Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-20
KEEPS WITHIN ITS BANKS
Alarm Felt Here Few Days Ago
Being Gradually Dissipated.

| Alarm Felt Here II Few Days Ago
Being Gradually Dissipated.
Omahans who have feared for several days
past that they would come downstairs some
| morning this week only to find their eel
| lars flooded and household utensils floating
around in an annoying manner, may bid their
| fears adieu. 1t is tolerably certain, as GER
| tain as anything can be without actually
| happening, that when the ice comes down
the Big Muddy, no damage will be done in
Omaha Thursday things did look trife
! threatening, but the water OF the Missouri
are going down faster than 3t,orbett's reputa-
| tion and the ice in the river Is passing off
Yesterdays Observations shes, that the
water of the river is falling again and in a
very orderly manner. Thursday morning
it had risen three or four feet higher than it
| had been on the morning before. That day
and night, however, it fell continually.
Yesterday it was three feet lower than
| Thursday morning and it is still falling. Up
| about Florence, where the observations are
being taken, the water is about a foot above
| the normal stage.
This condition exists all the way up to
| Blair, where an ice bridge still spans the
| river. AS soon as this breaks up there
Will be rise, but it is predicted that it will
do no damage hereabouts or to the south,
| for the reason that the river is clear of solid
| ice. The floating ice is passing this point
| trouble.
Some concern was felt about the smelters
the lumber yards, the car yards and the
Offices east of Ninth street Thursday lest
the waters of the Missouri should rise up
in their might, like they did several years
ago, and overflow the lower end of town.
Even the janitors of the Union Pacific head
quarters and some of the clerks On the first
floor became restive yesterday as they
heard others tell of the floods that came
up that way a few years ago.
Local officers of the railroads are watch
ing their tracks and bridges on the outside
lines very closely today. Yesterday no
serious accidents due to the floods had been
reported. The Northwestern had a wash
out at Crescent, Ia, in the morning, which
delayed train service between Missouri VAL
ley and Omaha for a few hours. The train
from Sioux City, due here at S:15 a. m, was
three hours late on account of this wash
out. The damage was repaired during the
morning, and at noon train service was re-
sumed and continued without further in
terruption.
Tho Union Pacific yesterday reported
that the danger at the points along its lines
that were threatened had passed Assistant
General Superintendent Sutherland has been
out on the lines watching at North Bend
and Columbus. 1t was reported yesterday
that the ice had gone out of the Platte
and the Loup and the water was falling
rapidly at those points. Thursday night
1t was feared that the company might lose
considerable track and bridge or two, but
yesterday it was believed that all the worry
on this score was at an end.
Traffic on the Omaha road was inter-
rupted yesterday by three slight washouts
on three of the branch lines of the road.
The washouts occurred early yesterday
morning They were at these points: Con-
cord on the Harrington branch, Ponca on
the Newcastle branch and Randolph on the
Bloomfield branch. Gangs of workmen were
sent out yesterday by superintendent Jaynes
and the damage to the tracks was speedily
repaired. Traffic will be resumed on all
three OF the branch lines this morning.
The Elkhorn officials watched their line
pretty closely yesterday for fear of trouble
from the Elkhorn river In Stanton, Madi-
son. Antelope and Holt counties the line of
the Elkhorn follows the Elkhorn river very
closely. At Norfolk there is danger of con-
siderable damage should the river get at all
wild No damage to the line has yet been
reported but all the bridges and the line
close to the river are being watched day
and night -
The Milwaukee road had a small washout
yesterday morning near Sioux City. No no
tice of any blockade or interruption to
traffic was received by the local office yes
terday, so it Is presumed that the damage
Is such as can be repaired quickly The
washout was on the Sioux City division and
did not interfere with the traffic of the main
line or other lines of the Milwaukee.
The local weather Office reported last night
that the river was full of ice yesterday morn
ing which moved out slowly, but that 1t was
practically clear in the afternoon. The river
was reported to have been swollen to a con-
siderable degree In the earlier part of the
day, but falling In the evening. The water
also contained large amount OF froth which
was taken to indicate that the raging tor
rents OF the upper rivers were finding an
outlet into the Missouri.
-
Business Troubles of Day.
ST. LOUIS. March l9,-W. +. Stephens &
Co. photographers, assigned today for the
benefit of creditors. There is no preference
shown, the property being turned over to
Assignee Isaac j. Orr to be liquidated and
dlyided according TO the claims. The la