News: Clark Co. – Storms and flooding (Sep 1903)

Contact: Shari (Volovsek) Hahn
E-mail: Shari@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Finch, Worth, Brown, Taggart, Mohr, Ball, Anderson, Hiscox, O’Brien

Source: Cheyenne Daily Leader #30, Sept 13, 1903, Pg 1

Storms and Cloudbursts Make havoc in Wisconsin

One Town Nearly Swept Away, Rivers Rising, Railroads Crippled by Washouts and Severe Losses of Property Reported

Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 12—A Sentinel special from Augusta, Wis., says that town and vicinity are flooded, the result of a cloudbursts. The levee went out and the flood swept through the center of the town, carrying everything before it. The greatest losers are Finch, Worth & Co., Brown Bros., wagon makers, building and contents; Taggart & Mohr, farm implements, building and contents; J.L. Ball, electric light plant; John Anderson, one building; Hiscox Bros. company, barns and sheds moved; O’Brien livery. No estimate of the loss can be made until the water recedes.
Every railroad running through the West is crippled from washouts.

The through northbound limited on the Wisconsin Central road from Chicago was still at Abbotsford late today. It should have passed here at 3 o’clock this morning, but was held on account of bad washouts on the main line between Abbotsford, Medford and Chelsie, where it is reported the rain descended in torrents for some hours, washing out the track badly and delaying all through trains indefinitely.

Merrill, Wis., reports the worst electrical storm in years. The Wisconsin river is high and sixty feet of track of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road is washed out at Pine river. Rural mail carriers were unable to go over their routes because of washed out bridges.

Mondovi, Buffalo county, reports $30,000 damage.

Unity and Glenwood send reports of farms under water and great damage to crops.