The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-06-07
4RAILROAD BRIDGES
WASHED
GONE; Wires DOWN
Wibaux Residents Seek Safety
in Trees and Housetops as
Streets Become Rivers
TRAIN SERVICE DISRUPTED
Emergency Crews Organized
by Transportation and Com.
munication Companies
TRAIN SERVICE DISRUPTED

Western North Dakota and eastern
Montana was q vast lake today.
Five inches of rain poured out o.
the heavens in few hours yesterda,
afternoon and last night causine
widespread damage to all forms Of
communication and transportation.
No loss of life had been reported IT.
the few mcager reports received at
noon today from the flooded areas.
Four railroad bridges were washed
out. telephone poles floated away like
match sticks. highways disappearec.
IN the torrents, and dry creeks became
raging rivers.
Today transcontinental railroad
telephone and telegraph crews were
fevcrislly attempting to repair dam.
age wrought to their services.
Damage in Thousands
1t was impossible to obtain an &C.
curate check of the damage but It /.
believed the toll will reach thousand.
Of dollars.
The heavy rainfall drenched the
area between Beach. N. Oak, where
4.93 inches was recorded within II
hours yesterday, to q point west OF
Glendive. Mont.
At Wibaux. Mont, water pouring
into the railroad yards rose to the
tops OF box cars, forcing persons tc
take to the hills. housetops, and tree
tops, according to T. F. Lowry. gen.
cral superintendent OF the Yellow
stone division Of the Northern Pacific
railroad.
Water was five feet deep in the
streets and was moving IS miles an
hour. F. B. Cooper. Dickinson railroad
agent, reported.
Four Bridges Disappear
Three large bridges on the North.
crn Pacific right-of way were washen
out. and one on the Milwaukee road
near Terry, Mont. was damaged.
Lowry said.
A concrete bridge west Of Ryder
near Medora, N. d.. together with
30-foot fill was undermined and
washed out. It is the third time in
10 years that exceptionally high water
has struck at this section Of the
Northern Pacific right-of way.
A railroad bridge west Of Glendiye.
Mont, and one over Beaver Greek
near the Montana North Dakota
state line. also were destroyed by the
torrents of rain.
Through train service probably will
be resumed on the this section Of the
Northern Pacific line by Tuesday Of
next week, according to T. H. Lantry,
general manager Of the Northern Pa
cific. Lantry and Lowry and other
railroad officials were in Mandan to.
day organizing bridge crews and en-
rolling additional workers to repair
the damage.
East Trains Cancelled
No passenger trains from the west
came into Bismarck this morning,
but No. 3, assembled at Dickinson,
was expected here about o'clock this
afternoon. The train went west to
Medora from Dickinson this morning
and then began its eastward trip.
No. 2. according to Dickinson Of
ficials. is being sent from Glendive
to Sidney. Mont. and then over the
Great Northern through Williston and
Minot. N. D., over the Surrey cutoff
to New Rockford and then to James,
town. where 1t resumes its regular
course.
No. was to detour from Terry
Mont, over the Milwaukee road
through South Dakota.
Regular through service on the
Northern Pacific line probably will
not be established until next Tues
day. officials believe. A train and
crew of workmen was sent west from
Dickinson as well as Mandan this
Continued on page eleven)