The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-11-16
ANOTHER APPEAL.

An appeal for funds has been made
in behalf of Black River Falls, the lit
tie city few weeks ago so seriously
stricken by food. The committee por-
trays the damage as even worse than
the public had realized. The commit
tee comprises the following: B. T..
Van Gorden, chairman, Taylor, Wis,
A. II. Dahl, treasurer, (state treasurer)
Madison, Wis: Maj. G. r. Williams,
Camp Douglas, Wis; Fittings Elmore,
Milwaukee, Wis; George F. Cooper,
secretary, Black River Falls, Wis.
The report follows:
To The Public:
The undersigned, recently appointed
by Gov. McGovern as relief commit
tee to receive and disburse such funds
as might be given by sympathetic and
charitably disposed people for the re-
lief of Black River Falls sufferers from
the devastating flood of Oct. 8, have,
after thorough investigation of the
conditions and careful study of the pre-
sent and prospective effect upon the
city and its citizens, arrived at the
conclusions that the awfulness of the
disaster can not be fully comprehended
and appreciated by those who have not
been afforded full opportunity to make
personal investigation, and have hence
determined to summarize the damage
and portray the probable effect upon
the city, as briefly as may be as "A
means of calling the attention of the
public to the needs of further funds to
place this former city of 1000 inhabit-
ants in position TO measurably re-
trieve it's loss by the individual efforts
of it's citizens, who are now struggling
bravely against adverse Circumstance
eS.
The flood completely wiped out about
80 per cent of the business portion OF
the city-totally destroyed seventy-two
business buildings, including some
warehouses and greatly injured several
others, with the total and partial loss
of contents, averaging approximately
80 per cent, and including in the de-
struction, in every instance, the real
estate on which the buildings stood;
literally enguling and destroying
twelve residences, with probably up
wards of so per cent of their contents;
totally destroying the furniture and
other parapheraalia of sixteen benevo-
lent and secret societies, flooding thirty
three residences on the fats below the
business section to a depth of from one
to six feet, damaging goods and builds
ings to the extent of many thousands of
dollars and making the buildings unfit
for dwelling purposes for from one to
three months; driving eighteen renting
families in the business district per-
manently from their hCules and de-
stroying about - per cent of their
household goods; flooding ffty-eight
business institutions, with about 10 per
cent of them not saving anything eX.
cept their books and the more valuable
of their papers, and the balance saving
but minor portion of their goods.
These are some but not all of the in
dividual losses. The whole of the city
is in darkness on account of the loss of
power and the destruction of great
portion of the electric wires. The city
treasury is empty and the city is bond
ed to the limit of the assessed valua-
tions before about 80 per cent of the
valuation was destroyed by the flood.
The school district has money with
which to run the schools until the end
of the year, but it is probable that they
will then have to close.
All contributions from those who feel
able to give will be gladly received,
all money to be sent to the state trea-
surer at Madison, and any supplies
should be sent by freight to the com
mittee ut Black River Falls.