Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-08

LA CROSSE. wis, Oct. 7.--Black River
Falls, destroyed last night in the flood
following the washing around Of the
Hatfield dam on the Black river, ten
miles above the city, can never he re-
built on It's old site, The new channel.
occupied by tho river today goes through
the middle of the town.
The wall OF water that swept the city
was ten feet In height when II reached
the town, and continued to gather force.
Black river makes turn al the falls
| in the city and the echannel narrows
with high, steep banks, Into this narrow
space the twenty-five miles of water
sixty feet deep in the Hatfield storage
reservoir poured and gathered impetus
from this condition. leaped with resist
less force on the town.
offices, stores, warehouses and rest
dences went down before II like house
Of cards. with the big buildings went
also great chunks OF earth, A hill of
considerable size 1O0 feet from the river
was leveled even with the surrounding
land. -
Mayor McGnliveray today estimated
the loss at not less than si.0000o0 at
Black River Falls alone.
Rumors are heard today OF three lives
being lost, but there Is no verification Of
them, and the remarkable spectacle is
presented OF a town being utterly de-
stroyed with perhaps not the loss Of a
single life.
Principal buildings destroyed include
the Freeman and Spaulding hotels, the
Jackson County and First National
banks, the Jackson county general Of
flee, the Spaulding machine shops, the
Marsh and the Jones dry goods stores
several large warehouses ana all ths
saloons, restaurants and practically all
retail stores In every line.
People without Food.
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 except that in
houses out of the reach OF the floods 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 j. ].
McGllliveray sent messages TO La Crosse
and other cities appealing for food and
shelter In La Crosse A committee was
set TO work az once and at noon guam
titles 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 standing. but is sway
Ing as though the heavy spAns vera
supported only by cables. Train service
is cut off at Black River Falls and no
physicians even are allowed TO cross
afoot. At Hatfield, ten miles above Black
River Falls, the river had today cut a
new channel and appeared where IL wal
never known to run before. The main
channel has moved more than 800 feet
onto what has until now been dry land.
Al the dam the pressure has ceased and
the waters have fallen far below the
crest. The main part of the big struo-
ture Is stu standing. The powerhouse.
two miles down from Hatfield was
flooded.
President Ferris of the waterpower COM
pany today estimated the damage TO his
company property at $4,000. The plant
may be out Of business for months. be-
cause of the moving debris.
When the residents Of Melrose eighteen
miles north of here on the Black river,