Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-06-30
GALENA UNDER WATER.
Illinois Town Inundated by Cloudburs
Many Bridges Swept Of.

MANY Bridges Swept OF.
GALENA, ILL.,. June 24.-The terrible
rainfall of Wednesday night and yes
terday has proved the most disastrous
of any storm ever before expert
enced in this locality. The Galena
River rose at the rate of an inch
minute. The main streets were rivers
last night, and rowboats were resorted
to as the only means of crossing the
streets and obtaining an entrance into
some of the buildings. The base
ments and lower floors of every
business house in town were flooded
with deep water. At the Lawrence
Hotel the water stood seven inches
deep on the dining-room floor, and at
the European Hotel the parlor floor was
several feet under water. Business men,
attempting to rescue books and papers,
found themselves up to their necks in
water in their own offices, and were
obliged to leave everything in order to
escape with their lives. The custom
house floor was flooded two
feet deep, also the floor OF
the Merchants Bank. in which
building is located the Western Union
telegraph Office. The wires of that COM
pany were out of order owing to the
storm and flood, and all COM
munication with the outside world
was q part of the time impos-
sible. The upper bridge, owned by
the Illinois Central. Notwithstanding
heavy ballast of stone-laden freight
cars, broke away and was hurled into
the river, ballast and all. The heavy
iron structure known as the Green
Street bridge was carried off and
completely demolished. Landslides
obstruct the railroads. AS many as
twenty of the distractions cover the
Burlington & Northern track between
Galena and Galena Junction, a distance
of three miles. Seven miles of the
North Western track is washed away.
The amount Of damage that has been
done to property, both public and per-
sonal, cannot be estimated. The heavl-
est personal financial loss will fall on
the lumber dealers.
ROCKFORD, H., June 24-There have
been no trains in or out of the city to-
day. On the Burlington ali trains were
abandoned. The work of repair
ing tracks is being pushed on
all roads. In South Rockford
many families have been driven
from their homes on the low lands, ana
more are moving to higher ground.
Scores of people barely escaped from
their homes with their lives. One wom-
an with baby born yesterday
morning was removed from room
in which the water had reached
q depth of three feet. All trains
are tied up at suburban stations by the
floods. A dispatch from Stoughton,
Wis, says the dam at that place is weak
sning, and if it goes out Rock River will
60 up several feet, as that dam backs up
the water from the Madison lakes. A
report comes from Rockton that the
dam at that place over the Rock has
just gone out and that the Beloit and
GAINESVILLE dams are hardly expected to
stand.
OTTAWA, ILL.,, June 24.-Where the Fox
River and the Illinois form confluence
at the south of the business portion of
Ottawa, the Fox has taken possession Of
the entire river bed, and sweeps savage
ly across the broad Illinois, strik-
ing the southern bank, rebound
ing, and forming whirlpool which
resembles the case of Niagara.
Hundreds of interested spectators con-
gregated to-day on the bridges, watching
the turbulent rivers. The entire bot
tom lands are overhowed and the elec-
trio railroad is under three to seven
feet of water, and the Fox is still rising.
If the Illinois is swelled much beyond
the present proportions disaster must
follow. The Rock Island is disabled by
mum erless washouts.