The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-05-11
And the Rains Descended.

Seas of water are over and in the five
unfortunate Illinois cities, Ottawa, Mar
settles. Peru, La Sale and Utica. The
Illinois River rose steadily for twenty
four hours, commencing Friday, and the
cities are in total darkness, the result Of
the flooding OF the electric light and gas
plants. Boats were used for commune
cation, and their twinkling lights glist-
ening over the unbroken expanse OF
water add to the appearance OF ruin which
Is all around them.
Despite all efforts, the manufacturing
district was totally covered by water.
AS the waters rose building after build
ing would close down, and the employees
leave to await the subsiding Of the flood.
Ottawa will be helpless for week at
least.
Marseilles, La Sale and Peru areain
an even more desperate condition. At
Marseilles the river, steadily rising, Is
more and more dreaded as the levees
weaken. There is little hope they will
stand much longer and every one in the
district threatened has removed all
property to high ground. At La Sale
the situation is even more desperate,
the water having advanced from two to
three feet all around the city and the
railway, and electric light plants still
being under water. The same condition
is present at Peru and in both cities all
business is practically suspended. At
Utica the waters have encroached still
further upon the lower end of the village
from the river and the outlets east and
west are blocked by. water. Ottawa,
Marseilles, La Sale, and Peru are with
out either electric light or gas, and
are in total darkness. The waters still
cover Ottawas parks and her street
railway is useless.
The thousands of acres Of rich tillable
lands lying in the bottoms south OF
Warsaw, Ill. and reclaimed by a system
of levees forty miles long are threat
ened with inundation. The rains have
caused a heavy rise in the Mississippi,
and the river now stands at eighteen
feet and ven-tenths above low water
mark, with the tendency upward. A
rise of five feet within twenty-four
hours was unprecedented.
At Lacon the Illinois River is higher
than it has been for qua rter of CEN
tury. The long continued rains have
swept out nearly all the small bridges
in the country. Travel between Lacon
and Sparland is suspended except by
small boats. the bridge across the Illi-
nois being covered with water and liable
to be carried away. The track of the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail-
road is badly damaged between Peoria
and Bureau and all trains stopped. The
bottom lands are all under water and no
corn will be raised on thousands OF
acres.
The heaviest rains for the same length
of time ever known fell at Hennepin.
Three and one half inches of water fell
Sunday night, one and three-quarter5
inches Monday night, two and one-half
inches Wednesday night, q total in the
three nights of seven and three-quarters
inches. The Illinois River is the high
est it has been since 1849, rising at the
rate of two inches an hour. Bottom
lands are all submerged and great dam
age has been done to bridges and fences.
No mail has arrived for two days.
At Rock Island there were no trains
from the east on the Rock Island Road
for seventy-two hours in consequence Of
the washouts in the vicinity of Bureau.
1t is the longest period of suspt nsion Of
traffic in the history OF the road.
Around Bushnell the roads are impas-
sable and streams are away out OF their
banks. Crooked creek is a mile wide,
and Spoon river is higher than it has
been for years. Trains on the Toledo,
Peoria and Western could not run, as q
half-mile of track was washed out.
Passengers were transferred each way.
The river is rising rapidly and great
loses Of property a"e reported up and
down it, Business is suffering.