Emmons County record., 1909-08-12
LBismarck Tribune. Tuesday D

l6iSmarck tribune. lueSdaN
What is said by old-,imers to have
been one of the worst storms in the
history of this part of the state
broke over this city Monday evening
about l0:3O O'clock, and in few
minutes the streets We're running
rivers and many Easements IN the
business part of the city were flood
ed.
The storm was really a cloud burst
of the worst sort. and following the
iirst heavy fall Of rain there was a
continuous down-pour for more than
an hour.
The rain-storm was accompanied
.by a brilliant electrical display and
struck i'm several places i'm
the city, fortunately not doing amy
dai.Nsge aside from putting some Of
the telephones out of commission
and cutting out the electric lights i'm
some of the buildings.
Shortly after the heaviest part of
the rain started the sewers were un-
able to carry off the load, and the
water commenced to back up into
the buildings all over town. This
was soon followed 10y a greater men
ace in the business district, AS the
water commenced to flow into the
Easements from the windows front
ing on the sidewalks. One of the
first places reported to be filling up
with water was the Western Union
telegraph office, under the First Ma
tional Bank. The operator there
had narrow escape from death by
drowning He ewas seated at his desk
taking the Associated Press report
for the Tribune when the water
burst through the windows with a
mighty roar, and almost instantly
covered the floor to a depth of more
than four feet. The operator made
a dash for the door; but ,as the door
opened toward the inside. the force
of the water kept it closed and he
was forced to make for the window
facing Fourth street, and he was
able to get to the stairway only to
be nearly hurled downstairs by the
torrent of water that was coming
down from the street.
Probably the greatest damage was
done in the big basement of the
Webb department store. as at !
o CLOCK this morning the entire base
ment was flooded with about eight
feet of water, and everything that
would float was swimming around
the room like a mermaid.
Cowan's drugstore basement was
also flooded. as was the barber shop
under the Gem theater
Other places that were flooded
as reported this morning up to
press time were: The Armory, re-
ported as being FULL st. AleNius
hospital basement. with much water
i'm it, every business place ON Main
street from Second to Fifth streets
The Tribune job and newspaper
room was fortunate in not having
more than about four inches of wa
ter in it.
The Grand Pacific basement was
The barber shop, ,store-room
and tailor shop therein were greatly
damaged.
Reardsley 4 Finney's drugstore
was damaged about 5000.
Two near -droWnlngs are reported
from the basement of the 500 ho-
tel A negro was sleeping IN the
back room in the basement, and the
water got so high in the room before
he was awakened that he coud not
open the door. Three men endeav
ored to get the door open from the
outside: but their efforts were in
VAIN, and the colored man, much
frightened and very wet. was finally
taken from the window. A clerk
was sleeping In a room IN another
part of the basement, and before he
was awakened his bed was floating
around the room. Parties went to
the rescue. and, swinging a lantern
over the transom, awakened the
man; and when he saw the water he
jumped from the bed, and they say
the yell he let out would have made
an Indian on the War-path go out
and commit suicide from mortitica-
ton
At the corner Of Main and Fifth
the water washed out a lot Of the
street, and a man is reported to have
fallen in and nearly drowned before
assistance could reach him.
The basement Of the new bank
building on the northeast corner of
Main and Fourth was filled II the
level of the street and then some,
and there will probably be great
deal Of damage TO the cement floor
therein, which was finished Monday