The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-07
FLOOD DESTROYS BLACK RIVER FALLS Dam Bursts With Disas-
 trOus Results THE WATER IS RISING Not Thought That Lives Were Lost as Inhabitants of the Valley
 and City Were Warned
 ill Time
THE WATER IS RISING

Lacrosse. Wis, October 6.--The sit'la- ton at Black River Falls. the prosper ous little city of 2oo0 population, swept by flood this afternoon, when waters of Black river. swollen by recent rains washed through the embankment or 'he Lacrosse Water Power company's dams at Hatfield. is tonight worse by far than was ever feared when the deluge burst upon the unfortunate town.
 Half of the business section was de- stroyed. together with a part of the resi- dence district, and it is alleged by the residents, who have taken refuge on hish lands, that the city will be wiped OH the map whether lives have been lost IS not yet certain. The people have been sca1- tered and tonight canvasses are beioS made to determine if any are missing Two persons have not been accounted for' and they may have been swept away by the flood.
 At o'clock tonight between p and So houses. comprising all stores on two streets had been destroyed together with about the same number of homes At that hour the waters still were Flsing rapidly, and the destruction of the stores on the other two business streets. was predicted before morning. The buildings have been not only flooded, but destroyed.
 The Fremont hotel, substantial three story structure. was the first to go and one building after another followed. No precautions could be taken to stop the wrecking of the town. The people al though they knew of the overtiowlns of the dam, showed little fear of its ef- fleets until the waters burst upon them.
 The city is tonight in darkness, the electric light plant being one of the first to be struck by the flood.
 The disaster was caused by the sudden rise of the Black river behind the two dams of the Lacrosse Water Power company following rains, which lasted al- most a week. The dams withstood the pressure, but in each case the riVer washed around the sides, taking out n big section of the river bank, and con ing down upon the country below in al most as great volume as though tho dams had been swept away.
 The five million dollar property of the water company is believed to be not 
 greatly damaged and tonight it is saio that the main dam which Is concrete structure 1000 feet thick at the base and 5O feet at the top would probably stand all the force which might be directed against it.
 Besides the damage at Black River Falls a great tract of surrounding coun- try was overrun. Effort was made to send warnings to farmers. but telephone wires soon went down and the fate of many settlers. who knew nothing of the flood until it struck their immediate localities is the cause of some apprehen- sion.
 Below Black River Falls are a number of villages, and the high waters are due to stris.e them during the night and to- morrow Forces of men have been sent out to strengthen the bridges in the three counties along the river.
 Cut off by telegraph, the news from Black River Falls is being sent to La Crosse tonight by the Wisconsin Tele- phone company, which has stationed q man on top of telephone pole. He is sending his report as well as the flooded lines permit