Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-15
AFTER The GREAT FLOOD.
Suit to Be Instituted Against the
Burlington For Damages.
FIFTY PERSONS INTERESTED.
Hoidrege Loan and Trust Company
Stout aud Chong Hong, the Ch.na-
man, Taken to Dewitt For
Triai--Capitol Jottings.
LINCOLN BUREAU OF THE OMAHA BRa |
lOo0 u STprpr


LINCOLN. August IA.
The flood tide reached It's height
last night about Q o'clock. At IL
o'clock the waters commenced TO recede
slowly and at daybreak they had fallen about
two feet. 1t is estimated that there are $500
people victims of this remarkable freshet
that have been compelled at accept the cher
ity OF tie city. The Park school building,
the old Metropolitan hotel and some of the
public buildings of the city are full Of home
less people. Although late the trains were
sent out to-day, but IL is stated
that it will take several days
to put the tracks crossing the bottoms in
good or even safe repair 1t is yet impossi-
day, save over raised grades, the water
covered the low lands. 1t is still talked that
two or three persons were drowned below
the city in attempting to save stock, and
verifcation is expected this afternoon. At
least three are missing who were seen yes
terday morning, aud they have not reported
since. The city is providing the unfor-
tunate people with provisions, and will
continue to do so as long as necessary. The
opinion Is general that the growing crops on
the bottom lands are greatly damaged if not
ruined.
At 8: 80 o'clock several parties, supposed to
have been drowned south of the CITY, had
reported rs chirp as crickets. 1t appears
the hazard of remaining In house over
night with water skirting its sides ten feet
from its base. 1t is reported that over one
thousand head of hogs were drowned. A
farmer who lives on the Oak creek bottoms
lost three head of cows. Resides the two
teams of horses reported drowned this morn
ing, team OF mules also perished in the
waters. Their driver, Joe Dekotz escaped
by swimming to a tree and climbing among
its branches, where he remained for more
than two hours before he was rescued.
1t is safe to say that by tomorrow a fair
approximate can be made of the damage
done.
H. F. Bruse, grocer who lives near the
corner of Second and + streets, and some
fifty others who reside on the Salt creek
bottoms, announce their intention of bring.
ing suit against the Chicago, Burlington S
Quincy railroad company for damages re-
sultng from the food. Indeed, Bruse has
employed attorneys and he says that if the
cause works out "For the good of God,n
the echoes Of the receding waters will
hardly die away before others will squeal
who have been less damaged by natures
haudiwork 1t appears that the Burlington
grade is so constructed in that part of the
city that there is no chance for the water 10
pass through, and as a result it backs up and
forms perfect dam, inundating the lands
OF that section to q considerable depth,
whereas they would otherwise be high and
dry. 1t is learned that the petitioner will
set up thi fact and, further, that the lands
are much higher on the east than they are
on the west side of the track. Now, with
the idea in mind that the Bur-
lington grade runs into the lower
bottoms, forming an extensive embank-
ment. and that the parties who claim
damages live between the grade and the
plateau upon which the city proper stands,
some conception can be had of the bases
upon which tho complainants dropose to risk
their cases. 1t is understood that Bruse
and his attorneys claim that he and his
neighbors would not have been damaged TO
any extent had 1t not been for the grade in
question. In fact, he alleges that the foun-
dation Of his house would have been above
the highest mark the water reached while,
as it was, the water covered the platform Of
his store and inundated the floors of the
homes of nearly all of his neighbors, utterly
destroying some of their furnishings and
washing out and undermining many of the
best foundations. Bruse's case is to be made
a test