Minneopa
cemetery. At the latter place the
track was covered four feet deep for
distance of $50 feet. A force of
thirty or forty men was put to work
clearing the track, but this task was
not accomplished until some time to-
day.
l0:45 p. m. was held at St. Peter,
and did not arrive until 500 a. m to-
day, by which time the repairs on
the washed out pieces of track were
completed. This was the first train in
twelve hours to arrive from the east.
From the south the last train ar
rived at 9:l5 p. m, and was tied up
here and the remainder of its trip
cancelled. The way freight and the
stone run were also cancelled. Trains
from the south were held at Lake
Crystal.
No trains arrived or left in either
direction on the Chicago & North
western road after 4:45 p. m. yester-
day. Washouts occurred between Man
kato and New Ulm and also at points
east of here. Traffic was paralyzed
and all trains were held at New Ulm.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
road was also badly affected. The
train due to arrive at $40 p. m. did
not arrive until 1880 o'clock last
night. 1t got no further than Rapi-
dan, for bridge two miles west o.
that station went out last evening
cutting off traffic. A work train
was summoned and it was expected to
get temporary repairs completed by
noon today.
Telephone Companies Suffer.
The telephone companies have also
had their share of trouble. The Man
kato Citizens Telephone company had
the hardest luck in Saturdays storm,
and it will be several days before the
effects are completely eradicated.
About fifty poles were Frustrated and
the wires badly tangled. Numerous
other poles are leaning at an angle.
Two crews of men are out in the
country making repairs as rapidly as
possible, but are handicapped by the
weather.
In this city about $50 drops were
broken off at residences and other
buildings and the wires were out of
commission. Three cables were affect
ed by the lightning, but two of these
have been repaired and the third one
will be gotten in shape as soon as
possible. 1t may be several days be-
fore the system gets back into as
good working order as it was before
the storm, and the only thing for
patrons to do is to be patient, and
the management is pleased at the
patience thus far shown by all.
The wire CHER states that the storm
was the worst that he ever saw when
The Northwestern Telephone Ex-
enange company is gradually getting
its system back into shape. A half
mile of poles went down four miles
north of this city in the st. Peter
road, which interrupted business on
the Minneapolis line, but in other di-
rections very little trouble was ex-
perienced. In the city good many
drops were broken off, but these are
being replaced.
A great deal of credit is due to the
officials and operators of both COM
panies for the energy displayed in
serving the patrons under difficulties
and in getting the lines in working
order.
The Northwestern met with a slight
additional trouble last night, when
the electric light wire at the corner
of Broad and Lincoln streets low
cred and melted off the messenger
wire holding the cable The cable
fell to the ground, but the cable it.
self suffered no injury.
River Is Booming.
The rainfall last night was 2.95 inches
according to the government guage at
the park, and the river rose four
feet during the twenty-four hours
ending at eight o'clock this morning
The rainfall was tremendous, and the
rise of the river was almost unpre-
cedented, when considered how high
it was yesterday 1t is rising very
rapidly today, and the indications
are for wet time in the flats and
low sections that are subject to in
mdation in times of high water.
The street force has had strenu
Gus time keeping up with the de-
mands of the service. What had been
done earlier in the season has been
rndone by the waters, and the added
expense to the city this year will be
very great. The county will also
suffer more than anyone could have
anticipated.
Flooded the State Hospital.
st. Peter, June 23.-This section
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