River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-11-16
ANOTHER APPEAL

cular from the receiving and dis
bursting committee for the Black
River Falls relief fund, showing the
need of more funds to re-establish
the city of Black River Falls. The
letter states in part:
Suffice it to say that the flood
wiped out 80 per cent of the bust
ness portion of the city-totally
destroyed 70 business buildings
and greatly injured several others
and including in the destruction, in
every instance, the real estate upon
which the buildings stood; literally
engulfing twelve residences; totally
destroying the furniture and para
phernalia of Is benevolent and Sc
cret societies; flooding SO residen-
ces; driving Is renting families in
the business district permanently
from their homes and destroying
IS per cent of their household
goods; flooding out So business in
stitutions, with about rs per cent of
them not saving anything except
their books and the more valuable
papers, and the balance saving but
a minor portion of their goods.
THE city itself fares as badly as
the most unfortunate of it's citizens
and is left in worse predicament
than most of them, It's water
power plant has been so damaged
that there is slight hope of procur-
ing money with which to repair it
in the near future. Several streets
have been destroyed beyond posi-
bility of replacement. Water has
been cut off from all of the Fourth
ward, involving over third of the
population of the city. The whole
of the city is in darkness on ac-
count of the loss of power and the
destruction of great portion of
the electric wires. The city treas
ury is empty and the city bonded
60 the limit of the assessed valu-
alton before about so per cent of
the valuation was destroyed by the
food.
"The current of the river is still
running in the new channel, cover
ing about 40 acres of former bust
ness territory, and if it cannot
somehow be turned back into the
old channel this fall the business
houses which have been thus far
spared will have to 60 next spring,
together with practically all the
residence section of the Third Ward
and possibly the city hall and the
court house, if the usual freshet
shall occur next spring.
THE first relief necessary is the
building of Golfer dam to turn the
water back into the old channel and
there is scarcely more than half
enough in the relief fund treasury
to build the coffer-dam alone in the
prescribed manner. The relief to
individual suffering is still being
carried on by the relief station, as
sisted by civic organization of
ladies, and this work will undoubt-
eddy be needed all winter.
The one fortunate thing about
this flood is that it came in the day
time and no lives were lost. With
this exception it is probably the
worst municipal disaster in the an
nails of the state. No insurance
for fire or cyclone applies. There is
absolutely no comeback.
All contributions from those who
feel able to give will be gladly re-
ceived, all money TO be sent to the
state treasurer at Madison, and any
supplies should be sent by freight
to the committee at Black River
Falls.
The relief committee, appointed
by Gov. Francis E. McGovern, is
composed as follows: B. L. Van
Gordon, Taylor, Wis, A. H, Dahl,
treasurer, Madison, Wis, Major c.
R Williams, Camp Douglas, Wis,
George F. Cooper, Black River
Falls, Wis.