Show BLA BLACK CI RIVER FALLS IS SWEPT BY FLOOD Thousands of Inhabitants tants S Scramble ramble for Safe Safety ty Folio Following wing Bursting Bursting Bursting Burst- Burst ing of Dams S. S S By International News Service LACROSSE T Wis Oct 6 Thousands 6 Thousands of terrified inhabitants of Black J- J LJ river v valley are scrambling for safety tonight fearing that the big dam of th the Lacrosse Power company at Hatfield Wis will be unable to withstand the strain of the tho billions of gallons of water Vater pressing against the con concrete structure ure Heavy rains f for r the pas past week have bave swollen wollen I all rivers and streams through the entire state Dams at Chippewa Palls Pails and Bloomer gave way this afternoon A se secondary dam of the Lacrosse I Power company the Dells dam situated some distance above the main dam damI at Hatfield also went out this afternoon thus increasing the strain on the theIa I Ia latter structure Reports of ot hea heavy loss of life liCe are arc current current current cur cur- rent here but no confirmation can ca'n can be obtained b be because of the te i fact l t that dial all an telegraph and telephone poles holes ha have hae e be been n wu hed lI away awny and omm Communication ni atlon with the tho flooded district dIstrict- is entirely cut off oft Ten houe houses s were swept against and tore out a span sian of oC tho the wa on bridge at nt Bl Black k River Falls late today toda and ancI It Is la feared the tho occupants of or tho the houses may a have havo lost th their lr lives Tonight ht fl farm rm l hO houses boues es and buildings froni from the tho valley between Hatfield and Black River Fails Falls continue to come comedown comedown down with the torr torrent nt indicating widespread wide wIlle spread ad disaster and ami possible loss of ot life lire In the toe country districts Thirty of or the tho principal business buildings at nt Black Dlack River I Falls L were undermined undermined un un- and anil toppled q over r and anti about the same sanie number of residences W wore ra carried away In ha the flood The only n reason there was waR not fierI serious OUR loss lose of ot lIfo life was because timely Warnings were re re- re cc I j Telephone Operator u Just n as In In tho the great Austin flood a telephone operator played ed the hero heio part partIn In this great preat reat Wisconsin flood almost every en resident In Black River Falls fleeing out of or time the town the tile girl operator th there re stuck k to her post warning warning warn warn- In ing In every en direction She Sue left Jert on only 1 when the wat water r started to flood th the floor lOOt where wheT she waR ivas working corking Time The he J property loss already has readied reached Into this the millions the rl river r below belo Towns on OI and which are flooded are Wright rl ht Black River Falls Irving Melrose Melrose Mel Mel- Iet ro rose e Stevenstown Glasgow ow Decora Prairie L Lyttles Onalaska an and North Lacrosse have ha been lieen hea heavy sufferers and much track has be been w washed d out outon outon outon on time the Minneapolis St. St Paul t Sault St St. Marie road Tho Time Omaha railroad bridge nt t Black macIt River Fall normally forty forts feet above c river is now but ten the feet above w water tt-T tt and foot toot traffic O over Or r It has been beenS S stopped t 0 In a a 5 final effort corf to in save W Continued on Inge T Two o o. o BLACK RIVER FALLS I I SWEPT mm BY FLOOD I Thousands of Terrified People Scramble for Safety When Dams Burst I Ithe Continued From Page On One the hl big dam clam at nt Hatfield workmen late laic ate this afternoon dynamited the banks of oC the canal leading from the r reservoir ser to the releasing the water Into the bed of or the tho river be below below below be- be low and thus relieving slightly the strain on the tho main dam Eleven en feet teet the dam all da day of or water poured x vor er an and Hatfield was deluged delus Farmers had been warned to expect the break at an any moment and many of or them fled tied with their families Hower however How How- ever r L when tho break I appeared h uI In In- In L I h evitable c today the tho telephone wires I were down and the company compan was unable unatIe un- un able Ie to warn man many remaining farmers and these those may mayy have o suffered Rode node All 11 Warning Farmers Farmer During the night when the real danger danger danger dan dan- ger was app apparent a a- general alarm was sent out Residents of ot the valley aHey were warned to flee for Cor their lives es In n an nn effort eort to sate sara those who could not be reached by lIy telephone Caretaker True of or the Dells Delia dam mounted a and andi i J ode all warning farmers to escape Wagons were loaded with household goods and antI started for tor high ground but as the tho country Is 18 flat for tor many miles mites It Is not known whether all escaped sc pe The flood traveled from Hatfield lIat- lIat field CleM to Bla Black k River Falls In one hour Farm houses fences barns and other debris were carried along and the strain of this debris pressed against tho the wagon bridge at the laUtH city and tore out one span pan of or tho structure The flooded district contains miles oC of cranberry marshes full of camps of or Indians In Indians Indians In- In enga engaged ed In harvesting tho the berries There Thero la Is fear that many Indians may ha have Ve perished Chippewa Fall 1011 Flooded Chippewa Falls Wis Oct 6 The Tito Tho hl big dams dame of or the tho Star Mills on Duncan creek in this city went out to today ay The dam I of at tho the big flouring mills at Bloomer on the same stream also went out The country countr Is lt flooded In eVer every direction di di- di Tho Chippewa river rl has risen el eight ht feet reet In the last nt ten hours hour and Is s overflowing o Its banks and water Is running In the tho streets as QS the tho result of ot an hot eighteen d of ot rain The city Is nb tJ y Isolated p by railroad railroad rail rall- road rond Trains from the th Twin Cities cannot get through o ln owing to washouts |