Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-03-29
SOME VERY HIGH WATER
March Thaw Works Havoc AID
Over Grant County.
MAIL CARRIERS DETAINED
Deep GuIlies Washed In Highways
and Much Damage Done Water
works Flooded.

Incalculable damage was done to
Grant county roads during the thaw
and subsequent Tainstorm Of last week.
To begin with there was nearly an
inch of water in the form of snow,
held in suspension on the level. I'm
derneath that was frost to several
! inches depth also holding water in
suspension that had eventually to run
some place. On top of these condi-
/ tiOns came a soaking rain for almost
three days, namely, Friday, Saturday
and Sunday, that capped the climax.
The water simply raced from every
nook and corner out Of doors in the
county to some water course and as
these let into others larger, the net
result was something terrific.
The roads to all accounts are bad
ly washed with huge gullies on every
hillside crossing the highways. The
Lancaster mail carriers were almost
without exception forced to turn
back on account of the high water
rendering the bridges Unapproachable
or else unsafe. Ben Suer, who carries
Route No. 1, went about five miles
out Saturday, but was forced to turn
back at Platte near the Brandemeuhl
farm. Mr. Suer says the river was
out of it's banks and higher than he
had ever seen it before. Mr.. Seur's
route is over &c miles in length but
only a part of the patrons received
their mail Saturday.
John Heiliger who carries Route
describes the conditions as distinct
ly wet with bad gullies washed in
the road and muchd amage done. Mr..
Heiliger only went as far as the AL
bert Gatsch place on Grant river Sat-
urday and many of the patrons on his
route of "a miles, did not get their
mail Monday he started out with
the intention of covering the route
if it took him over night and into
Tuesday.
Reuben Garner went as far as the
waterWorks where Grant river was
out Of it's banks and impossible to
cross. c. E. Wanamaker on route
No. 6, crossed Platte at Kings ford,
but came back another and better
way.
Fred Cox on No. 2, says the roads
are filled with mud in some places
two feet deep. Pigeon creek was up
high but the bridges and approaches
o. K. so that he made his entire trip.
Bud Duncan, who carries No 5, was
unable to cross Grant at the Charles
Day place for several reasons, the
principal one being that the stream
was from bluff to bluff-a distance
of nearly 300 yards-and he failed
to bring his bathing suit On the
cutoff going to the Rock Mill on the
other side the new hillside road has
been completely washed out and it
will be a month before it can be
placed in shape for travel Those
mail patrons beyond that point will
have to get their mail direct in the
meantime. r. A. Irwin, Of Route No
II, describes Platte river as the highest
IN the history of that turbulent
stream with the river below EIlenbOrO
from bluff to bluff all day Saturday.
William Hoffman and other old res
idents who have lived on Grant for
many years say the stream was the
highest for twenty-five years and pos
SibIy all records broken
Ed Stephens, engineer at the KlOn-
dixie spring pumping station was kept
busy for the three days Of last week,
with water coming into the pumping
station and on Saturday morning at
o'clock, standing three inches deep
in the pump room and seven inches
in the boiler room. Mr. Stephens
used a scoop with holes in the bot
tom to shovel coal with, the water
4 soaked coal being hard to handle. In
the spring yard debris, mud and
driftwood is piled up high, and the
north retaining wall of the spring is
undermined and may have to be re-
placed.
1t would seem as far as the roads
are concerned that the macadam roads
have stood up very well during freshet
and show practically no damages as
compared to the dirt roads. Food for
thought here, especially for those
who advocate systematic oiling on
plain dirt as the best highway.