Heavy Storms & High Water Damage Crops and Many Homes

The heaviest continuous rains in years fell in southern Monroe County this week overflowing the banks of Elk Fork, Long Branch and South Fork, and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to crops. Practically all bottom fields were under water by Wednesday afternoon. Wind the early part of the week also damaged considerable property in the north end of the county. Communication by telephone to points in the south part of the county has been impossible. Most lines are underwater where they cross the streams. Water ran from three to four feet deep through Columbia bridge, southwest of Paris and (damaged) the road (considerably) by washing. At the new Elk Fork bridge on Highway 15, water ran onto the floor of the bridge Wednesday night before the crest of the flood passed. Muskrats were washed up several times and were caught by sightseers. Jim Kendrick, who has been living on Long Branch for 51 years, says it was the highest he has ever known it to be. Milt Hanna adds his testimony to that of Kendrick. 

Damage At Granville

At Granville, the light plant was out of commission as the result of a tree blowing down on the Dave Jackson garage and smashing the batteries with which the plant was run. The damage was estimated at around $300. At the John Harrison place wind blew an apple tree at least a hundred yards, over a fence and into another field. Many trees were uprooted and limbs torn from others in the vicinity. 

Lost Melons And Corn

George Moss, a highly respected negro farmer south of Paris, on the Jim Vanlandingham farm, lost his corn crop, watermelon crop and water came into his home this week during the heavy rains. Practically everything he has was lost. 

Washout Near Evansville

Near Evansville, the tracks of the Wabash were undermined by the heavy rains, Tuesday, and traffic was delayed for five hours, Wednesday morning until twenty-eight cars of gravel could be rushed to the spot and dumped in as reinforcement. 

Crops Underwater

South and east of (Paris), Elk Fork was running from a foot to two feet higher than it has been in a decade, according to persons living along it. In the Tom Fields corn fild near Pleasant Hill church, it stood from one to eight feet deep Wednesday morning. Bob Bridgford had 30 acres of corn under water and others who had crops inundated were Ned Bridgford, John Comstock, Will Grubbs, Emmett Ashcraft, Bob Woods, Roy Reed. 

Joe Wills, on the Childress farm, moved out Tuesday on account of high water. A Mr. Lutz, east of Victor, on South Fork, also was forced to move out. At Florida, the river was said to be a mile wide. South of Paris on the state highway, water lapped the bottom of the new concrete bridge across the highway and spread across the bottoms near there. Hundreds of people visited it Wednesday. 

Parked In Wrong Spot.  

Cam Gex parked his car in the wrong spot Tuesday afternoon at the Ches Callis place when he put it in the shelter of a tree. During the storm a heavy limb broke from the tree above, crashing into the top and smashing it. 

Crack Trains Through Here

Due to washouts on the main line of the Wabash from St. Louis to Kansas City and other points east of St. Louis fast trains of the Wabash were being detoured through Paris Wednesday. The fast St. Louis-Kansas City passenger train No. 17 was sent through here early Wednesday morning and others came this way during the day. 

Lightning Damage

J.W. Atterbury, Madison, owned a valuable Jersey bull which was killed by lightning Tuesday. Dave Fitzpatrick lost a sheep by lightning. Dan Dye lost four sheep that were struck by lightning. Lightning struck the John Livesay barn, killing four sheep that wee in it, and damaging the barn some. 

Storm Damage To Light Plant

Due to trouble which developed on the Holliday transmission line, Tuesday, during the storm, fuses were blown at the Paris Municipal Light Plant and while workmen were repairing one engine, the other became overloaded and stopped. Power was off for several hours Tuesday afternoon until the damage could be repaired. Holliday was without current Tuesday afternoon and all that night owing to the line trouble which developed. The Holliday transmission line is maintained by Holliday. 

Wind Does Damage Tuesday

Tuesday, about noon, a heavy wind which struck northern Monroe county, did considerable damage. At the Wilbur Turney place a barn, granary, corn crib and chicken house were wrecked by it. Just across the road, at the Mrs. J.H. Kuntz farm, a barn was wrecked. At the Ches Callis farm lights were broken out of the house and the roof was damaged by a limb which blew from a tree. Water entered and caused much of the plastering to fall. Mr. Turney’s loss was adjusted at $1,318 by J.W. Lewellen, Wednesday.  
At the Black & White dairy farm, south of Madison, a large dairy barn was damaged by wind one day last week and in the neighborhood a barn owned b Ed Garnett was also damaged. Dick Johnson, southwest of Paris, lost six sheep. They were caught in rushing waters and drowned. Jack Huffman says no such rain ever fell in his neighborhood southwest of Paris. At one time every hill of his 120 acres of corn was underwater. 
80 Sheep, 19 Cows, Many Bridges Lost
In Tuesday afternoon’s flood the covered bridge just south of Santa Fe, built in 1857, was floated from its piers and in its mad rush down the swollen current carried out the steel bridge east of Santa Fe. No trace of the old bridge has since been found. The Ellis bridge between the Emmons and Ellis places was washed out. The Powell ford bridge between Santa Fe and Mexico was swept away.  
Approaches to the Fisher bridge across South Fork were washed out. All fills at the bridges across Brush Creek at the Forsyth place and at the E.C. Hess place were washed out. The Hess bridge settled 20 inches. On Thursday morning water was still 8 feet deep at the bridge east of Pleasant Hill on Highway 26. 
Eighty sheep were drowned at the George Graft place south of Santa Fe. The Cauthern boys lost 19 cows and calves.  
Source of various articles: The Monroe County Appeal