Telegram-herald., 1891-06-20
SHEPlAWlY By FLOODS
A vsritabls DEUCE ylsits Several
Illinois Tovns-
,lsE-SIRNlEs VILLAGERS FLEE
Eos fhsir Lives u tia aizh Sroasds-
Terrible tiOudsarsts Cause sFeAS
D2aass several Lives Lest
kstaiitIss IN Nebraska

ter Of the village. There was rush
which was followed a few moments
later by a terrific eIoHfburst Torrents
OF water cams rushing down over the
north bluff. the CUTTERS filed with
water, and in less than half an
hour the principal streets Of
The town were flooded 10 depth
Of RI fest During ali this
time the rain fell ia sheets Bush
ness msn aud people living ON the
ground floors moved their stocks.
household furniture, etc, To the second
story Of their stores and dwellings.
The Rock Island road Rms through the
Village az the north, aEd twenty min
ctes after the storm brrst the tracks
were all washed away The torrent OF
water that rushed over the north bluff
carried with IL thoasands Of tons of
sand and az 1 clock there were fully
4 feet OF sand on the tracks
The excitement and anguish Of tho
fleeing panic stricken villagers was ter
ribls in the extreme. Many Of them
believed their last day had come.
Mothers Rugged their children 10 their
Breasts and prayed for deiiverance.
Others. not entirely paralyzed with
fear, devoted themselves 10 saving their
property from ruin Merchants re-
moved their goods 10 upper doors.
Small boats were pressed into service
and persons imprisoned by the water
were removed 70 places Of safety.
Within u few minutes of the cloud
burst the water was fully
feet deep IN the streets IL
tegan receding 1T o'clock. when the
great damage 10 property could DO dis
eenea- Sidewalks, fences and bridges
were washed away; dwellings and
places OF business were partially ruined,
and household goods on the lower floors
were rendered worthless. In the manu-
featuring portion of the place the dam
age was great The fires in the kilns Of
the Utica hre-brick works were put out
and the contents ruined and the lSilns
badly damaged The cement company
also met with u heavy loss The Rock
Islands new double track iron rail-
road bridge over the 'Peguinsoggin
creek was washed away, and four cars
on siding at the new cement works
were carried down the stream. The
canal bank broke in several places,
which increased tho volume of water,
and lock No. Is, just west Of Utica, was
torn out
Large gangs Of men are at work re-
moving the great beds Of sand which
washed upon the tracks from the Utica
pits. while others are replacing the
broken bridge. The loss is hard to APP
proximate. but $3.50, 900 is conserva-
tive figure
This deluge has no parallel in the
history of floods in Illinois and could
have occurred only at Utica. as the viii
lagc lies ut the lowest point in the coun-
", being surrounded on three sides by
hills with Starved Rock at its southern
border.
PEORIA. H., June 19.-The storm of
few days ago. which did such extern
sive DAMAGE in East Peoria, was moth
ing compared with the one of Thursday
night This was a terror which will
never be forgotten By people living be-
tween here and Farmdale. The early
part of the night was full Of electricity.
which played fantastic freaks up TO
about 1880 o'clock. when the rain be-
gan. IL did not seem to be rain but
a succession of cloudbursts &C
companied by the most fearful
thunder and sharpest lightning.
A. Hilton, just across the river.
i'm few minutes the first stories OF the
buildings were full of water and the
people were compelled TO flee to the
heights, where many OF them passed
the night. some escaping only in their
night clothes. There was not time in
some instances To release horses from
stables and many were drowned. Mum
bers OF cattle and hogs shared similar
fate Five bridges were carried away
ia the immediate vicinity of Hilton.
The scene along the track of the To
lcdO. Peoria & Western is one of DESC
iation. The water Thursday evening
stood feet deep in the corn and wheat
fields aud last nigh. il is said IL was Is
feet deep Buildings and barns arc
ruined. The bodies Of domestic ami
mails can De seen in all directions
At midnight the operator at the Lake
Erie & Western junction telegraphed
~ Peoria 20 start out no trains from
here. that his Office was then full OF
naked people who had fed from their
homes to avoid the rush of the flood,
which had reached almost TO she sec
ond story OF his huilding. Many citi-
gems passed the night ON the hillsides
dressed only in their night clothes
The water in houses at FsrIndale. :
miles east rose 90 a depth of feet,
and the people narrowly escaped drown
ing. Herds of cattle, horses, hogs
and chickens were swept away.
and the crops of farmers over
large tract OF land in the valley were
utterly ruined The only fatality re-
ported was n the CopPeras creek vaE
lev. fust across the line IN Fulton
county family named Gray had
cabin in the valley. and when the
fcod left the banks Of Copperas
creek and rushed down the valley
,he inmates grew alarmed. The
father took his three boys and started
- the hills. while the mother re-
fused 10 leave the house. When half
wav across the valley a floating log
struck Gray and stunned him The
rushing water drowacd the boys taged
Il. ; and s. I'D he narrowly escaped
tv etinring - the hog. Ills wife got
ON he roof Of The house aud was res
cued during the afternoon The dam
age 90 bridges, rasircad tracks and
crops viii reach thousands Of dollars
t.,<roN. III. Jaae 10. IA watevspoas
s,eluxsd The country north and east cf
fere "Wednesday evening and did great
damage 20 property a. Pennington
eco var,i~ IL she Csnwsi Iowa railway
s~as washed ont
RrooxFSsros. III. June 10 Three