The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-15
FLOODS ABOUT THE CITY.

White River and Fall Creek Sweeping Out
Over Neighboring Territory.
On Wednesday forenoon the water began to
rise in White river and Fall creek, and at mid
night Of Thursday the food had swelled to
dangerous and turbulent volume, spreading out
over great area of the surrounding country and
doing considerable damage to fences and out
buildings, with greater injury to the farming
lands and their growing crops. The rise was so
great and sudden as to take every one by sur
prise, and the wonder is that in and near this
city the damage was not greater. The food
reached its height in the river at noon yesterday.
having risen during the preceding twelve hours
that is, from midnight of Thursday to noon of
Friday-four feet The measurement at the
water-works at noon marked sixteen feet above
low-water mark. the highest water made in the
food of 1883. Feb s. was seventeen feet two
inches, the present rise being fourteen inches
below that mark Soon after II o'clock yester-
day the water began to recede, and at P. NJ. it
had fallen seven inches. When the water was
at sixteen feet the engineer at the waterworks,
George Webster, was perfectly serene, as he felt
it to be altogether unlikely that sufficient water
could come down to reach the limit, twenty feet.
and stop the engines.
For time there was some fear that an accu-
mutation Of drift against the piers of the Wash
ington-street bridge would endarger the safety
of that structure, but detachment of fremen
were set to work to remove it, and it was soon
apparent that the drift was for the most part
light, and the accumulation trif1ing in amount
The sturdy old wooden bridge on the national
road. which has stood the floods of half CEN
tury, looked upon his young Washington-street
brother, neat and trim, and seemed to give him
courage Great crowds of people thronged the
two bridges and the streets and banks near by,
vehicles of all kinds and the street bringing
sight-seers from a distance. Everything that
could float was made by the amphibious pop
ulation in the submerged territory
of Indianola to Ido service as watercraft
for the purpose of catching driftwood
and other floating treasures. One man in
skiff, with shirt violently red, attracted great
attention from the multitude of gazers, and
half dozen impromptu dog-fghts added to the
interest of the scene. Above the roar Of the
water, as it swirled, foaming torrent about
the piers of the bridges, could ever and anon be
heard the squeal of the sacrifcial swine at Kin
gan's pork house.
All the lowlands from the river to the Indian
apolis, Bloomington & Western tracks on the
west is under water and for distance of nearly
three hundred yards the track of the street rail
way at the Indianaola stables of the company
was covered, until the water began to recede, to
depth Of eighteen inches. A number of small
houses are partly under water and number Of
out-houses have been foated off. Some of
the occupants have been compelled to seek other
quarters, but, outside the inconvenience, the
loss is not great. Yesterday forenoon the ap-
proaches to the Mchigan-street bridge. which
are through low ground, were washed away, and
it had to be abandoned From above this bridge
to the railroad tracks the river is half mile
wide, with great patches of back-water in the
ow lands extending much further
Going down the river, the greatest width Is In