Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-07-30


amount of water TO the business sec
ton. Water was supplied to the West
side by the Curtis g. Yale Co.'S big
factory pumps, these having been con-
nected with the water mains num-
Der of years ago to meet just such a
possible emergency.
DESERVING OF CREDIT.
The officials of the Wausau Street
railway are also to be commended for
the promptness and energy displayed
by them in securing light for the city.
With their whole plant helpless, un-
able to call upon the auxiliary plant
at Rothschild, they managed to make
connections with the power plant at
Mosinee by connecting up with the
service wires laid last fall to help out
at the paper mill, and by o'clock
Wednesday afternoon were in posi-
ton to supply the city with sufficient
electricity for Illuminating purposes.
In doing this they had to overcome
almost nsurmountable obstacles. as
the roadway between this city and
Schofield was in places under six feet
of water, their tracks were flooded,
their plant crippled and they deprived
of the use of cars to assist in the
work, the wagon bridge at Schofield
gone out, the railroad track and
wagon road at Cedar creek, between
Rothschild and Mosinee impossible
and under water.
With the water works out of COM
mission and the city almost absolutely
without fire protection, much uneasi-
ness was felt in regard to the possible
use of kerosene lamps for illuminat-
ing purposes, as their use would I'M
doubtedly increase the chances of fire
breaking out and the city officials
and property owners generally were
more than thankful to the Street Rail-
way people.
PUMPING STATION FLOODED.
When the jam formed at the Leahy
& Beebee bridge the water rose and
backed up, flooding the pumping sta
tion, and extending northward until
it had almost submerged the ware
house and tanks of the Standard Oil
company, flooded the property of the
Nausau Granite company and of the
WaGslu Excelsior company. The
buildings of the Wausau Turpentine
company were under water to the
caves of the roof and all the low lands
submerged AS all the product of
this company was in tanks and water
proof receptacles, the loss was but
Slight.
All the territory north of Scott
street lying close to the river, was
likewise flooded. There are many
warehouses and barns along this sec
tion in proximity to the railroad
tracks. Freight cars were submerged
within foot or two of the tops;
warehouses and barns were flooded;
horses in many instances were saved
with the utmost difficulty, as the flood
took many unawares.
WRECKAGE EVERYWHERE.
1t was not until after the flood had
receded that the full measure of dam
age could be appreciated; nor isit pos
sible with written words to convey
any adequate conception of the ruins
left in its wake. Whole sections of
street and railway tracks have been
washed out. Shingle street is unre-
cognizable. Where the sidetracks were
is merely deep ravine, washed out
10y the waters that ran around the
end of the guard lock. Rails, ties,
planking and filling were carried into
the river along with the box cars and
logs and flood trash and remain lodged
against the railway bridges. Wreck
age and debris is strewn everywhere.
FURTHER DOWN THE RIVER.
Extensive damage was sustained at
Rothschild, by the flooding of portions
of the paper mill, the carrying out of
the Golfer dam, the loss of piling and
. machinery and the washing away of
the west bank of the river; also at
Kelly by the carrying away of the
dam and bridge, and at Schofield by
the destruction of the wagon bridge
and the-flooding of many homes. All
of these latter casualties occurred
Wednesday forenoon.
After passing beyond this city the
great volume of water and the wreck
age it carried in its wake, was fairly
well distributed over Lake WauSau
and in all human probability there
would have been but small loss at
Rothschild but for the breaking away
of the Kelly dam, as the Surplus
waters from the north were spread out
over the lake and even backed up
into Rib river, which for once did
not ,appear to be on the rampage, but
the extra logs Iand water let down
from the Eau Claire river proved too
much.
FLOOD REACHES RoTHsCHILD.
AS soon as ii was observed that the
water was beginning to raise, the
gates of the Rothschild dam were
opened up. For a time this seemed
to check the raise of the water, but
this was for short while only.
Quickly it gained upon them and
mounted up until it had flooded the
power house, until all the machinery
was under water. the boiler room
submerged and the finishing room
and basement under thirty inches of
water
When the possible seriousness of !