Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-10-18

Black River Falls. Only nine
business blocks out of sixty In the
business district of this city of 1000
population have been left standing
by flood which swept down the
Black river valley when that stream,
swollen by heavy rains, broke it's
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 food, leaving that num-
Der Of families homeless. No lives
are known to have been lost. The
property damage is estimated to ex-
coed s1,500,O00.
Main aud 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 leveled
even with the surrounding land. Two
companies of state militia, from
Mauston and Eau Claire, have ar
rived and are guarding the stricken
city against hooters who begun their
work with the receding Of the waters.
The following business buildings,
not including about IS wrecked
homes, were swept away by the food
Jones Lumber Co.
Freeman hotel.
Journal Publishing Co.
John =. Harsh Dry Goods Co.
Peoples Drug store.
First National bank.
A. #. Werner, general store.
Moses Paquet. saloon.
William Robinson. saloon.
Antoine Rutland, jewelry.
Monses Bros, grocery.
City building.
Ben Olsen, saloon.
Quinbach, tin shop.
John TidemRn. restaurant.
r. Ii. Lyons, barber shop.
John Best Packing Co
johnson Bros, gents furnishings
BouNerAn saloon
Vincent Millinery store.
+ B. Dell. farm implements.
Peter p. Stat. saloon.
Il II. Nichols, barber shop.
bOcken & Liiehamer shoe store.
3. y. SkOw, undertaken
A. ii. Hagen, dry goods,
Alec Galest0n. barber shop.
J. 8. Sehnur, grocery.
4. J.: Roisland, photographer.
Speech building.
Keis Hanson's building.
X. /. Hanson, tailor.
Miss y. r. q. Harmon, millinery.
Riels Wall Paper company.
olson's Boarding house.
jackson County bank.
J. s. Hollenbeek, livery.
A. w. Cole. livery.
Falls House, hotel.
Homestead Lumber company.
Merchants hotel
City hotel.
Farmers Homo hotel
German Reform church
The first appearance of the dis
aster was manifested when vast area
OF water released by the Dells reser-
voir swept over the Hatfield dam, six
miles below. and aided in volume by
the heavy rain OF the night before.
struck Black River Falls with tre-
mendous force. The power plant
withstood the onslaught for time.
but finally capitulated. The north
bank of the river at this point re-
sisted the efforts of the flood to wear
II down, but the west bank, having a
less slope, soon gave way. Business
men, seeing that a general demoli-
ton OF their property was inevitable,
gathered few OF their belongings
and made for higher ground. One
after another. in rapid succession.
brick. stone and frame buildings
were undermined by the water and
slowly crept into the river. One of
the first structures to go was the FIRE.
mont hotel, three-story brick build
ing. which collapsed and disappeared
in the torrent, as did the postoffice
and bank buildings. All the money
In the latter institutions was saved
and is stored in the court house.
The city can never be rebuilt in
Its present location. In the bust
ness streets II is not merely CUES
ton of the subsiding of the water
the river is running through them,
The new channel occupied by the
river goes through the heart W the
town. the river bed having been
moved northward about rs rods and
westward 65 rods.
Almost every scrap of food in the
city, except that in houses out OF
the reach of the food, was destroyed.
Every grocery store and meat mar
ket and other food depot in the city
is gone With the residents facing
the immediate problem OF subsist-
ence, Mayor McGilvray sent mes
sages to cities of the state asking for
aid. Supplies of food and tents were
Immediately sent from La Crosse and
Eau Claire, where money is also be-
ing raised for the relief of the home
less ana penniless here.
The bulk of the stocks of the
stores could have been saved had
their owners needed the warning sent
them when the water broke through
ct Hatfield. but they refused TO be-
lieve that the situation was serious
until the food struck them. Then
1t was too late to save anything but
their lives. Helpless while their
property was being destroyed. men
went frantic. and all about out of
reach OF the water, single and in
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