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Winneshiek County IAGenWeb 1902 Decorah Flood this site was last updated on Sunday, 28 March 2021 |
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DRY RUN IN A RAGE! The most Severe Flood Known in all its History! TUESDAY NIGHT ONE OF TERROR! Higher Water and Greater Damage than Ever Before and Two Lives Lost! DAYLIGHT SHOWS CHAOS! Ruin Sweeps through the Valley from the Upper Pumping Station to the River ! JOHN GARVER DROWNED IN HIS OWN DOOR-YARD. An Infant child of Charley Clark Torn from its Mother's arms and drowned. Twenty-seven years ago we headlined the greatest flood Decorah had over known in this way: "THE DELUGE," '‘One-third! The City Inundated.” “Thank God! No Lives were Lost." |
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Ten years ago we used these headlines for a lesser flood, but to-day it is with grief and sorrow we confess that we cannot repeat them, because two Lives went out in the torrent that roared down Dry Run,
yesterday morning, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake.
A picture almost beyond description was the condition that presented itself when daylight came, and the water receded so that the citizens could see what damage had been done. Everywhere in the low parts of the first, second and fourth wards, sidewalks and fences were piled up In sections or broken to kindling wood, houses and barns were swept from their foundations scores of cellars were filled with water and almost as many houses had their first flours covered with a thick, slimy mud that meant ruin to carpets and furniture. In some of the latter, pianos, sideboards, tables and bookcases were toppled over and ruin and desolation appears everywhere. It would fairly make one sick to look in some of the homes where once all was clean and cozy. The conditions that were found in cellars can be imagined, not described. They are certain to be horrors to the housewives. And yet through all this there is a feeling of general relief and thankfulness that there was no greater loss of life. Scores were in deadly peril and many narrow escapes were reported. Many fled from their homes to places of safety, needlessly, it appeared, after the worst was over, while others had to fight their way from places of utmost danger. Still others imperiled themselves in acts of relief for others and in rescuing poor dumb brutes that were Imprisoned in barns or caught in the flood. Ii was in the act of the latter kind that Uncle John Carver lost his life. Little realizing the danger that was about to beset him he went into his garden to look after his chickens. That was the last seen of him alive. His dead body was found in the yard after the flood subsided. The other death came into the home of Charles Clark Mr. Clark lives near the Milwaukee tracks west of Maple Avenue and had succeeded in getting his family out of the house. His wife, who was carrying a little three year old child, was swept from her feet and lost her hold on the baby and it was carried away in the flood. The remains were found in some debris near the Milwaukee freight depot. Mr. Clark got the rest of the family into a tree, bound himself to its trunk and remained there until it was safe to attempt to reach a better place. Probably no one had a narrower escape than M. T. Torsen. Realizing that the horses in his barn were in danger he went out and was attempting to get them out when he was carried off his feet and through into D. A. Reed’s yard. Here a lantern had been hung out and by its dim light M. T. saw the pump, grasped at it, missed it, but caught the handle. After some little time he made Mr. Reed hear his calls for assistance and lie was taken into the house. His barn was carried off its foundation through the Reed yard and out on Washington Street where it lodged. The horses were not injured at all, but one of his vehicles sustained considerable damage. This is trivial, however, to the damage in his home, where the water was several feet deep. The escape of Richard Bucknell and family was another one of almost miraculous character. His house was lifted from its foundation and carried down onto Broadway and lodged against Mrs. M Curtin’s house. All this time the family was imprisoned there. By cutting a hole through the roof they were able to climb into the second story window of Mrs. Curtin’s home and were there sheltered. How the building could travel in a diagonal direction and dodge so many other buildings without striking them and causing a complete demolition of the house is a mystery to everyone. E. A. Waterbury and wife probably had nearly as thrilling an experience as did the Bucknells. They were awakened by the water rushing into their house. The room was rapidly filling and before they could make their exit, it was so high that it reached to Mr. Waterbury’s armpits. Mrs. Waterbury stood on a window sill to keep out of the water as, much as possible while her husband made his way to a window and smashed it with his hand in order to let the water out. In doing this he cut his hand and wrist quite badly. The house was moved from its foundation and floated about twenty feet, while the occupants escaped in their night clothes. H F Thompson, in the Seavy house on Washington street, made a very hasty exit with his baby, leaving his wife to follow As he made his way through the water, he heard her scream but all was darkness save for the lightning’s flash and he could not see her. After taking the baby to a place of safety, he made his way back to the house but could not find Mrs. Thompson. After the water had begun to go down, he returned once more and found her in the house standing on the bed in water nearly up to her knees. At B. J. McKay’s, where the stork had recently made its advent with a small daughter, the water rushed in so that it soon became evident Mrs. McKay and the baby must be moved. The former was carried out on her bed and the latter was cared for by Mrs. Ward, the nurse, and together they were taken to the home of H. J. Jennisch, high and dry from the storm’s fury. B. O. Marsh also had an exciting experience. Hearing the roar of the water, he ran to the Burlington depot to ascertain how serious it might be. A hasty glance was sufficient and he ran for his home again, calling to two young ladies who are making their home there, to get out at once. Together these three made their way to .John Stoskoll’s house in the west end of the block Mr. Marsh lives in, but in covering that short distance they were knocked down three times. M. B. Ousley and wife escaped from their house before the flood came. Mr. Ousley hitched up his horse and took his wife to P McCusker’s. His home was moved about twenty feet from its foundation. Iver Larsen went down to release his horse from his barn, and got caught by the flood. He had to remain in the building in water nearly up to his arm pits, until half past six in the morning. Roy Tracy, of the firm of Tracy & Kiley, was among the first to go down town to see what damage was being done by the storm. He reached his store some time before the high water came and when it did come, he was imprisoned in the building. Not knowing what might happen to him, he made his wav through a window over sheds and we know not what all, to a place of safety. In getting through the window he cut his hand very severely We cannot begin to give a detailed description of all sections visited by the flood. Lt would take more space and more time than we have at our command in order to give an accurate and complete statement of the terrible destruction that was wrought. Commencing up at the Milwaukee stock yards, the stream swept over the flat, taking almost every loose article before it. Much of the wood in Owen Rooney’s wood yard was carried away and distributed at various points. From there on Mechanic street north to Martin Christopher’s house on the north side of the bridge, cellars were filled, mud and debris floated into homes, out-buildings, fences and sidewalks twisted, broken or carried away. As far south as the Milwaukee freight depot the water ran in great volumes. It was a torrent that no bed of such narrow width could carry but it was made more difficult by obstructions such as the raising of Mechanic Street some seven or eight years ago, the raising of Winnebago street last year and the construction of buildings on the lots north of the Fish planing mill on Washington Street. On River Street everything from the bridge to the Milwaukee turn-table was afloat with much the same condition as appeared on Mechanic Street. Through yards, over the school grounds and on down to Washington street the flood took its course. Here the worst of the destruction began to make its appearance, although it had left ample signs in the way of dislodged sidewalks and small buildings, to say nothing of broken trees all along its course. Joe Hawes’ burn was floated up against the side of Mrs. Haskell’s house, badly splitting: the latter, and nearly every house south of the bridge on Winnebago street was filled by water to a greater or lesser degree. In the middle of Washington street stands the Torsen barn and then as one looks down the side streets on to St. Lawrence and Lloyd, houses and barns I are seen wrenched from their foundations. The business houses of L. R. Fish, Riley & Baker, Peter Johnson, Ingvoldstad & Co., A. J Francisco, Arneson & Hokaasen, Guild Brewing Co., Jennisch saloon, Jennisch blacksmith shop, Viger harness shop, A. A Chandler & Son, F. J. Helwig & Co. and National Hotel were filled with muck of the blackest, nastiest character. The south end of the sheds of L. J. Anderson were undermined and badly wrecked. Shortly after seven o’clock a part of them fell into the stream and were carried away, in the Ingvoldstad yard big piles of lumber were toppled over and heaped into a conglomerate mass, desks overturned in the office, glass doors smashed, sheds damaged and confusion reigns generally. Two carloads of lime that Chandler & Son had the day before placed in the building next to the Cairns blacksmith shop caught fire, and here some of the bravest and best work the Decorah fire department ever did was accomplished. The firemen who could reach the scene responded heroically, and, standing in rushing water waist deep, they fought the flames, extinguishing them and saved what might have proved disaster upon disaster. Riley & Baker had a large quantity of shingles carried away from the west end of their yard. They estimate their loss at $750. Tracy & Riley do not yet know how much their damage will be but they estimate it anywhere from $1250 to $2000. They had two carloads of flour and a large quantity of sugar and other perishable groceries that were inundated to an extent making them worthless. Not all of the flour suffered, but enough of it so that their loss will be a very severe one for a young firm. Manager Fred Elithorp of the Wilbur Lumber Co. was congratulating himself that the poles and supports of the new lumber shed were in place. He feels confident that had they not been, the entire yard would have been swept away as it was, very little of the stock inside the yards was displaced, but the loss is estimated at $2,500. A lot of stuff piled on the vacant lot east of the railroad track is scattered somewhat for several blocks but most of it is being recovered and will be salable at some price. This pile of lumber came near to wrecking E. J. Riley’s house. It dashed against Mr. Riley’s barn, carried that structure between the Riley and Schultz houses and there formed a dam where water and timbers and all manner of floating things congregated. A hole was dashed into Mr. Riley’s kitchen and in a jiffy everything therein was swimming. It was in this neighborhood that the greatest danger and damage occurred. Southeast of the Wilbur yards' was R. Bucknell’s house. Southeast of the Schultz and Riley houses was where E. A. Waterbury lived. In addition to these houses, several more in this block were moved from their foundations, and debris was carried to the rise in the hill leading up to the Catholic Church. Lower Main Street presented almost as bad an appearance as lower Broadway, there being several houses moved on this street, also. Lower Water street did not suffer in this respect as did its near neighbors but all through the section east of the creek, houses were flooded and it will be weeks before all signs of damage will have disappeared. Three horses in the Stiles hotel barnyard were caught like rats in a trap and drowned. They were the U. S. Express Co. horse, Linnevold & Ode’s horse and a transient. The express company also lost its wagon. At the Voiding barn in the National Hotel yard, several valuable horses were quartered. The water was too high to permit any one going among them, but by crawling on top of a shed and lowering a man with ropes, the halters were cut and the horses turned out so that they found places of safety. Erick Anderson had seven horses in the barn at the old Whitbeck place. These were turned loose and all escaped. At the Burlington depot. Agent Lawhead was having a little excitement of his own. The building was completely surrounded by water that was rushing in torrents on all sides. Parts of the platform were being wrenched away and every minute he exacted the building to go. He succeeded in helping three horses that came swimming down, upon the depot platform and housed them in the freight house for a time. It was not until after six o’clock that he and his wife were released from their temporary prison. Yesterday afternoon when a reporter interviewed him, he stated the condition of the Burlington in about these words. ‘‘Four or five miles of track this side of Nordness gone, everything from Decorah to Trout Run gone: the bridge at Trout Run gone; the stock yards track gone. The roundhouse and the ice house gone; in fact, it was a perfect fright.” At the Burlington stock yards, W. P Jones had 211 head of hogs awaiting shipment. When morning came, he feared he had lost all of them, which, at the present prices, would have meant financial ruin to him. Later he learned the whereabouts of part of them and by noon had located all but twenty. He is not yet certain that these twenty are lost, but even if they are, he feels that he has every reason to be thankful. The Milwaukee road is in a mighty bad way, too. Here in Decorah the stock yards bridge is gone, and the Main Street Bridge is lying half in the creek and half against the east bank. Along with it a big strip of track is carried off the dump. At several points the rails are bent somewhat. What the exact condition is between the Standring Bridge and Conover we have been unable to learn, but it is known no train can enter Decorah for a week or more. All bridges as far us Peterson’s grove are gone and it is surmised that similar conditions prevail west of there. The work train got four or five miles east of Conover yesterday, but it is not expected to reach the Standring farm earlier than next week after the trains do get into town it will be a week or more before it can depart from the passenger depot. Meanwhile the mails will go and come overland by team. At the Milwaukee stock yards Henry Reeves had about a hundred head of hogs, only four of which died. He estimates his loss at about $200, however, because of a quantity of corn he had on hand for feeding purposes. What the loss from this great storm will be is difficult to estimate. One cannot go into the many homes where mud and mire has ruined so much and begin to make any reliable figures. Nor is it possible, to estimate the amount of loss in cellars where canned goods, preserves and other provisions were stored Still more difficult would it be to make figures covering the replacement of buildings on foundations and their restoration to habitable condition. The replacing of sidewalks alone is an item which must run over a thousand dollars. Add to all these figures the loss of every bridge in the city save one and those who are accustomed to making conservative estimates believe that the loss cannot be less than $100,- 000. This does not take into consideration damage that has been sustained by the railroad companies. It is fair to presume that, were the figures all gathered, the storm has resulted in a loss to Decorah and its immediate vicinity far beyond the above sum. Notes. The worst ever? Yes. And the nastiest. Youth and venerable age went to their death in the rushing waters. We will all cheerfully wait longer than ten years for a repetition of this disaster. We know not what may yet be in store for us before the flood anniversary—.June 23d. Water is rising in the river this morning, is higher than it was yesterday and is now above the danger line. C. C. Bates says no previous flood has more than touched the east end of his track. This time the water came almost up to his big stable. That tells The story because the conditions have not changed in that locality, as they have in the trackway through the fourth, second and first wards. The Board of Supervisors will have their hands full with bridge work the coming summer. Ditto the city of Decorah. Up to Tuesday, the 20th, the rain had fallen, in this locality, on ten separate days. And then followed the worst of all. The home and garden of Clement Bartosa across the creek at the stock yards was quite seriously damaged by high water. Owen Rooney's wood yard was greatly despoiled. He says he would gladly pay any one $150 who would make good his loss of cord and stove wood. The iron bridge at the old Jake Haas residence north of the city, two miles, went off Tuesday night, and is nowhere visible from the roadway. Four large trees in her lot formed a barricade that saved Mrs. C. T Bailey’s house from being swept away She lost all the outbuildings on the lot, however. All the bridges on Trout Run between the Seiwers school house, and Decorah, including the big railway bridge of the B., C. R. N. railway, are carried off. There will be plenty of opportunity for those who sustained no loss, to aid those who are sufferers. Let willing hands show their sympathy by practical deeds. Few dwellers on the lower lands in the river valley remained in their homes last evening. Happily their fears proved groundless. The water begun receding during the evening. What was the cause of the flood just simply a rain storm that amounted to a cloud burst coming down in a district where the water poured from the hillsides into a narrow valley. That tells the whole story. It was a pleasant sight this morning to see the Luther College boys march down town ready to turn willing hands to work of restoration Prof Larsen sent word to the city council last night that he would send the boys down if they could do any service. Realizing that the men could not do anything in straightening out their own property. the B., C. R. & N, officials instructed the freight crew at Decorah to turn in and help clear up the debris left on streets by the flood. Accordingly Conductor Allen and his crew put in a full day, yesterday, helping wherever they could. Yesterday’s flood in the Upper Iowa was a big one; but not the biggest. Those whose recollections are good, distinctly remember when Jimmy Goran was taken out of his house on State Street, West Decorah, with the water up to the window sill. Our recollection is distinct of seeing the flood up to the window sills of the brick building built by Win Jennisch. In early times Dry Run was a shallow stream with only a couple of bridges when it rose it spread all over the flat, and the houses and people being fewer in number suffered but little damage. This is the fourth one that as passed into history as “awful,” viz: June 23d, 1875; June 23d, 1890: June 23d, 1892. The increase of population, houses, barns, woodsheds and bridges every time adds to the possibility of damage to property, and the loss of life. Source: Decorah Republican May 22, 1902 Page 2 Col 1 |
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