Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-09
THE RAGING RIVER.


Carrying Great Destruction Before
The river at this point has risen will
so much rapidity during the last twenty
four hours that it is now within fou
inches of being as high as it was when i
began receding few days ago. 1t viii
doubtless reach the sixteen foot mark be-
fore tomorrow morning, and there il
more danger and apprehension than ever
before of repetition of the flood of 81
Further north the flood is steadily in.
creasing. At Dubuque the river rose
twelve inches yesterday and at O'Clock
last night the stage of water was 81 feet,
| l inch-higher by 10 inches than it was
three weeks ago. Reports further up the
river still are to the effect that the river
is rising rapidly. Rivermen state that
the flood will be much higher here yet
The high water mark at Dubuque in
1881 was 90 feet 8 inches, and river
men at that point believe that
it will in all probability, be at least
foot or more, and go even higher than
the water mark at that time. A dis
patch received from Dubuque last
night states that the volume of
water coming down Is beyond estimate.
All tributaries are pouring floods into
1.-THE Black river, Chippewa,
Platte and Turkey, beside what comes
10 oh
damage being done ut Dubuque. the saw
mills have stopped and few inches
more of water will shut down the iron
boundaries, pillow works, furniture fact
cries, and other industries. Tno water
in the Burlington yards is so high that
they are virtually an island. Lower
floors of dwellings. and flats in the upper
part of the city are covered with water
and many are rendered homeless. The |
damage cannot yet be estimated.
The La Crosse Chronicle thinks we
shall yet see the high water of the sea-
son, and the Dubuque Herald goes on to
discourage the low,anders as follows:
The observer promises more rain and
probably quite heavy. In the present
of the rivers, with the earth
well filed with water, it won't require
much of a rain to hel p the thing along
The fall of snow in the north last winter
was enormous Such severe winter
lad not been experienced for many years
)y the lumbermen. The snow is only
about half gone in many places, and
'ecent arrivals from the woods say
hat it will take some time even with
warm rains to clear the ground. The
ain which began in this city yesterday
afternoon is quite general, and it was
aiming in Wisconsin and Minnesota yes
erday and day before, and predictions '
we're made at all river points that the eff (
ect would be very damaging, and espec-
ally on top of the high water already >
Existing at those points. The river at
points north has reached and gone be- {
'ond its highest point of the year. At |
Red Wing the water Wednesday was
higher than it had been since 1881 and
till rising, Considerable damsge is be-
ng done at that point. At WinOna the :
water was seven inches above the last |
Use. parts of the city were flooded. and
abroad traffic was impeded. Capt. Nc
Donald day or two ago sent letter to !
Dr. b. f. Linehan, of Dubuque, saying /
hat the rise would be greater than the
Ugh water mark, and giving a warning
0 take care of exposed property.
The cellars of most Rock Island down 8
own business houses are flooded, and in b
he Central Presbyterian church the r
yater is almost up to the basement floor. |
n the lower end of the slough the situa> P
on is alarming, and if the water con-
nues to rise, many families will be driv- r
n from their homes by it, The r. |. & II
&. Railroad company has large force d
men at work building a dyke on the tt
utter side of its embankment in the low "
end of town to resist the swell of the
alter and keep the embankment from
eing washed out. The lower end II
umping apparatus is kept in constant Il
peration, and so far has prevented the II
,tire west part of town from being in. fl
ndated NJ
RlPLETs. a,
The Mary Morton went down early b.
lis morning. fl
The st. Paul passed up this afternoon. O
TnE M n EnT g, n0NCERT :"