Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-25
DAMAGE CAUSED by WATER
Increasing Rainfall Brings Consider
able Loss to the City.


able LOSS to the City.
Friday nights rain added II inches to the
weeks rainfall, increasing the total since
Monday to 2.79 inches.
While the water fell in torrents, the rain
was very brief and the fall was not so
heavy as would be expected by those who
watched the storm. But while the fall In
Omaha was less than an inch 1t was much
heavier in the surrounding country. The re-
ports received by the weather bureau in
dicate a rainfall of 212 inches at Lincoln,
2,3O at st. Joe, Las at Plattsmouth and LA
at Des Moines. The heaviest rain in this
section was at Clarinda, Ia, where the
extraordinary record of $50 inches Was
reached
One peculiar feature Of the storm was
the fact that while the rain was general ell
around them the people at North Platte
and vicinity were not blessed with single
drop of moisture. There was only a trace
of rain at Valentine and more rain would
be welcomed all over the western part OF
the state.
The recent rains seem to have been
largely confined to the eastern half of the
state and were especially heavy in the south
eastern corner.
Observer Welsh says that the conditions
do not promise fair weather before this
afternoon. 1t is likely to continue showery
this morning, but by afternoon there
is every reason to believe that the clouds will
disappear and the well watered lawns and
foliage luXuriate in another period of sun
light.
While less rain fell Friday night than dur
ing the previous showers, the deluge was
very heavy while 1t lasted and 1t added
materially to the damage that had bean
done to suburban streets. Reports OF wash
outs came in to the Board of Public Works
yesterday with increasing frequency and
there is work enough ahead to keep the
street gang busy for some time. The dam
age Friday night was largely confined to the
northwestern portion of the city, where the
rain was evidently heaviest The filled
streets We're washed out in numerous places
and sidewalks and bridges suffered severely
The bridge at Thirty-irst and Emmett
streets was washed out and the sidewalks
on Emmett street from Thirtieth to Thirty
first streets were carried away. The side
walks on Boulevard avenue from Twenty
ninth to Thirty-thrd streets were scattered
over the adjacent territory and the bridge
ously damaged.
The sewers We're also damaged TO some
extent In this section OF the city. The North
Omaha sewer overfiowed again and more or
less serious breaks in weak spots in the
sewers are reported from dozen localities
The water in Cut on lake rose four inches
on account OF the rain.
While most of the damages to the streets |
are comparatively slight, the aggregate re-
pairs VIII require vast amount Of labor and
material. The minimum estimate of the |
cost OF the repairs is 81. 900, and by the time |
they are completed, 1t will probably run over |
that amount From a financial standpoint |
this is a serious condition. II the funds |
provided for street maintenance had been |
used for that purpose, the situation would |
be less embarrassing But during the last |
month, the curbing, guttering and cleaning |
fund has been dlssipated for political purposes |
and II will probably be entirely exhausted |
early in May. The total amount available In |
this fund at the beginning OF the year was |
s23, ,52S.26 or this amount SIS, ,09O. so has al |
ready been expended leaving a balance OF |
only s5,437.76 in the fund. 1t will require |
this amount TO put the streets in condition |
after the rains, and not a dollar will remain |