The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1912-08-24

N. P. SUFFERS
Lightning Burns out Fuses in
City and 1.43 ins Rain Fell.
20 Miles Track Damaged
Near Glendive.

20 Miles Track Damaged
Near Glendive.
Sunday evening the regular weekly
storm visited this section. Rain began
to fall about six clock and there was
thunder and lightning but not very near
to the city and the storm seemed to be
moving around. About half-past eight
there was binding fash and an in
stantaneous report. 1t was an over
charge and for an instant all the wires
in the city were paralyzed. Telephones
cracked like pistol shot and many, es-
pecially on Marguerite boulevard. were
useless until Manager Halls repair man
appeared next day.
"a At the electric light plant there was
considerable trouble. When the crash
came the street arc lights and one cir
cult on 4th Avenue West were tn only
ones not affected. Most of the other cir
cults were all right in half minute, but
there were enough fuses out to keep a
man busy next day.
A torrent of rain followed the flash of
lightning and the government gaug e
showed 1.43 inches next morning. So
far as learned there was no damage from
hail.
1t was not at Dickinson. however,
that the worst trouble occurred.
Around Glendive and Wibaux there
were two storms early in the afternoon
and cloud burst between Allard and
Wibaux about half-past three. Several
bridges were washed -.out and several
miles of track either washed out or un-
dermined and made unsafe. No traffic
was possible over some IS to 20 miles.
Ira ins No. 3 and 7 Sunday went as
far as Wibaux and returned Monday
morning as 4 and 8. Nos. and were
run to Wibaux and returned as and 8
until the damage was repaired. The other
trains were routed over the Great
Northern. An army of men were put to
work and Wednesday afternoon No.
went through west and traffic gradually
became normal, trains running several
hours late for day or two.
The baseball team went to Glendive
Saturday evening but were unable to
play Sunday. They were prisoners in
Glendive for several days and games
were pulled off Monday and Tuesday.
Agent Byrns suffered as much in
convenience as any from the washout.
The entire freight depot force, Clint
Davis, F. Robinson. j. Robinson. Ed.
Olfhs and Joe Busch, were at Glendive
and Mr.. Byrns was alone there Monday
and Tuesday. Wayne Klinefelter and
Elmer Peterson were gone from the yard
Office and Harry Wilson substituted as
caller and Robert Rudiselle did double
duty.
AT the creamery in the absence of H.
H. Hubbard, the butter maker, Guy
Dickinson proved equal to the emer-
eency and P. H. Olson helped out. DR..
Jackson, who went to Glendive with
the ball team, returned Monday, walk
ing through the washout section. The
following day Duncan McNeill, Elmer
Peterson. Fred Robinson, Ed. Olfhs
and Joe Busch took the same means of
reaching home.
DR.. Jackson talked very Interestingly
of his adventure to a PRESS reporter
as follows:
Il left Glendive on work train at S
O'Clock Monday morning and arrived at
Allard. the first scene of the washout
about two hours later. Here the storm
had taken out a bridge and washed
away about 200 feet of track. All
alone the way encountered sections of
track and bridges carried away and in
one place car was standing where the
track should be while the track was
laying fully so feet away. At HODGES
the most damage was done and here
houses had two to four feet of water in
them and grain fields laid low every.
where. Garden truck was washed out
and drove of hogs were running loose
which Ipresuned had been penned at
Beaver Hill and washed down by the
flood to Hodges. For some three miles
east of Hodges very little damage was
done to the track but Grain fields were
flattened and large volume of water
in the bitches had left its mark Of de-
struction. At Beaver Hill mile of
track and roadbed was washed away,
making about six miles of track washed
entirely out by the cloud burst. while
the total extent of damage wrought was
about 10 miles over which no traffic
was possible until repairs were made.
The most of the trip was made on my
bare feet as the ties were so hard on
leather that my shoes soon gave way
and l had nothing to eat but q cigar