The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-06-10
SALMON RIVER IN
FLOOD CONDITION

RAMf fAUE-fkOPEkf DAM
AGE AT IT'S MOUTH. WHERE A
JAM OF ROCKS AND DEBRIS
WAS FORMED.
Roar after roar of heavy thunder
between the hours of two and three
O'Clock Wednesday morning brought
down-pour of warm rain that usher
ed IN Salmon's most memorable flood,
the worst in fifty years at least
where any record has been kept.
Jesse creek was mad stream by sew
en- o'clock, bringing down tons on tons
of loose rock from its upper bed and
landing them down toward the mouth
of the creek all the way up to the
Fred Rose place. This accumulation
caused the water steadily to rise and
threaten the banks of the stream, un-
til finally it broke through on both
sides, forming a fan-like spread out
over the garden of the A. Fl. Ford
place and the orchard of Frank Ting
ley. The old channel had become fill
ed completely and the Tingley bridge
was submerged.
In this alarming situation the rear
Iof the Lehr 4 Zimmerman store,
which rests on stone wall bordering
the angry stream, seemed to be in
peril of being undermined and that is
what happened to one corner, where
the current cut under il. But for the
removal of portions of the debris
that choked the channel at the Shoup
footbridpe as well as further down
stream serious damage would un-
doubtedly have been the result at this
point. x score of willing hands lent
their aid. Another point where the
waters threatened was just above the
Rose place. Here the street bed SEEM
ed to be doomed. Before the waters
could be stayed in eating away the
earth half the street bed had crum-
bled into the flood and been carried
down. There was no time to lose to
save a break through the beautiful
garden of Fred Rose. Great logs
were placed TO divert the current
away. BY noon or little after the
situation was well in hand, but the
waters had continued to rise both in
the river and in the creek. Island
park was under fully a foot of the
Salmon river flow but no damage was
done.
The rain-guage at the forest office
shows total precipitation of Al inch
at the down-pour Wednesday morn
ing.
Phone Poles Down.
Eight poles of the Lemhi Telephone
company were washed out at the Matt
Stewart place near Baker, the wires
barely suspending the poles above the
water line where temporary props
We're placed TO hold them for their
work.
Along the Salmon river from
Cronk's canyon this way there were
poles stretching for two miles entire
ly uprooted. Most of the poles were
down the torrent when in places half
the roadbed itself slid down.
Bob Walker. JOhnstown Hero, Helps.
But for the presence in Salmon of
Bob Walker, one of the Johnstown
flood heroes, things might have gone
a good deal worse for the Rose place
if not for all the property from the
Rose place down stream on Jesse
creek. Early in the morning Walker
saw that wash through the street
bed above the concrete bridge was i'm
diverted. The street was half gone
in that place when Walker came upon
the scene, With willing hands TO
help under his direction Walker
threw along the bank great timbers
secured from above and foated down
and anchored where they could do the
most good for the purpose intended.
Thus he saved the day. Much Of the
time required for making this inn
proyised jetty, which held its own
and diverted the current to the other
side. the men were in the surging
stream waist deep.
Horace OEtrander spent day and
a night at his appointed work of sal
wage Of the Viel property. Without
let-up even for an hour he kept build
ing up his dyke like they do in Hol-
land, always keeping two feet above
the water line with his wall of earth.
brush and sand bags.
There were other willing workers
in the efforts put forth at other
threatened places. scores Of them.
who helped 10 keep open the channel
and confne the rushing waters. In
spite of all that could be done most
of the grounds even 10 the dwelling
Of the Ford place were inundated ear.
ly in the day. The Tingley dwelling
on the opposite side was Tapped in
the foods spreading waters but nof
seriau Is damaged. Undoubtedly
there would haze been ruin al the
Wei property but for the provisions
made to save il by Murray Crook an
Hinchey who improvised jet
ties there 70 divert the stream the
other way. At the Shoup footbridge
a bad Jam was released after a ire
effort on the part Of Fred
and Charles Rose and scores Of Others
who braved great danger in the work.
Great trees were lodged in this jam
against the McCaleb irrigation fume,
which became fast al the bottom with
hundreds of tons of rocks and debris
bearing down upon il. Two men