The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-07-01
transform DOES
BIG DAMAGE HERE
TREES TORN UP BY THE ROOTS
AND TELEPHONE POLES
BLOWN DOWN
TELEPHONE SERVICE ENTIRELY STOPPED
Many Easements on Main Street are
Flooded, But Most Of the Goods
Were Saved

is talking about the torrential rain
storm and terrific wind which visited
this city last evening and resulted in
flooded easements, uprooted trees, to-
tai suspension of telephone and elec.
trio light service and a multitude Of
other damages. About $50 p. m. yes
terday word was received from Water
town warning Brookings that a fear
full storm was coming this way and
in about fifteen minutes it arrived
full tilt. 1t increased in violence un-
til 7:15 when the wind was at it's
worst. After 1880 it abated some
what and by eight o'clock a large
number of people were out viewing
the aftermath of the storm. The wa
ter was flowing in great streams down
the streets and roaring into the storm
sewers, and for a time it looked rs
though the storm cewers might han
die it all, but the quantity was too
great and weeds, leaves and branches
clOgged the CRATES on many of them
so that they were not useful up to
their full capacity. People who left
home dry shod to see the sights re-
turned a few minutes later to find
young river separating them from
their homes and perhaps ten minutes
later that river would have disap-
peared and another would spring up
somewhere else. 1t is a safe estimate
to say that everyone who ventured out
last night without boots got wet feet
trying to get home.
The first flood water came down
from college hill and raced down
Eighth street and soon disappeared.
At the corner Of Gullick's cafe on Me-
dairy avenue a lake of considerable
proportions was formed in a few min
utes. The second flood came stream
ing in from the southeast. Starting
with the viaduct and the culvert un-
der the railroad track the water
spread out over the flat land north OF
the tracks and flowed down in two
streams, one down Fifth avenue to
Williams street where it turned down
to Main; the other came down Third
up the street The former flood flow
ed through the lower floor of the
Register Publishing Co., and the Fad
theatre and then went across the
street and lodged in he easements ~
the telephone exchange, Kendall's
drug store and Rude's furniture store.
The most damage was done at the
telephone office. Practically all Of
their telephones, supplies, and cables
were in the basement and could not
be removed in time to save them. By
heroic labor Kendall's and Rudes
managed to remove all of their dam
agable goods from the basement in
time. A few iron beds and other
metal furnishings were given bath
in Rude's basement but the damage
was not great. The food down Third
street filled up the basement at the
Hub department store and did dam
age amounting to over a hundred dol
lars. Rio Miners plumbing shop and
John Roberts land office were both
flooded.
In an interview with J. p, Soder-
strom, the city engineer, this morning
he placed the blame for the flooded
b. sements to the railroad company,
who have failed to make any provis-
ion whatever for the drainage of the
draw south of the railroad grade ex-
cept for 5O-inch culvert which turns
the water loose upon a flat piece of
land which runs off on the city streets
The city has gone to the expense of
putting in a special large storm sewer
with an opening within 200 feet Of
the culvert and Mr.. Soderstrom stated
that if the railroad company had dug
a drainage ditch leading the water
from the culvert to the city sewer, the
most of the water last evening from
the south and east would have been
taken care of with out flooding the
downtown section. The city engineer
has at various times endeavored to
get this ditch put in and has taken
the matter up with the city officials
but so far without result. With this
new demonstration of the need Of
proper drainage on the land owned by
the railroad company it is expected
that public indignation win rise to
point where the railroad company
will be forced to do something.
The telephone office reports that a
limited long distance service may be
in operation sometime today but that
there is no prospect Of. the local SER
vice being resumed today. Last night
the service company cut out all elec-
trio current except on the under
ground circuits which run to the
street lights. This was necessary be-
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