The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-12-28
Flood Waters
Continued from page u

small bridge to the bottom of the hole
"a strange performance. Rocks and de- /
bris were carried onto the alfalfa field /
bordering the highway. 1t is said fence !
posts now extend only seven or eight |
inches above gravel that surrounds
them 1t was also necessary for The
Hadwens TO move one of their tourists
cabins to save it from being carried
away.
The extent of the damage done 10
the Smith meadow is not known but
the lower end of it is known 20 be cut
up to some extent.
| Otis Maize, another rancher in that
district, is heavy sufferer. A large
quantity of gravel, sand and logs is
said to have been washed onto his al
falfa field The E. A. Rice ranch was
also damaged, the water running on
both sides of his house during the
flood stage, according to report.
These are only the highlights OF the
damage done. In numerous places
there are heavy slides from hillsides
onto the highway, and in other places
the roadbed is badly cut and gouged
Fisher River Road Gone.
One Of the worst pieces of destruc-
ton is said to be along Fisher river
where the stream parallels the high
way for some distance. 1t is said the
entire roadbed has been washed out
for distance of about two miles and
; then slides from the hillsides came
! down over what was left, so that now
i IT is said one would never know high
way had been there.
Water several feet deep covered the
! ground at the Kenelty ranch home, and
, it was necessary to move the Keneltys
: out, according to report. The county
J caterpillar had been left standing on
the roadside there, while someone's
lance above the "cat" Mud marks show
: that the water almost covered the
i caterpillar, while the auto was washed
down and wrapped around the front o.
: the big machine Had IT not been sol
. the "cat no one knows where thu
4 auto would have lodged. The Kenelt,
q bridge is intact, due undoubtedly L
: the fact that the main current OF iii
3 West Fisher left the channel and flowed
}. through the Kenelty yard.
Swamp Greek Meadows Undamaged.
: The Swamp creek meadows are prae
: tically unchanged Evidently the nigl
/ water spread over the level meadow
:. and did not do much cutting. Som
:, gravel has been moved onto the ha.
!. land here and there but not to any ex
tent.
: More damage was done where III
II highway crosses the Pleasant Vale
Fisher, near the Elk hill highway Tha
narrow little valley is severely gouge
and cut up, according to report, and
is expected that the small bridges Their
have been moved away.
IS Numerous trees are across the high
is way all through the timbered section
* Maxim reports that he sat in his HON
at and saw five trees fall at one time ont
" the tourist cabin he had built On
ID tree started to fall and it carried fou
ct others with it. Luckily the cabin we
tie not much damaged One end of ii
be roof was crushed in and the buildin
s. was moved slightly on its foundation
lis The crew that has been working
ne the Elk Hill section was enlarged an
IS given instructions to start working tc
80 ward Libby and this was done yestel
day. Another crew will be workir
southwark from town. A temporary dc
tour across Granite creek was CON
az pleted Wednesday.
at Big Slide West of Town
A Probably the worst slide is west
ne Libby on the main state highway. TIL
It. came down week or more ago ar
nd covered the highway for about half
mt mile, with several feet of mud, sar
nd and gravel. The old switchback WI
repaired and put into use in order
get around this slide.
There is also a slide of considerab
- extent between Libby and Warland, n
- far from Warland, However, it is III
-aa derstood that autos have been able
,at make their way over it since freezii
-, weather hardened it.
"A County Commissioner Brink stat
that a jam formed at the Bobtail cres
bridge and diverted the stream dow
the road bed, with the result that Il
no entire roadway was cut out to dep
of eight to 10 feet for consideraE
the distance.