Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-24
IOWA RAILROAD WASHOUTS
Heavy Showers Play Havoc with tn,
Train Service.
MANY BRIDGES ARE CARRIED AVA
Rock Island westbound Express Hn,
Narrow Escape just North of
Dcs Moines-Rivers and
Creeks Are High.

DEs MONIES, Ia, April 23.-(special Tele
gram.)-The reports today from the storm
section OF central Iowa indicate the dam
ago done last night was far worse than sup
posed. This city was the worst sufferer
Three inches OF rain fell, 1t will be foul
! days before the Des Moines Northern and
Western road will be able to resume train
service into the city. The track from here
to Give, ten miles, Is washed out about O
third of the distance. Bridges are gone In
| dozen places, On the main line OF the
same road from Give to Adel, there are sew.
eral washouts. On the Rock Island road
freight business west OF this city is en-
tirely suspended, and will not be resumed
for three or four days, The Denver limited
thundered over 150-foot iron bridge over
Walnut creek, just nortn OF the city, only
ten minutes before the bridge was carried out
this morning. Another span bridge and two
pile structures over the same stream were
carried out. Passenger service will be re-
sumed tomorrow and passengers will be trans
ferred over these breaks till they can be
repaired. The Chicago Great Western road
is running no freights, and the passenger
trains were not resumed till tonight. They
will run on slow time till the road can be
put into better condition. Several bridges
were taken out south and west Of the city.
The Raccoon river here rose seven feet five
inches in an hour thA forenoon, and is still
rising A large part OF the lower section
OF the city Is under water, and the levees
and railroad embankments are alone pro-
tecting a large part of the manufacturing
district from being flooded. Some OF the fac
tories closed today anC put their men at
work protecting the levees to keep the water
out. The mile kite track in the western part
OF town is flooded, and all the barns and
ha Ipct
Folk county will suffer from $4,000 to $4O,
600 losses to bridges. All the structures over
Four Mile, Walnut and Beaver creeks were
taken out, and on smaller streams the same
Is true. The roads are utterly impossible
and communication with the rural sections is
impossible. Heavy rain fell all last night,
and it is raining tonight, so that the pros
pect is that the conditions will be worse to-
morrow. All streams are still rising.
ATLANTIC, Ia. April 23.-(Special Tele
gram "A heavy wind and hail storm passed
over this city last night In fifty minutes
rain had fallen to a depth of 2.26 inches, ac-
cording to the government gauge. The hail
which came with the storm was very destruc-
tive to fruit buds etc. AS the rain fell in
such torrents, it fairly washed out large
portions Of newly sown small grain This
evening the Troublesome river is over a half
mile wide and is sweeping everything before
IT, The damage to bridges and farms is con-
siderable.
MALVERN, Ia, April Especial NAL
vern was visited by an exceedingly hard
hail and rain storm last evening about
O'clock and the rain came down in torrents
until nearly morning. The creek that runs
through the west portion of town is now
bank full and will be out over the bottom be-
fore night if it continues to rise. Owing to
the continued wet weather this spring farmers
are very much behind with their work.
KEOKUK, Ia April 23.-The heavy rains
last night caused rise of seven-tenths
of foot in twenty-four hours in the Mis-
sssipp river. Tonight's stage is 16.1 feet
above low water mark, the highest point
reached during the present flood. The Des
Moines river is also rising rapidly and Alex
andria, Mo-, and the adjoining lowlands
behind the levees seem doomed to inunda-
tiOn