The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-27
IOWA RIVERS RISE
0rTUKwA Is FLOODED BY TIE
SWOLLEN DIES MONIES.

in That Region - mississippi Again Rts-
ing About Hannibal and Quincy Kaw
River ON the Boom - Flood News From
All Points.
/, Ottumwa, Ia, April 26.-The Des
| Moines river, which last midnight was
stationary at the high water mark es-
tablished by the great flood OF 1892, sud-
denly began to climb, and by O'Clock
today had added fifteen inches to the
record The levees broke in many places
railroad entertainments were undermined
| and hundreds Of families were compelled
| to quit their residences in great haste.
| In O:tumwa. over 500 families were COM
PEELED to move, a large number making
| their escape IN boats. AT BradyVliie,
eighteen miles north Of this city, $50 FAM
| lilies vacated their domiciles, and the
principal streets are being naviga,ed IN
row boats. At South Ottumwa, the riV-
er flows parallel with the main street.
Il broke across this street early this
morning and poured down the business
| and residence streets. causing panic
and a scramble for higher ground. Five
thousand people reside in this suburb
Several hundred deserted their residences
and moved their goods. The water
stands four feet deep in Fairview. Farm
! lands are completely inundated. A large
reservoir situated at the summit Of Court
Hi, is the source of considerable fear.
! The recent downpour mas swollen the
cources Of supply and the reservoir -
now so full that 1t threatens 20 murst
and flood the populous district just be-
low.
Railway troffic is almost at a stand
still. All the small streams in southern
Iowa are out Of their banks. Railroad
bridges are gone and travel by highway
is out of the question. The Burlington
main line between Chicago and Denver
is cut in two by five miles of inundated
track. Through passenger and freight
trains are being run over the Galesburg
and ST. Louis and Hannibal and ST. Joe
to Omaha. The Rock Island also mas
fifty miles Of track under water west OF
here. Train service was kept in motion
with Keokuk until late this afternoon,
when a large section OF track went OUT
at Cliffland, effectually blocking the
Rock Island east and west. The NIL
waukee and ST. Paul round houses ana
yards are under water and part OF one
approach to their bridge has been wash
ed away. Trains are running only be-
tween Ottumwa and Marion. The Chi
cago Great Western line Is entirely shut
off. So is the Iowa Central. The wa
bash still has entrance from the south
but is shut off on the north road
Work on the levees before the city has
been progressing since last Friday, out
the sudden rise this morning destroyed
a great part Of the labor. Large forces
are employed tonight in an endeavor 10
prevent further breaks
The suburbs have so far been the worst
sufferers aside from the railroads. West
O.tumwa, a large residence station, IS
entirely flooded and the water is still
rising. The inhabitants cling TO their
homes, however. hoping that the worst
is over.
Rich farming lands above and below
the city are inundated. The flood there
has not reached a high stage, but has
spread out in many places to width OF
five or six miles.
No loss Of life has been reported, OUT
the damage to property will be very
large.
ST. LOUIS AND ABOVE.
81. Louis. April 26-The Mississippi
registered a decline here this morning,
but above, at Keokuk, Hannibal and oth-
err places. a rise OF 1.6 feet was ehoWn'
Kansas City the advance for the preceo-
ing twenty-four hours had been fully TWO
feet. while at Boonville it was IL feet.
There were places near Quincy Wnere
the water spread over the lowlards from
bluff to bluff. making the river from
eight to ten miles wide. The levees could
stand a foot or two more water. out Inc
danger lay in the continual rising OF the
surface water on the inside, which was
almost to the tops Of the banks. Every
thing portable had beer moved from the
levee district and the guard on the lev
ees were keeping close watch, strengthen
ing the weak places as fast as discovered.
The Mississippi and Des Moines rivers
have gone over the entertainments at
three different places, ard the people al
Alexandra, Missouri, continue to aban-
don their homes OF move 10 the second
stories. The steamer City OF Warsaw
rescued stock from the overlooked terri
tory around there.
A: Hannibal, Mo-. all the low.ands are
now inundated. and the water covers the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas switch
tracks on the river front The packet
house OF the Diamond 10 company is cut
off from the mainland by stream OF
water fifty feet wide and several inches
deep, and passengers are compelled 10
cross on an improvised platform.
AT THE shy LEvEE.
The shy levee is not considered in dan
ger vet. and il is believed that il viii
successfully resist the present rise. al
though the low PAGES are rapidly filing
with deep water. The bottom lands above
Hannibal are a dreary waste Of water as
far as the eye can reach The water has
ssed the track of the ST. Louis, keo-
kuk and Northwestern between there and
Quincy. and passenger trains OF that road
go 20 Burlington over the Quincy ard
branch OF the Chicago. Burlington aad
Quincy. crossing the river here. The
Hannibal and ST. Joseph through trains
ceased 20 run via Hannibal yesterday az
;ernoon. running directly from Palmyra.
Missouri. 20 Quincy. Illinois. The track
IS still al. RICH: just south OF the city.
ST. LOUIS FORECAST.
The following prediction was made to-
day by Dr. Frarkenfeid the local weather
bureau manager: The river a; 81 Louis
will commence 20 rise Monday night or
Tuesday morning, and will proos bly,