Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-14
FIGHTING The FLOOD.
OMAHA DOING BATTLE WITH THE
ERRATIC BIG MUDDY.
WILL PROBABLY WIN OUT
RIVER STILL THREATENS TO CLAIM
ITS OLD COURSE
This Would Put Enst Omaha in Iowa
and Result in Millions of Dollars
Worth of Dnmage-Lower
mississippi Still
Rising.
WILL PROBABLY WIN ou7

Omaha Neb., April 13.-Piling and boards
and bags of sand, old hay and stones are
being fed to the hungry NAV OF the Big
Muddy at Omaha IN an effort to restrain
the manifest intention of that erratic stream
to resume the channel abandoned twenty
years ago. At nightfall it looked as II the
effort might succeed. But ali hope is hedSed
about with provisos that the river does not
rise any higher, that north wind does not
blow, and, most uncertain of all, that the
break in the bank above Florence lake Is
not so bad as the overflow of water indi-
Gates.
Fast Omaha and North Omaha are flooded
by the waters that are rushing from the
oyerfuIl Missouri river. The residents flee
for their lives, leaving their possessions be-
hind. The horses are standing In the nooo'
submerged in water from one to hVe ieet
deep. Fields of grain and fences disappear
beneath the surface of the water, and the
trees no longer show any trunks.
The flood is pouring in upon the loWlands
of the East Omaha bottoms in stream
that is estimated to be 1000 feet in width.
| 1t is sweeping southeast, and pours into
Florence lake The water in the lake has
broken over the levee that was built TO sep
arate it from Cutoff lake. and Is now rush
ing with ever-increasing volume INTO the
ir the last twelve hours, Cutoff has
risen almost two feet II TINS rate coii-
| the lake will overflow its southern pankS;
| If this should occur. and the rise pc SUI
maintained, the entire southern p9r1rIfih .fth q,
mcst disastrous flood. as there Is no eie-
walton of the land to stem the outpourlns.
The beginning Of the flood occurred IRE -;t,sr seer
| has been rising gradually. 1t was thought
| that there was no danger. The ieVeeS
would hold; it was thought Ihey did hoiu 1,oIl
ume could not be restrained longer. Two
| days ago the water crept over the TOP OF
| the bank in the bend OF the river Jus JUST
| below Florence. 1t came slowly at first,
| but yesterday forenoon the force became
| resistIess. a great hole was dug in the
shore and the water poured dc1nrS Tm5o vese tne
| to-day afternoon North Omaha was sur
| rounded on all sides with dry land. AT .
| o'cicck, the people IN many OF me @ hoIsSs .Lis
| homes. This morning this portion was
| covered with water from one 70 hVe Iest
deep. At present, the worst OF the HOOD
| ed district is located just north OF NORTH
| Omaha. At Sherman avenue, a; pr0ad
| stream has shot directly to the south. This
stream just skirts the west end OF the
| little settlement know as North Omaha,
| where scores of people We're tofced 10
| abandon houses in haste, some OF them
| with only their night clothes on. Many
| narrow escapes from drowning are recount
| ed, but so far as is known no lives were
| lost Efforts to recover persona! enects
| from the engulfed houses have been OF
/ IL.
| riej out to protect the houses in the flood
| ed district, and have succeeded in restrain
| ing the spread of the water TO the west
| confining it to the channel cut from the
| river to Florence lake and from Florence
| lake to Cutoff lake. This has saved most
| of North Omaha from destruction Cut
! off lake at nightfall was filling up rapidly.
| but could then accommodate four or hve
feet more of water. 1t is held back by a
strong double dyke across its lower end; enc
| and from there on to the river the old bed
| is crossed by paved streets, street car
tracks, railroad tracks. etc. all Of & which
| fourteen feet in height which must be
washed out before the Missouri can re-
| sumo its abandoned bed.
Should the river complete the cutoff 1t
has threatened. East Omaha, with exten-
sive factory plants, including the great
| Carter white lead works. will be moved
into Iowa and the 100000 bridge of the
East Omaha Terminal Company will be
left across a slough. while the thousands
| of dollars expended by the government IN
| protecting the banks of the river along the
Great Bend will have been wasted on q
"cut-off' lake.