The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-07-10

piers. But IL 1t had been in a bunch
1t would certainly have carried the
bridge out One whole tree, about
| FIVE or six feet in diameter and 40 OF
so feet long came rushing down and
just barely missed the railroad
bridge. The water, though. was
within just few inches of the wagon
bridge, a few hundred yards further
down stream, SO the crowd ran down
the bank to watch it hit the wagon
bridge. This bridge had been closed
to traffic since the day before, and
people thought sure when that tree
hit 1t, it would be all off. Twas one OF
few who ran fast enough to beat
the tree to the other bridge, and got
there just in time to see 1t hit. The
wagon bridge is a big thing, but the
tree nearly broke a span of 1t in two.
And, / guess it would have If the
current had not taken 1t under lit
tie at that point. A bunch of us
were laughing at the funny sights,
and woman came up to me and said
Yes, laugh that's right. laugh; it's
funny, amt it," | looked around
and thought she was going to shove
me into the river. apolOgized for
hurting her feelings, and she went on
to tell me that If had been' caught
where she was just an hour before
! wouldn't think 1t was so funny. She
said she was rescued from the top
of tree by gasoline launch and
had lost everything she had in the
world except the clothes she had on.
She had been working for some
ranchers up the river and she said
she didn't know where they were.
There was big dairy farm on an
island in the river, near town, and
never before this year had the water
gotten near the barns, but this year
it flooded them out Of business and
the cows had to be carried ashore In
boats. Thousands Of sheep were
drowned in the Sun, Teton and Marias
tributaries of the MissourD rivers,
and about six lives were reported
lost near Great Falls. We didn't get
single letter for more than 10
days, and no mails left the city for
the south and west for more than
two weeks. Ethel and were stand
ing on one side of the river when the
north wall of the head race at the big
B. & M. smelter went out with
thunderous crash, and hundred or
more men ran for their lives. Ethel
screamed and stood almost terror
stricken for about five minutes.
afraid that some of the poor fellows
would be swept into the raging wat
ers of the Missouri. We could see
several of the men who were working
in the power house. struggling In
water waist deep, and the current
was pretty swift, too. This was
caused by the wall going out and II
1t hadn't been that there was good
place for the water to spread right
there no doubt dozen or more men
would have been drowned. Last win
ter we walked across the suspension
bridge foot bridge) at the smelter.
and the water was about twenty feet
below us. The river rose 80 high that
this bridge was carried out. It was
right over the Black Eagle falls, and
was built for the laborers at the
plant. Just the minute the head race
gave way the smelter stopped. and 1t
hasn't run since. and probably Will
not be opened for three months. A
thousand men are directly affected
by the shutdown, and good many
thousand dollars damage was done
to the smelter. The enclosed rough
sketch will show you how ] had to
| travel to get from the Falls to Hell
ena. The distance in ordinary times
is 80 miles, but I had to travel about
295. was lucky to get out OF It
that well. too. The Billings G North
ern is new line. and we had to
travel slowly, and in the night time
to keep out of the road of the work
trains. Ethel is in Great Falls yet.
but am in hopes she will be able to
| get through within week. On my
way from there to Glasgow recently,
/ saw dozens of houses along the
valley that were deserted. And in the.
tops of trees could be seen fencing
and rubbish, showing that the water
had been from 10 to ID feet higher
than when we. went along, and when
we passed It was about as high as 1t
ever had been.
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