Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-14
THE RAGING RIVER.
1t Beats the High Water Mark of
1880.
Higher Water Than Ever. fore and
sim Rising---The situation In the
Flooded Districts OF the City,
bikes and Other Precautions.

= the present overflow OF the Mlaslsslp
will be spoken of by future generation
3 The high water of 1880 has heretofo
born the distinction in this regard tn
, must now be given to 1888, for the latt'
! has met the record of the former an
: gone one better. According to the gol
eminent guagc, the highest point regi
tered in 80 was 1874. At o'clock tn
morning the water measured 1875 {
eighteen feet and six inches. and whe
Supt. Fleming came down town just be
fore noon. he reported the wat er as sti
rising slowly. Advices from Dubuque ar
that the water is advancing there, an
river men predict a rise of at least tw
inches more here before the present foo
subsidies.
Mr.. VIM. Farrell came in from hi
new but necessary additions to his house
hold furniture, in the shape of two pair o
oars. 1--WE are dry enough in the house,
he said, "but it Is pretty wet out o.
| doors in our neighborhood. The waite
is twelve feet deep in the vicinity OF my
factory and with the twenty foot poles
| it is difficult to find bottom. Why they
caught monstrous fish in Dimick's old
kitchen out there the other day and sew
eral fish have been caught Whereabouts
Up to 3 o'clock this afternoon the EN-
bankment of the r. |. g. p. road upon
which the safety of the slough depends,
was still holding its own. though vsibly
weakened. Yesterday the city's force
and a squad of ralIo9d men under Super>
intendent Sudlow and Roadmaster Breck-
| enridge, were busily engaged putting in
bags of sand and Strengthening the dixie
on the outer side. The water has spread
rapidly in all the flooded portions of the
city. Second avenue from the middle of
the block bounded by Nineteenth and
Twentieth streets east to Twenty fourth
street is under water and the cross streets
back as far almost as Third avenue are
also flooded. The water has penetrated
all the blocks in the Eeighborhood of
Nineteenth street and Third and Fourth
avenues. and Twentieth street on the
east, and was making for the slough yes
terday morning, when street force
was put to work building dixie from the
corner of Eighteenth street and Third av-
enue along Eighteenth street to Fourth,
and east to Ninteenth. This held the
water in check, but aroused the indigna-
ton of several citizens, and an effort was
made to destroy the dixie. and many
threats of Forthcoming damage suits
against the city was made. As u
consequence of this hndrance to the
mill was obliged to suspend and large
part of his lumber damaged by water.
He estimates the damage to his property
at $500. Mr., V, Dauber is also suffering
as are number of the ress
idcnts in that portion. A dixie has been |
constructed along Ninteenth street be-
tween Fifth and Seventh avenues to az |
ford protection should the embankment
give way This buliness is looked upon |
rs a foolish move on the part of the |
mayor as the same dirt used there would |
nave done more good at the Peoria en-
Dankment.
The lower saw mill, the glass works
md the plow works were all obliged to
suspend this morning, the former because
If the high water and the latter two on
lccount of the lack of fuel
The Union street railway now stops at
Nineteenth street and Fourth avenue and
transfers its passengers in hack to the
over part of town.
Foreman Swan has moved the Rescue
lose cart from the house on Nineteenth
treet to Frick & Hansgen's Third avenue
table, where 1t may be more readily
handled in case of fire.
For the first time during high water,
he boiler room at the county Jail build
ng is not flooded Through clever engi
leering, Sheriff Silvis has managed to
,eep it as dry as a herring.
There is a very generally prevailing
ointment that had the proper precau-
ions been taken by our city executive
n time large extent of the present in
ndation might have been avoided, and
hat had the mayor kept himself posted
8 Mayor Carse did four years ago as to
he condition of the river above here, he
you'd not have been obliged to be SO
ouch at the mercy of the water. As it
!, all that can be done by the city is to
egister the present stage of the water
nd then raise all the Fl Hooded streets and
'ortions of the city to that height and
ompel the railroad companies to raise
heir tracks and embankments in equal
proportion, as soon as the water recedes.
There may be such thing as a coal
ianic if the high water continues. Supt.
udlow, of the Coal Valley company,
applied the heavy demands in advance,
nd has enough on hand to run the retail
rade several days.
The G., B. & OILS now only running
o East Clinton. II
The Diocese OF quincy.
The Episcopal convention of the do
ese of Quincy opens this evening at 7:45