Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-03-01
SLEEET, WIND
And FLOOD
RAISE HAVOC
Reports Show Heavy
Loss In Wide Area;
Many Families
Marooned.

Statements of old-timers that the
rain and sleet storm of last Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday was the
most violent they had ever seen, was
amply verified during the week when
reports OF the effects of the storm
began to come in from all quarters.
The Sleet did it's usual damage to
overhead wires, crossing circuits and
tearing down wires and poles. In
addition to the sleet the storm had
a curious feature-much of the mOis-
ture fell as rain with the temperature
at exactly the right point to prevent
the usual thaw and soaking away in
the ground. AS a result the rain fell
on a glare of ice and poured away
down the slopes to the rivers where
it caused a rapid rising of water.
The worst effect of the storm from
a local standpoint was noted along
Grant river. Cord wood piled on the
banks was swept away and lost.
Lines Of fence were torn down and
ruined. Where buildings stood in the
foods path they We're swept away
unless they were firmly anchored.
At Burton the Reed and Pauley
homes located down the hill from the
Woodmen hall were entered by the
rising waters At Pauley's the water
covered the first floor and the family
moved out They had time to save
the furniture and carpets. The hog
house and fences were swept away.
At Reeds the family also moved to
higher ground when they saw the
flood would reach the first floor of
their house. Reed lost everything in
the cellar in the line of provisions,
and 40 chickens. Everything not
moved out of the |. Nuse was wrecked.
The garage was wrecked and smaller
outbuildings were washed away. Ice
damaged the corner of the house.
Cassville reports that the MISSISSIPPI
pi river raised eight feet in "a hours.
This clearly indicates the vast guam
tity of water running off. Every low
spot in the village was lake and
many cellars filled with water. Late
Monday teams crossed the river into
Iowa but "a hours later the ice was
either swept out or submerged. Ice
gOrges formed at points along the
river accelerating the rise.
Dubuque and Clayton counties were
deluged with water and many bridges
damaged.
The Galena and Fever rivers over
flowed their banks and covered terri
tory for a mile wide Railroad tracks
were submerged and trains stopped
running. Isolated stock were ma
rooned in the fields and sought higher
ground in front of the advancing
waters. In several cases the refuge
was only temporary and the stock
was swept away and drowned.
Owing to high water business in
Galena was suspended Thursday.
At noon the waters began to recede
but there were still two to three feet
Of water in the streets near the river.
Water on Thomas street was two TO
three feet deep and the water reached
/ the first floor of the postOffice Many
store buildings alongs Main street
were flooded The lower part of Ga
lena lies in the Fever river valley.
Ice Jams formed in the streams OF
! 10 Davies and Lafayette counties and
where the rising water affected rail
traffic men were stationed at the
gorges with dynamite with instruc-
tions to dynamite. In some cases it
was impossible 10 dynamite the gorge
but at Bowden the gorge was broken
and the waters followed their natural
course down the river. At its height
! the water covered the tracks five feet
j Traffic resumed Friday.
+ At Darlington and other towns on
/ the Pecatonica much damage was
done The river runs between high
and steep hills with an enormous
water shed Darlington business
i houses were flooded and closed until
! the water went down. No trains were
running in towns along the Pecaton-
] lea for two days.
Platteville was cut off from train
service during the height of the flood
and the sleet crippled telephone and
/ telegraph service. practically cutting
/ the city off from the world for few
/ hours.
/ A bridge west of MaZomanie was
weakened by the storm and trains on
| the Milwaukee road ceased running
at that point until repairs could be
made Wires were down from sleet
from Paraboo south.
/ At Muscoda the municipal mill dam
went out with a roar at 1880 Thurs
day morning. The dam was weakened
| by the pounding of ice and the great
pressure of water at food stage. Fear
was expressed for the little iron
bridge below the dam when the dam
broke through at the bottom and the
water struck the bridge. Huge cakes