Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-18
FLOOD DANGER HAS PASSED
MissourPs Muddy Torrents No Longer
Threaten to Destroy.
RIVERS WATER is NOW REctDNG SLOWLY
Cut on Lake Gets n Greatly Lcsscncd
Addition to Its Brimful Banks
and Breaks Through
One Dixie.

The beginning Of the end OF the East
Omaha food and the overflow on the omaha
river bottoms is believed to have hnally pc
gun. The river has at last begun to tall
after remaining stationary for more than
twelve hours The decline commenced to be
noticeable at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
and by midnight last night the Missouri was
three inches lower. 1t will probably con
tlnue to 20 lower from now on, as reports
from points north along the river are to the
effect that the water is going down every
where.
It will probably be several days, how
ever before the food conditions on the
island will be aleviated. The river must
fall several feet before the inflow upon the
island will cease. The three-inch decline In
the river, however, yesterday afternoon al
ready had its effect upon the big feeder that
is running into Cut of lake parallel with
sherman avenue. This fell as many inches
as the river, but It is still some feet In
depth.
But although the torrent that Is rushing
into Cut OF lake has decreased in size the
lake is nevertheless bound to rise and spread
further upol the island as long as the water
pours into 1t. The lake has long since con
taned ali it could and every drop OF water
that is entering forces out some OF the con
with the overflow the body OF water was
rising last night at the rate OF half an men
an hour.
During Friday night and yesterday the
lake rose about eight inches. This rise
occurred despite the fact that the first OF
the dikes in me western arm of the lake was
broken through on Friday night and a tool
or more OF Water was poured into the lower
basins.
Friday night and up to noon yesterday
Cut o lake rose six inches. This rise oc-
Cured despite the fact that the first OF the
dikes in TIE western arm of the lake was
broken Though and a foot or more OF water
was poured into the lower lake.
There are two dikes in the western arm OF
Cut of lake. One is a railroad grade The
other was one. For the past few days the
water has been gradually eating INTO inns
strip OF earth which was about htteen leet
in width and portions Of which still stand
two feet or more above the level of the lake
BREAKS THROUGH THE DIXIE.
The weak spot near the center. FRIDAY
night the waters had gone half way through
this point. During the night 1t continued 10
gnaw away the earth, until early yesler,
day it tore away the remainder OF the wall
and broke into "a lower basin The Waterman
along the dkes says the break occurred az
o'clock The lake continued TO tear at tne
dixie until ii wore Crevasse thirty teet III
width There are places between the present
creyasse and the eastern shore that are more
than half way through. The entire dike
may GO 49, 49,, ,i,,
between the two arms of the formed by
the two dikes and the water then began TO
cut upon spot on the SECOND ulke ulic ic,ti! ~!
opposite the crevasse in the first by DAY
liyht the dixie was weakened in this place
hut the railroad company that owns the
track promptly set to work to strengthen II.
A gang of men are employed now in putting
in piles and placing loads OF hay, dirt ana
other stuff in the threatened point
ic st
dikes. This is being fed by pipe from the
upper lake. 1t is stiH foot below the
level of the latter. There is suiiiciency
or water In It, however, to eat at the dirt
nm the Locust street dixie, the final big OBJ
structiou that lies between 1t and the river
II is cutting gaps in this and thus the present
point OF danger is the railroad dixie. IL TINS
should be torn open and flood OF water is
10, into tho lower basin it Is feared that
bolo will be gnawed into the Locust street
With n crevasse here the water would
quickly seek its way to the river at point
neor Nicholas street, and a new channel
would be formed This contingency Is quite
nossible unless the river falls and the mass
of water that is flowing from 1t on the is
land is stopped
IN the food condition so far as the property
interests of the East Omaha company are
concerned but It is being longed for by
tho residents OF the island. In no other
way can they see SOLUTION ol tueii uiih
culties For they believe that even II the
river should fall the water would sun pour
upon the Island from the break IN the
river for at least week. and every pailfui
that now flows into the lake must spill OUT
upon the dry land. because Cut on Is al
ready holding all that 1t can.
Friday nights rise OF six inches mas re-
suIted in corresponding overflow OF the
Iol,n Yesterday there were many more
acres Of land under water and everywhere
tho denth had increased The spread is now
heinr felt. particularly to the east OF the
east arm OF the lake. Just south OF the
northeast cornor, where 1t began TO over
fow on Thursday night, 1t Is spreading more
The ice house OF the Artic Ice company Is IN
three feet of water, and this water Is IN the
ice. II the water does not recede the storeu
ice will in all probability be melted
OTTER SETTLERS GET OUT.
The overflow extends from this point al
most directly east, although IL wlnds along
rayine Ii is hundreds Of feet wide at the
lake hut rarrows as it goes inland. 1t is
as deep as six feet in some spots. 1t Is
gradually going toward the river shore at
the east end of the inland, but is at present
preventcd by high ridge from reaching It,
This stoppage has tended to extend II toward
the south within a couple OF blocks OF
Jocust street. The water Is now gradually
surrounding the first house located in East
Omaha village. ~
In this strip OF water there are about fifteen
houses from which the occupants nave
moved Some left Friday morning. Others
waited until afternoon. Yesterday all were
gore, Some left their furniture behind, bat
they are commencing to remove 1t. The