Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-06-16
THE STORM.
A Tremendous Freshct Caus-
ing Considerable Damage
I'm Various parts Of
the City.

been visited with the heaviest rain fall
witnessed here for many years. The
first storm occurred about five O'Clock
r. NJ, yesterday. There was q very
severe blocking up Of sewers, tearing
up of street crossings, and flooding of
some business houses and many cell
lars.
The next severe storm occurred
from Z to 8 O'Clock last evening and
was more severe than tho first.
Again about 2 o'clock this morning
a storm Of longer duration and equal
force again deluged the city.
On the upper side oil Second street
between Market and Court streets the
cellars were all filled with water, and
the water swept through many Of the
buildings on the first floor in torrents
during all three OF the storms.
On Court street the cellar under II.
q. Gruhe's brick grocery house was
filled full.
Part way mp court stront hill and
at the crossing Of Fifth street thewater
broke through the gutter, running
down and undermining the vestibule
of the Baptist Church. passing on
against the brick underpinning of Rev.
s. II. Worcester's residence broke
through the wall and filled the. baso-
mcnt of the house full, damaging
greatly everything in the kitchen.
The whole front part of the house set
tied considerably. The water then
passed on through Worcester's lot
down to the building on the rear end
and broke hole in the underpinning,
about twelve feet square passing out
into the alley next to the Jail. The
damage to Mr.. Worcester is estimated
at $500. The terracing on the resident
lot Off. o. Briscoe and the wall sur
rounding it on Fifth street were
badly damaged. About twelve feet
in length of the wall next to the street
belonging to r. ii. w. Young on
Court street hill was undermined and
tumbled into the street, and the bal
ance of the wall is seriously impaired.
On Court street the terraces Of Mr..
Stebbins, John Alexander, c. L. War
rem, and J. w. Dixon, are more Or less
injured. Dixon's terracing has stood
eight years without damage before
Alexander's front fence was also torn
down in places. The high stone wall
in front of George Haw's residence ON
9th street received serious injury. The
bridge over the Harrow branch is
badly damaged. Tho damage on up
per Cass and Wapello streets was gen.
orally light, though We hear of ono
caac on the hillside between Marion
and Wapello where a good portion of
ono town lot took 3 stride carrying
shrubbery and all with II into another
lot. 1t will be recollected that the
foot of the deep gulch which heads up
between Court and Marion streets dis
charges its water on to 4th street on
the line Of the lots OF Mrs. Cloutman
and Mrs. Gray; the water came down
there furionsly, and passed across the
street ripping up sidewalks and filled
the cellars full of tho dwelling houses
Of jake Miller on the old Washburn
lot. We learn also that all the cellars
under the brick block on Court Street
have more or less water and mud in
them from the flood.
Jos. j. uadfield had thousand or
more hides in the cellar of the building
he occupies which are covered with
mud and water.
On the upper side of Main between
Court and Market streets the cellars
have more or less water In them. j.
II. Merrill u Co.. e. MAshbnrn, and
w. Ii. McCarroll s. Co, sustained each
some damage, not seri0ue, however.
On Blakes branch, In the lower part
of the city, the bridge on Jefferson
street lost one abutment the bridge
dropped down into the water, at the
other end the water has washed away
the APPROACH to the bridge.
The bridge at Central avenue has
lost good many OF its supports and
came near being carried away.
All along the line Of Blskes branch
the fences are for the most part torn
down. One bent of the *. Il D. NJ.
railroad bridge at the foot OF Main
street went out but has been replaced
The bridge on this road over Sugar
Creek was go badly damaged as to
render 1t impossible.
The walls in front Of Capt. Madlson's
residence and that Of the lot adjoining
slid down into the street.
The terraces and walls On Main
street, below Union, are all considera.
bly, damaged. Doubtless there 10
much damage done We have not heard
Of.
The storms were such as II is impos-
sible to wholly guard against, and