Philip weekly review and Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1912-1918, 1915-06-03

l N"HN'eN Ioi tu0 tNo P''
vious days, including the sever
ance of telephone connections
with all of North Fork valley. de-
layed the news of the loss Of
life at Climax. word of the
tragedy not reaching here un-
til Thursday evening. Mrs.
Harry Smith, Miss Mildred Burni-
son. who had been making her
home with Mr.. and Mrs. Smith
for the past eight years. and
B. w. Kirkpatrick. who was IA
guest at the Smith home. gave
l'p their lives i'm the flood wat
era. Nlr. Smith was saved after
a fight for life lasting hours.
Tie storm, it appears, rea he'd
it's height on the divide at the
head of North Fork and Dirty
woman creeks. Commencing at
about $50 o'clock in the even
ing, it continued until some
time after midnight. at all times
having the nature of cloud
burst.
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith. Miss
Burnison and Mr. Kirkpatrick
retired for the night in bunk
house that stood near the bank
of Dirtywoman creek. They
We're aroused earlier by the
ferocity of the storm. and at
a few minutes before o'clork
awoke to find that the b,rild-
ing was afloat. Mr.. Smith
thought of attempting to Leave
the house. but on opening the
door was threatened by rush
of water into the building. They
heard the structure break
through the wire fences that
closed in the building site ON
the south. and in a few minutes
found themselves precipitated
into the water by the giving
way of the floor of the building.
which had struck a bank with
terrific force.
Mr.. Smith relates that as
soon as possible he forced him
self mp through the water and
'ound himsef in the branches
of a tree The depth of the
water only allowed him u
slender hold of the tree, and
here for hours he fought gaimst
the debris which every few
moments threatened to dis
lodge him. Soon after gaining
the tree he noted someone of
the party drifting by him
and attempted to reach them,
hut only scrapped the clothing.
Whether it was one Of the wo-
men, or Mr.. Kirkpatrick, wnom
a few seconds later he noticed
was in the tree with him. he
noes not know.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick remained in
the tree for some time. and
Finally said that he could not
stand the strain much longer
and was tempted to try to
reach "a green spot that he
thought might be land, reveal
ed to him in the flashes Of
Tightening. Mr.. SMITH advised
him to stay where he was. blpt
later, after a fight to keep some
'hiStbes from diSlodging him.
he found that Mr.. Kirkpatick k
had disappeared.
Some time after daylight. his
son, Roy, appeared on horse
back ON the banks of the creek.
and managed to get a rope to
him and pull him to shore. Mr..
Smith was thoroughly chilled
from his fearful exposure, and
could not assist himself at all
for some hours after being res
cued. An investigation after
the water went down showed
that the tree in which he
bad found refuge was all of
twenty feet high, and but a
few inches of it's top branches
were above water at the height
.. the flood.
| Searching parties were organ
lied at once, and the hunt
for the three missing ones be-
gan. Mrs. Smith g body was
found a half-mile below the
ranch Thursday afternoon. Miss
'urnison was found about a
quarter of mile from the
ranch Friday morning. Mr.. Kirk
patrick was found shortly af-
ter the noon hour Saturday.
! FuneraR services were held
at the home on Sunday morning
at , . clock, and the bodies