The Dickinson press., 1912-07-13

110ISA11kO1 NVOASy AAOAoAV 4AV ~oA
non Ball river was on a rampage right
on the Fourth and showed it's indepen-
dence by getting more than full and 60
ing down through the valley about as it
pleased, regardless of the homes and
crops it destroyed, and the property it
carried away in its mad race through
the country. A cloudburst in the Mid
way country near the Bad Lands on the
evening of July. 3rd was the cause of the
disturbance.
On the afternoon of the 3rd the heavy
clouds could be seen gathering in the
Midway country and people in New
England were expecting a heavy shower
from that country at any hour from 2
O'Clock until it finally reached here at
10 p. m. The clouds in the west got
darker and heavier and it seems that
the strong wind blowing from the east
held the storm in one place for six
hours. A territory five miles long and
two miles wide in the Midway country
was the center of the storm, where it
rained and hailed steadily from 4 to 8
hours. The water fell in sheets. and
in parts of the territory hail fell stead
lily for four hours. 1t Mould be impossi-
BILE to estimate how much rain fell in
the storm district. People living in
the Midway country say the rain came
down in pailfuls instead of drops. and
hailstones from the size of hens eggs
down to marbles fell for four hours,
leaving the ground covered with a solid
layer of hail from 6 to II inches deep.
Each creek was turned into q rushing
stream. the little streams into rivers
and the rivers into coulees were widen
ed into lakes. The banks of the Cannon
Ball could not begin to hold the water
that rushed in from all sides and in q
very short time all o ..the lowlands were
flooded. The night was dark and people
living down..the river had no warning
until the water was right or them.
Houses that have always been high and
dry in worst floods and high water
known were swamped in less time than
1t takes to tell it and several families
had narrow escapes. some taking refuge
on the housetops and other 8 standing
on tables and chairs in order to keep
their heads above water until help ar
rived in the morning.
The flood did not reach New England
until 9 O'Clock on the morning of the
18th, and at 10 o'clock the high water
mark of previous years was under sew
eral feet of water. At moo the water
was running more than eight fleet over
the %highwater mark and it.adid not
lower an inch until ssse' 5tso'elock in
the afternoon. New EIls:and's~ proposed
park was covered with four feet Of
water all day and was as pretty a lake
as could be asked for. The Kunze
bridge west of town was completely
submerged and the fiat for a long dis
lance on the west was q regular lake.
The water was two feet over the bridge
, south of the Mckenzie store and only
the top guard-rail could be e e for sew
eral hours. :, The approaches were quite
badly wse.ssselsssbut as a whole the bridge
withstosdxadifs food in fine shape. The
Milwaukee pumping station, which is
pretty we'll up to the bank of the river.
had fully two feet Of water above the
Hoor,a& John Clark, who has been in the
country for twenty five years. says there
has been no food in his. time that
would begin to compare with the one Of
July 4. 1912. and it would be impossi-
BILE to. make any of the old timers be-
lieve it uEsSsS6ss they saw it for them
selves. 8SS
Z SOME MARROW ESCAPES
There were no less than twenty people
who narrowly escaped drowning and
some Of, the people living along the
Cannon Ball had experiences that they
will remember as long as they live.
The first call for help to reach New Eng
land came from the Mead ranch at
about 2 80 a. m. At 3 O'Clock George
Dewey and Harry Crone were making fol
the ranch with a dray team and row.
Hboat. The ranch house is located on
q peninsula and when water once goes
over the neck of the land, it is impossi-
BILE to wade to high ground on accoun,
Of ravines rear the base Of the PENN
sula. Mr.. and Mrs. George Gerlich, an
aged couple, with their son. Irwin. and
two hired men awoke in the night to
find water a foot deep in the house and
getting deeper every minute. It wae
pitch dark and it would be suicide to
attempt to. reach high ground. There
was a telephone IN the house and they
managed to lstsome Of the neiehbof.
know of the trouble. The central in
New England succeeded in calling Mr.
Dewey who lost no time in getting out
to the ranch Il was : small boat and
~ one. passensd oouldIbs taken q Z
time, but al1l were landed safely. The
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