The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-09-25
DAMS BREAK and
CITY IS FLOODED
FERGUS FALLS IS SWEPT BY
FLOOD AND clTY's LIGHT
SYSTEM DESTROYED.

Loss 100000 to $4,000 by break.
Dig al dams at Fergus Falls.
Flood sweeps through city, destroy
FHa bridges, power plants, and food
inc business houses.
Fergus Falls, Sept. 25.--Two hum
dred thousand dollars in property loss
by the breaking of several pow er dams
occurred here yesterday.
1t was the greatest disaster in the
history OF this city.
Z In the gray dawn OF the morning
people living in the vicinity of the
river were awakened by roaring of
angry waters. The stream had risen
TO abnormal proportions and was car
rying down barns outbufldings and
general debris in great quantities.
No Light or Water.
The electric light and water sys-
TENS were soon both out OF commits
sion.
The city waberworks, with a thirty
foot head, and full electrical equip
ment, which was completed last fall
gave away at 4:30.
The two men at work In the electric
light station rushed up the bank and
had just reached point of safety
when the huge dam was lifted bodily
from its foundations and tipped over.
together with The pnwer house and all
OF the electrical machinery.
The water came down with q roar.
spreading out over the low lands and
rushing through between the hills.
The Kirk dam, owned by private
parties, was also swept away.
Thus the debris lodged against q pile
bridge on Mount Faith avenue. The
pressure was terrific and the bridge
went down.
BY this time. the food was pouring
through the city. Fortunately the
river banks are generally of a fair
height, and comparatively few build
ings were washed, away. Easements
were flooded in some parts of the
business district, and loss in goods will
amount to thousands of dollars. In the
heart OF The city the flood washed out
part Of the Wright dam, which fur
nlshed power to large -four mills and
an electrical power plant which sup
plies power for a number of factories
and other industries. bn
3Gs Ra Mills Injured.
The Fergus -four mill was also part
III undermined end suffered consider
ably. The otter Tail mill, on the
opposite side OF the stream, was un-
injured. The city's new $4,000 con-
crete bridge is just below this dam
and the water undermined a section
of it's foundation on the west side, The
south side retaining wall was cracked
but the bridge was saved. Two
blocks further down stream the water
washed out the Red River mill dam.
The Fergus WOODEN mill dam also
gave way, giving the flood q free pas
sage through the city. a1
Four miles further down stream
another big concrete dam, the largest
on the river, which furnishes power
for the Wahpeton electric light plant,
was still holding and wires viii be
run into town without delay to con-
meet with the city electric light sys-
tenn W1
1t win also be possible to secure
power for the various industries from
I this dam The waterworks system
has an auxiliary steam plant and will
be running again today. All the
schools Of the city have been dis
missed. The city electric light dam
and machinery cost over $4,000, all
Iof which IL lost The city bonded itself
70 the limit to put In the dam. so that
/ 1t cannot be reconstructed. The total
loss in he food IL 100000.