Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-23
IT CAME In TORRENTS.
A Veritable Deluge in Rock Island
and Vicinity.
LAST NIGHTS HEAVY STORM.
Streets Converted Into small Rivers,
and Portion of the City Inundat-
ed-Jhe Damage In the Suburbs.

severest rain storms of the saason last
night. About 10 o'clock a violent cleo
trical storm came up and for some time
the clouds were rent with lurid flashes of
lightning accompanied by sharp peals of
thunder. 1t was followed by slow rain
that gradually increased to a terrific
downpour which lasted for two and half
hours Cutters, bitches and sewers were
inadequate to carry off the overflow, and
streets, alleys and sidewalks were COM
pletelY Hooded. Great tumbling torrents
of water rolled down from the bluffs in
the upper port of the city and
submerged the streets and avenues.
Toe Twenty seventh street sewer was
not large enough to carry off
the overflow. To mak~Iit worse the mouth
of it became ciogged up with floating
wood and debris, and consequently cell
lars and streets were deluged in that vi
cinity. At Twenty-seventh street and
Moline avenue there was almost river,
water to the depth Of IL to Is inches COW
cred the street, and lumber and debris
floated everywhere. At Twentieth street
and Third avenue belated pedestrians
found il almost impos sible to get along
the street.
All tie water that ran down from the
bluffs west of Twenty first street found
its level in the slough and as the sewers
were no where near sufficient to carry off
the overflow the whole lower portion of
the city from First to Fifteenth streets
and from Fifth to Sixth avenues is inun
dated. Thirteenth street is i'm,
pssssble, Twelfth street is in
fairly good condition as is Ninth, but
below that from Fifth avenue to Sixth is
& verita Die sea. All the first floors of the
houses built in the slough are flooded;
many are unable to get out of their
houses unless they wade through three
and four feet of water. Many of the
new houses in thst part Of the CITY are
surrounded by water; several were cons
PEELED to move out last night during the
storm in order to keep from being float
ed swty in bed. One family, that of
Joseph Dodd residing on Fifth avenue
between Tenth and Eleventh streets,
woke up early this morning and found
the floors of their house flooded to the
depth OF two feet ard their furniture and
everYth ng sfloat.
Barns, sheds and outbuildiugs have
floated off their foundations and
many gardens in that part
of town have been swept away. The
pump Cat the west end of the city is con-
stantly going, but Superintendent Murrin
thinks that it will take several days to
drain the slough OF account of the enor-
nous colume of water that has run in.
The river rose nearly IS inches in about
seven hours, the stage of water at the
bridge being 1880 at o'clock this morn
ing; but fell nearly three inches by noon.
The dixie in the lower part of the city is
yet in good condition, but is being care
but nothing serious is expected as re-
ports from up the river show indications
for fall
A report has been circulated that the
pumping app ratus in the west end of the
city was not running last night which was
incorrect, as the pump has been kept 60
ing day and night. 1t is almost impossi
BILE to give in detail the damage done
throughout the city, as some has been re-
ported from almost every neighborhood.
At Milan and all through the country
south, east. west there was veritable
deluge. All the creeks and streams are
greatly swollen and many bridges and
culverts we're carried away. The bridge
on the Bowling road near Charles Kyte's
farm WAS completely swept out. The
large iron wagon bridge on the Knsx-
Vile road about one and one>hslf miles
east of Milan was also carried away.
All the country surrounding was terribly
drenched with a soaking rain. Mill
creek is out OF It's banks ana moving
down over the low land.
There vas considerable damage done
out along the Mercer county road. Sew
ersl bridges are in bsd condition and
one completely washed out. About one
hundred feet of the roed bed was also
badly damaged. The Rock Island s.
Peoria tracks at Milan just
north of the depot are
Also in a bad condition. ALI trains
out of here were abandoned this morning
and work train is repairing the damage.
There was also some damage done to the
r. l. g. P. tracks at Coal Valley but the
company Is in hopes of having all trains