Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
STRlKESw PLATTSMOUTH
Water RuHhes Through Business Streets and
Does Considerable Damage.
Loss ESTIMATED At FIFTY THOUSAND
Choking of Chicago venue Sewer
sends stream Three Feet Deep
over the Surface OF the
Pavements.

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb., July 1S-(special
Ttlegrsm.)-The choking OF the Washington
avenue eve last evening resulted In dam
age roughly estimated at $50, 600. Rain fell In
torrents from s o'clock until s o'clock and
there was q considerable fall all through
the night. The precipitation for those first
two hours is thought to have been at least
five inches, which Is more than fell when
Plattsmouth had Its previous great deluge
on July 6, 1893 On that occasion both the
Washington avenue sewer and the Chicago
avenue eve choked, but this time the Chi
cago avenue sewer remained open. other
wise the loss would have been much
greater.
Plattsmouth nestles among hills, and
Main street, from Sixth to First street, the
river front, Is practically a valley OF draw.
two avenues metioned come down from
the heights at angles and the water they
carried struck Sixth street at a tangent,
rushing past the side streets that are the
proper extensions Of the avenues. to gush
down Main street and the alleys in its rear.
The nov on Chicago avenue was small be-
cause its sewer, measuring 6xs feet, re-
NAMED open at the mouth on Seventh
street and carried most of the flood.
But the Washington avenue sewer
clogged with portions Of outhouses from
the heights and the consequence was that
all the drainage from the hills on thai
side swept along on the surface OF the ave.
nue. paving. There was three feet Of water
on the avenue and Main street and DR.
Stewart Livingstone and Ben Elson were
carried three blocks on a section Of dis
lodged sidewalk. The brick walks were
washed up and the bricks scattered from
Sixth street to First.
Estimate of Loss DimcuIt.
Accurate estimating Of losses at this
time Is difficult, but those who suffered
are willing to make rough guesses. Tht
flood first washed out the rear basement
wall Of Robert Sherwood's shoe store
building and It's floor in the rear par
sagged four feet into the cellar. The lam
age to the building alone was perhaps
1000. Mr.. Sherwood owns It. The stocl
loss is guessed as another $1,000.
The foundation Of the wall dividing thu
fruit and confection store Of John Schiap,
pacasse and the stationery and toy stor'
Of George B. Lennon was undermined and
a large section Of the ten-inch wall, which
was brick, toppled over onto the oonfec.
toner's stock, carrying It and the fool
into the flooded cellar. Immediately thu
floor OF the stationery store gave way AM
sank with the stock. v. V. Leonard, a pho
tographer. with apartments on the uppel
floor, owned the double building and suf'
fered at least 50, 900 damage.
The CONNECTION store was somewhat ele
gantly furnished for ice cream trade, AM
the loss will not be known until II Is seeI
how much CT the $500 worth of fixture
were spared. but the loss Is estimated a
81 $500. The Lenhof stock was valued a
about $4,000. but a part gan be saved.
The water filled the cellar under the dr.
goods store of wFIliani Herold q Son, wet
ting their store& goods, ambrose eighteei
inches on the steEe Door Other basemant
and floors ,delnsed, were those OF tho FRS
National bank, Harry Thompson's saloon
Henry Gering's drug .stqress Fred Egenberg'
saloon. A, W, Atwood's drug store, j. r
Cox's hardware store, the F.. ]. Morgan an
Wescott clothing stores, with barber shoI
below, the schlitz saloon managed by Han
Coos, Artie Helps stationery store, Henri
weckbach's grocery, Otto Bookmyer's ciga
and tobacco house.
Lumber Yard swept Away.
The Cass County Democrat was deluge
and John WATERWAYS lumber yard sepa
rated into RATS. Ed Fitzgerald had to res
cue his twenty livery horses from four fee
OF water and the Burlington shops on Lin
coin avenue suffered. particularly in tn
machinery department.
The gas plant, now in the hands Of q re
c%eiver, was Hooded and the lights went GU
within an hour or so after the rain begal
4 falling. 1t is not thought that the damag
will be great.
Havoc Wrought It Cedar Creek
CEDAR CREEK. Neb.. July 1s.-tspecia
Telegram .)-Last night a heavy electric an
rainstorm was experienced here. Over tou
inches of rain falling. Small streams Wer
over their banks and most Of the small
bridges washed away. Heavy damage viii
be entailed to wheat in the shock and oat
that are not cut.
The large dam at Atwoods & Newell's hAl
pond was washed away and millions o
the finny tribe were swept to Platte river
This pond was nicely stocked with gam
fish.
The b. & M. train was two hours lat
on account OF washouts along their line.
A large barn belonging to Charles FatZer
three and a half miles south from here
was struck by lightning and barn and con
tents all destroyed, but partly insured.
WEEPING WATER. Neb, July 1s.-(spe
ciai.)-A very heavy rain and severe cleo