The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-07
NIGHT IN HILLS.
Inhabitants of Black River Falls
Cold and Hungry.
Mayor Says People Need Food
and Clothing.
RAINED ON REFUGEES.
Sat Around Campfires Trying
to Keep Warm.
Town Is Wiped Out by the
Flood.
RAINED ON REFUGEES.

La Crosse, Wis, Oct. Looking
down from the hills on the ruins OF
their little city the people of Black
River Falls, whose homes were wiped
out yesterday and last night by the
rise in the Black river, today faced the
problem of subsistence. Almost every
scrap of food in the city except that in
houses out of the reach of the flood
was destroyed. Every grocery store
and meat market and other food depot
in the city is gone An attempt was
made early today to organize the work
of relief Mayor McGiIl sent messages
to La Crosse and other cities appealing
for food and shelter. In La Crosse a
committee was set to work at once and
at noon quantities of food and tents
were sent
Everything on the four business
streets, comprising the heart of the
town, has been swept away. The
Northwestern railroad bridge over the
Black river at that point is still stand
ing, but is swaying as though the
heavy spans were supported only by
cables. Train service is cut off at
Black River Falls and no persons are
even allowed to cross afoot.
At Hatfield. ten miles above Black
River Falls, the river had today cut a
new channel and appeared where it
was never known to run before. The
main channel has moved more than
500 feet onto which has until now
been dry land; at the dam the pressure
has ceased and the waters have fallen
far below the crest The main part of
the big structure is still standing The
power house, two miles down from
Hatfield, was flooded.
La Crosse. Wis. Oct. THE two
thousand inhabitants of Black River
Falls today are without food or shell
ter after spending a night on the hills
watching the waters from the flood of
the Black river overrun their town.
Through Mayor McGiIl they sent out
an appeal to the people of the coun
try for assistance. The town continues
cut off from the world by regular tel
egraph and telephone and it was only
by again resorting to the expedient
of sending a man up a telephone pole
on the edge of town that the cry for
help could be sent out.
Mayor McGill said that the people
needed both food and tents in which
rebuilt. The population fled yesterday
without stopping to take extra cloth /
ing. They spent disagreeable day
under a pitiless rain but in the even |
ing the weather cleared and there was
less suffering from exposure during
the night. All along the hills camp I
fires burned, while below in the dark I
ness could be heard the rush of wat
ers engulfing the city. The mayor of
Black River Falls today said it would /
be several days before the flood re-
ceded sufficiently to permit even an
examination of the ruins and that the /
need of relief was imperative
hmm ediately after his message was
received here a special meeting of the /
La Crosse council was called to con-
slider relief measures.
Town Wiped Out.
This city of about 1000 inhabitants
practically has been blotted from the
map of Wisconsin Only few of the
81 business blocks have thus far es-
capped the fury of a raging flood and
they are doomed to destruction. With
in a few hours this once rich center Of
a prosperous farming community viii
have little to boast of except that it
will go down in history as the scene of
a dire catastrophe
What is known as Lowertown or the
CrOye-that section lying to the west |
of the river-early today was a place of
misery. 1t is here that the vast ma
jority of residents live and following
night of anxiety and suffering, they
face the realization that no food is
available except what was in their
homes. Many of these homes have
been demolished and it is not an in
sight to see several families
partaking of a quantity of food which
ing man.
stores Swept Away.
Every grocery establishment and
meat market in the city has disappear
sd in the deluge. It was rumored
Early today that some provisions had
oeen. sent by citizens of Camp Douglas,
Wis but this could not be verified a S
all telegraph and telephone communi-
cation with the east side, where
stands the Northwestern railroad
depot, is cut off and the old railroad
5ridge connecting the two sections of
he city is in such a condition as to
preclude travel over it.
It is possible that defects in the
-po47 may he rPTnediC0 later.
Two dozen dwellings have been
swept away and unless there is a sud-
len change in the current many more
will disappear into the torrent which
still roars in what once was the heart ,
IF the city
So far as can be ascertained there
las bee nno loss of life. Communica-
ion with towns down the Black river
S impossible but it is believed they
las been no loss of life. Communica
possibly entailing a heavy loss of life.
Town Can't Be Rebuilt.
Black River Falls, destroyed last
light in the flood following the wash
ng around Of the Hatfield dam on the
Black river, ten miles above the city,
an never be rebuilt on its present site
The new channel occupied by the river ,
oday, goes through the middle of the
own. The wall of water that swept
he city was ten feet in height when il
cached the town and continued 10
rather force. Black river makes a turn
1t the falls in the city and the channel
with high steep banks. Into
his narrow space the twenty-five miles
# water, sixty feet deep in the Hat
ield storage reservoir, poured. and
yathering impetus leaped with resist
ess force on the town.