Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-06-07
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
HEREABoUTS MOSTDAMAGING
STORM INLATE YEARS
Railroads, Bridges and Roads, Crops
and Land, Buildings, Live Stock,
Swept and Laid Waste

by the furious storm or last Ihur5-
day night Vernon county suffers in dol
lars and cents an amount almost be-
yond estimation. II was one of the
heaviest down-pours of rain this section
has ever experienced. It commenced
gently to decend. then poured from s
to 10 o'clock, and in that brief time al
most three inches of water fell Such
a flood has not been equaled here ex-
eept it be that of July 8, nine years ago.
1t was an electrical storm, carrying lit
tie wind, however. Such lightning fash
es and thunder pesls have seldom been
witnessed and heard. The situation
was terrorizing to the timid and not al
together pleasant for the brave. Be-
fore the bombardment ceased rivers of
water flowed everywhere and the streets
were miniature Mississippi rivers, and
naturally carrying with them damage
to streets, gardens. filling cellars, soak
ing through roofs and otherwise caus-
ing damage, yet Viroqua suffers little
compared with the country districts.
The extent of the storm is not def
nitely known, but it is certain that Yer
non county was in the pathway of its
fury. 1t is difficult to form or give
anything like an accurate account of
the storm and its attendant damage,
but it is great in that it affected almost
everything possessed by individual and
the public. We must therefore take
up subjects with little regard for class
ification.
Railroads of this section are severely
crippled. The ST. Paul train was not
much late in arriving on Friday morn
ing, experiencing little difficulty or dam
age except in the Melvina valley, where
water was very high, the track being
flooded and depot injured. But whew,
what dose the Southeastern got, be-
ing somewhat damaged in track and
buildings in this city, numerous cnsverts
washed between here and Westby,
much Of the roadbed being taken out,
rails and ties crooked and twisted on
the hill into Spring Valley three or four
miles west of Westby. Almost every
bridge from Spring Valley to Stoddard
is badly injured or swept away. The
company inexperienced no such blight
ing and expensive water destruction
since the road was constructed. Crews
are working from north and south, yet
il is problem when matters will be
adjusted to admit of through traffic. 1t
will probably be three weeks from date
Of the wash. They are having difficult
.ty in securing laborers and equipment
to replace the bridge and ballast the
track The Kickapoo road Is out OF
running order and probably viii be till
the last Of this week. A LaFarRe train
crew has cleared away things to Sol
diers Grove. The south section of the
line is worst damaged. Hillsboro rail-
road lost two or three bridges and had
track washed between that point and
Union Center, but expects TO do busi-
ness this week. The Burlington, from
Ferryyile 70 Prairie do Chen hsa fev-
enteen distinct wash outs and service
was suspended for some days and traf-
fic taken over the Milwaukee road on
the west SIDE of the river. McGregor
and North MeGregor, Iowa, were badly
damaged and the railroad west from
those places was crippled.
Bridge and road damage In this coun-
ty will exceed any other kind. For in
stance. jefferson town loses most every
large bridge and many small one, about
twenty-five in all, Harmony at least
fifteen, Coon fonr large and eight small
er ones, Hamburg some expensive struc-
lures, Clinton tw0 or three, Liberty,
Webster, Kickapoo, Hillsboro. Stark,
Sterling, Wheatland, Franklin, Genoa,
ChristiHna, Viroqua, all at least that
number In many cases approaches to
bridges are swept away, at Newton a
sixty-foOt gap being made at the north
end of the bridge at the mill. Public
roads in the valleys and on side hills
have been Quilted, torn and washed, IN
most instances cleaning outnewly made
highways.
Fence damage il extensive, on hills
and in valleys taking out long stretches.
Drift wood was largely the cause of
fence destruction. On plowed fields
the wash is serious, taking soil to hard
pan. This wash is causing the replant-
ing Of great acresges Of corn. Past
ures and meadow lands are covered with
rock, grass. clots of sod, brush and float
Of different natures.
Villages were torn and disturbed. At
Bloomingdale water stood in many
houses to the window stills. In Ava
lsnche nearly every house in the town
was water soaked the food extending
from bluff to bluff Here the west APP
proach to the big bridge was carried
out, the bridge above town taken away
and the mill dam washed out. Hills
boro also lost its mill dam. Springville
was washed ard the heavy iron bridge
taken Esofea hamlet had a torrent
that tore things up by the roots, and
old Newton was a sorry sight with its
strewn valley and piled trees, timbers
and drift The main KickapOo towns
experienced less property waste than
is usual on food occasions.
Electricity was a threatening element
in the storm. Many evidences of its
work are seen. The tobacco shed on
the asylum farm was struck, but little
damage resulted. The steeple on Zion
Lutheran church west of Bud, was
sornewat shattered. covered by insur-
snce. Prentls Miller on Webster creek,
lost a tobacco shed. Mrs. Kerr had a
large tobacco shed and stripping house.
with all her machinery, struck and
burned at Monument Rock. Her insur-
ance was very light True Favor sus-
tanned loss of q critter by lightning.
Other live stock and property was
doubtless destroyed. Quite a number
of cattle and hogs were drowned IN diff
ferent sections.
In not few instances people were
driven from their homes in low sec
tions. II is almost a miracle that no
deaths resulted from this widespread
devasta ton, coming as it did in the
night time.
league Ball on Thursday