Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-10-13

bounds with the washing out of the
Dells dam north of Hatfield and de-
scended in a raging torrent. Eigh-
teen residences were also carried
away by the flood, leaving that mum
Der of families homeless. No lives
are known to have been lost. The
property damage is estimated to ex
coed $1,500,000,
Main and Water streets, the two
principal thoroughfares of this city
were soon submerged under twenty
to thirty feet of water. With the big
buildings also went great chunks
of earth. A hill of considerable size
100 feet from the river was leyelec
companies of state militia, from
Mauston and Eau Claire, have ar
rived and are guarding the stricken
city against hooters who begun thell
work with the receding Of the waters
The following business buildings
not including about Is wrecked
homes, were swept away by the flood
Jones Lumber Co.
Freeman hotel.
journal Publishing Co.
John F. Harsh Dry Goods Co.
Peoples Drug store.
First National bank.
A. F. Werner, general store.
Moses Paquet, saloon.
William Robinson, saloon.
Antoine Rutland, jewery.
Monses Bros, grocery.
City building.
Ben Olsen, saloon.
Quinbach, tin shop.
John Tideman, restaurant.
+. H. Lyons, barber shop.
John Best Packing Co.
Johnson Bros, gents furnishings.
Bouveran saloon.
Vincent Millinery store.
G. E. More, grocery.
+. B. Dell, farm implements.
Peter P. Stat, saloon.
II. H. Nichols, barber shop.
Locken & Lillehamer, shoe store.
S. c. Skow, undertaken.
A. H. Hagen, dry goods.
Alec Galeston, barber shop
j. s. Schnur, grocery.
A. j. Roisland, photographer
Speech building.
Nels HansOn's building.
K /. Hanson, tailor.
Miss F. f. G. Harmon, millinery.
Riels Wall Paper company.
Olson's Boarding house.
Jackson County bank.
l. S. Hollenbeck, livery.
A. w. Cole, livery.
Falls House, hotel.
Homestead Lumber company.
Merchants hotel.
City hotel.
Farmers Home hotel
German Reform church.
The first appearance of the dis
aster was manifested when a vast ares
of water released by the Dells reser
voir swept over the Hatfield dam, si1
miles below, and aided in volume b!
the heavy rain of the night before
struck Black River Falls with tire
mendous force. The power plan
withstood the onslaught for time
but finally capitulated. The nortl
bank of the river at this point re
sisted the efforts of the flood to wea1
it down, but the west bank, having ;
less slope, soon gave way. Business
men, seeing that a general demolt
ton of their property was inevitable
gathered a few of their belonging
and made for higher ground. On'
after another, in rapid succession
brick, stone and frame building
were undermined by the water ant
slowly crept into the river One o
the first structures to go was the Ere
mont hotel, three-stOry brick build
ing, which collapsed and disappeared
In the torrent, as did the postoffic'
and bank buildings. All the none,
in the latter institutions was saves
and is stored in the court house.
The city can never be rebuilt II
it's present location. In the bust
ness streets it is not merely a ques
ton of the subsiding of the water
the river is running through them
The new channel occupied by tn
river goes through the heart Of tn
town. the river bed having beel
moved northward about rs rods an,
westward 65 rods.
Almost every scrap of food in tn
city, except that in houses out o
the reach of the food, was destroyed
Every grocery store and meat mar
ket and other food depot in the cit
Is gone. WIN lnC ACSAoShSS
the immediate problem of subsist
ence. Mayor McGilvray sent mes
sages to cities of the state asking TO
aid. Supplies of food and tents wer
Immediately sent from La Crosse an
Eau Claire, where money is also be
ing raised for the relief of the home
less and penniless here.
The bulk of the stocks or IN
stores could have been saved ha
their owners needed the warning sen
them when the water broke throug
at Hatfield, but they refused to be
lieve that the situation was seriou
until the flood struck them. the
it was too late to save anything Blu
their lives. Helpless while thei
property was being destroyed, me
went frantic, and all about out
reach of tie water, single ana