The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-04
East Washington Street and Other
Portions of the City Covered with
Water Three Feet Deep.
NUMEROUS CELLARS FILLED
ALL STREETS LIKE IMMATURE RIv-
ERs EARLY THIS MORNING.
Pogue's Run Almost Out of It's Banks
Business Houses Flooded.

The heaviest ,rainstorm which this city
probably has ever experienced began this
morning after midnight and continued with
out abatement until daybreak. The rainfall
the business part of the city was flooded.
Pogue's Run was filled to overfiowing, the
water running over the banks and forcing
persons living in the neighborhood from
their homes East Washington street,
from Noble to Pine was vertable river.
the water running over the curbs and side
walks and plunging into stores and houses.
1t was much the same on all streets which
cross the erratic little run. The sewers
were soon filled so that they could carry
no more water. and as result the pipes
overfowed and as the downpour continued
the streets of the city became as rivers
Much damage was done to downtown busi-
ness houses, where the water rushed into
cellars and Easements, standing in some
several feet deep. At O'Clock the tun-
mel was filled. Many people living near
streams were forced from their beds and
skurried to places of safety. 1t rained
without little let up all during the later
part OF the night. The storm came from
the northwest and the rain was accompan-
led by severe windstorm after o'clock
Lightning played almost continuously.
"a m ga ho o{f
the benefit of the fifteen inches deficiency
for the year all within few hours time.
BY o'clock reports began to come to the
police station, in meager way of great
damage in all parts of the city. The base
ment of the New York Store, The When
and other downtown buildings were flood
ed. while the small stores, from Liberty
street east to Pogues run. were not only
flooded in the cellars. but the water reached
even above the ground floor in places
Washington street for a block on either
side of the Lake Erie's track was a tur-
bulent. swirling lake. three feet deep. The
mad waters of Pogue's run belched from
its banks as If fed by mighty subter-
ranean stream.
AS early as 3 o'clock this morning many
of the people living on the lower part of
Fletcher avenue were aroused and began
tearing up their carpets and removing fur
niture to upper stories. On Kentucky ave-
nue. the water was two feet deep in many
places. and ran in cataract toward the
river. In the lower areas near the Atlas
works, the water was running in the front
door of many houses, while the frightened
families were huddled in upper stories and
attics.
The rise in Fall creek was not so rapid
as in Pogue's rum but the creek was soon
filed to a threatening height. Lincoln
Park people suffered from inundated cell
lars. The damage was not 90 great as in
the floods of the eighties, before that part
Of the city was built up.
Water began to pour into the Denison
House basement at O'Clock and threat
ened to do great damage.
There was some concern felt on account
of the immense volume of water that
poured into the tuanel on South Illinois
street At the spot where a number of
people were drowned in the early SOS, near
the depot, Pogues run was raging and
there was some fear lest the stream should
flood the Union tracks and the station. In
the downtown neighborhoods. where the
| grade OF the streets formed hollows. the
water was in many places two and three
feet deep. The damage to goods in stores
| from the foods will no doubt amount to
many thousands of dollars In front of the
! Bates on Illinois street. the water at one
| time was on a level with the doorsteps.
street.
1t was difficult to obtain reports from
from various parts of the city, as the tele-
| phone service of Indianapolis is almost ut
terly worthless during a rainstorm. not to
mention its failings when the weather is IA
vorable. Before the mailing edition of the
morning papers were ready. the backed-up
sewer overflow was several inches deep in
the press rooms and still rising.
| II was a case of the unexpected that hap
| pened in many ways. So unaccustomed
have the people in Office blocks become 10
great storms OF water that many have
| grown careless in closing windows when
| leaving for the night There is evidencS
to believe that when many business men
come down TO their offices to-day they will
| find their floors as wet as II fire hose
had been playing on the interiors. In some
cases desks and Office furaiture may be
! found floating ON lower floors. The rain
fell in torrents, and where west or north
windows were open the opportunity for
damage was very great.
So far as could be learned at o'clock
this morning almost every basement down
! town had enough water In II to swim .