The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-26
CITY STREETS FLOODED
INDIANAPOLIS VISITED BY A DELUGE
OF RAIN LAST NIGHT.
Cellars Filled with Water and Street
Car Traffic GreateIy Inter-
fered With.

The garbage man was mot In it, with
the rains which fell yesterday. In a. half
hour last evening the rain accomplished
more in the way of cleaning the city than
the garbage man with his fancy wagons
has accomplished during the time of his
regime in the city. According to the read
ings at the weather bureau 1.66 inches of
rain fell during the day, of which a little
more than an inch fell during the half hour
from GAO to 7:10 o'clock. The rain at this
last time came flood and had a fair
start for repetition of the terrific rainfall
which did so much damage a little over a
year ago. The sewer connections in the
streets were not near able to carry the
water off and it flooded the improved streets
in many cases from curb to curb and in
few instances from property line to prop
erty line, running into and filing cellars.
There was little damage except where the
water filled cellars. On Washington street
near Noble the drainage was poor and all
the cellars in the neighborhood were filled.
The fire department was appealed to and
sent several engines to pump the water out.
The tunnel under the Union Station at Illi-
nois street contained two and one-half feet
Of water, when the rain ceased and COM
pletely stopped street-car traffic that
way for half an hour. The great
the first block of old Shelby street,
from Fountain square to Sanders street.
When the street was improved the engineer
evidently failed to take into consideration
the grade of Virginia avenue and the other
streets which center at Fountain square.
s s0Hf streets ras here are graded
southwark for a block and then rises.
Midway in the first block there are two
small connections with the sewer. They
a Ia 70 in ha
and are as nothing when compelled to drain
the ten or more blocks of streets which are
graded that way. Last evening from Foun-
tain square south almost to Sanders street
the water stood foot deep, extending over
the sidewalks and the entire street. San
ders street slopes off to the west toward
low ground where years ago there was a
large pond. This was the outlet for the
water, and it rushed into this street at a
fearful speed and with great volume. A
young man living on Shelby street had
great sport for short time while the flood
lasted. He got out a canvas duck boat and
padded about in the street, hailing street
cars and facetiouSly Offering to rescue the
passengers.
on Fletcher avenue, between Pine and
some places it extended clear across the
street, covering the grass plots in the
middle of the driveway, At the head of
Elm street, in front of the Sixth Christian
Church, the water filled the street. Illinois
street from Washington street to the tun-
mel, was almost a sheet of water, the street
CT tue lhtSt VI NtcI yIduQ SLISCI De-
ing covered with water from FIVE to six
inches deep. At Virginia avenue and New
Jersey street it was impossible to cross the
street without wading in six inches of
water. The Spencer House reported to the
fire department that its cellar was flooded.
At Agnes and Michigan streets there was
much complaint from residents whose Gel
lars were filed with water. West Market
street, from Illinois street to Capitol ave-
nue., was a sheet of water. So far as was
discovered last night no great damage was
done by the rain.