3 1908 newspapers HAUSER DAM COLLAPSES HELENA MONTANA Destroys everything PHOTOS

Description

Lot of three (3) 1908 newspapers with front-page long and detailed headline reports with historic photos announcing that the HAUSER DAM COLLAPSES on the Missouri River near HELENA MONTANA
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#1P-038*
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SEE PHOTO-----Three COMPLETE, ORIGINAL NEWSPAPERs, the
Anaconda Standard_
(Anaconda, Montana) dated April 15, 16 & 17, 1908, with horrific Montana history!  The Hauser Lake Dam collapses sending a wall of water up to 30-feet high down the Missouri River. The photos and detailed report are prominently featured on the top half of the front pages.
Perfect for framing and display!
On April 14, 1908, at about 2:30 p.m., Hauser Dam failed after water pressure undermined the masonry footings (the steel dam itself being structurally sound). The first sign of trouble was when silt-heavy water began gushing from the base of the dam near the powerhouse. A power company employee, spotting the problem, ran into the powerhouse and told everyone to flee for their lives. About 15 minutes later, the masonry footings gave way, causing the upstream section of the dam to settle and a 30-foot  wide breach to open in the dam. The water pouring through the breach further undermined the dam's footing, and six minutes later a 300-foot  wide section of the dam tore loose.
The powerhouse was only slightly damaged. A surge of water 25 to 30 feet  high swept downstream. The remaining sections of the dam, anchored to bedrock, helped hold back some of the water for a time, reducing the destructiveness of the flood. In the state capital of Helena at the time, Gerry received a telephone call from the dam operators alerting him to the dam's destruction. He immediately sent telegrams to all towns and cities downstream, warning them of the coming flood. A Great Northern Railway locomotive was dispatched to the city of Great Falls, 70 miles downstream, warning stations along the way about the dam break.
The warnings and the geology of the Missouri River below Hauser Dam helped save numerous lives. The construction camp at Holter Dam (then being built) was swept away. Future motion picture actor Gary Cooper and his family, living at the Seven Bar Nine Ranch, were notified in time and evacuated before the floodwaters tore across a portion of their property. The flood reached the small town of Craig, Montana, around 7:00 p.m., but the narrow canyons of the Missouri River above the town helped hold back part of the floodwaters and dissipated much of their energy. The residents of the town received plenty of warning, and were evacuated. At first, the press reported that the town had been swept away, but this proved inaccurate as only a few shacks and the railroad station were uprooted. The famous iron Craig Bridge (normally 25 feet  above water) had more than 2 feet  of water over its deck and was feared doomed, but it held. The Great Northern Railway tracks from Craig to Ulm, Montana, were under water.
Workers at the Boston and Montana Smelter in Great Falls improvised a wing dam to deflect the floodwaters away from the smelter site and dynamited a portion of Black Eagle Dam to allow the floodwaters to go downstream. Their efforts were not needed, as the Missouri River only rose 7 feet  by the time it reached that city. Nonetheless, damages were estimated at more than million.
At the end of the 20th century, pieces of the steel dam could still be found on the banks of the Missouri River.
Very Good Condition, with tanned pages.
This listing includes three complete entire original newspapers.
VINTAGE BOOKS AND FINE AR
T stands behind all of the items that we sell with a no questions asked, money back guarantee. Every item we sell is original printed on the date indicated at the beginning of its description, unless clearly stated as a reproduction in the header AND text body. U.S. buyers pay calculated priority postage which includes waterproof plastic and a heavy cardboard flat to protect your purchase from damage in the mail. International postage is quoted when we are informed as to where the package is to be sent. We do combine postage (to reduce postage costs) for multiple purchases sent in the same package.
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This is truly a piece OF HISTORY that YOU CAN OWN!
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