Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-15
Comes Within Ten Inches of
Highest Water Mark, But
is Now Falling.
WATERS WORK In CITY
Amount of Loss Aggregates a Large
Fortune-streets Made impossible
Families Driven From Homes
Central Addition All Under Water,

lFrom Mondays Datlyl
The highest point reached by the
Des Moines river at this city during
the present season of high water, and
the highest stage known here since
1897, was attained at o'clock this
morning, when the level of the river
stood within two inches Of the high
water mark of 1892 and within ten
inches of the mark reached in 1897,
when ottumwa experieassa the high
est water eyer known in it's history.
Some possions ofsthe city are hopdsa
and several families have been cqns
PEELED to remove from their houses o.
account Of the high water. This is es-
pecially. true in Central addition Where
there is hardly one, it,, indeed single
house that. does not J; contain watep
Other houses in theaWsst End Eas
End and South Side have been vacated
by the former residents.
Water to the depth of from fen
inches to four feet stands in half d
dozen streets about the city, notably
on the South Side, where some of tha
thoroughfares are lmpassable. Cellar.
and Easements are filled in the busil
ness district and in many residences.
Gardens and corn fields have been
ruined, and thousands of dollars worth
of property has been lost on account OF
the food.
River Is Falling.
The river rose sforty-two inches be-
tween 6 o'clock yesterday morning and
the came hour in the evening. By/s
O'clock it had gone up three more
inches, and from that time until 6
O'Clock this morning the rise amounted
to eight inches additional. A heavy
rain early this morning did its part TO-
ward increasing the rise. No change
was noticeable from 6until a. m. when
the water commenced slowly receding.
By O'Clock this afternoon the level of
the river had fallen two inches and at
the time the Courier goes to press
there is every indication of continual
| tion of the fall
Effect in otturwa.
/ A representative of the Courier made
a trip to the various districts in the
city which are affected by the high wa
| ter today and viewed the result Of the
sudden rise. Empty houses are at a
premium, and some families, driven
from their homes in Central addition,
took refuge at the old 0rpheum on
West Second street. Far into the night
household goods were being hauled
along the streets, and this morning
the operation was continued.
Dain Works Surrounded.
! The mandatory of which South Ot-
tumwa is proud, the plant of the Dain
Manufacturing Co., Is completely sur.
rounded by water. but little Or no trou-
BILE is being experienced as yet because
the floors are about foot higher than
the ground around the buildings. Be
i tween the factory and the south an-
proach of the Vine street bridge there
is considerable water. the depth vary
i ing from three inches to three and one
half feet.
In the Dain Addition.
Little trouble is being experienced
among the residents of the Dain addi-
ton regarding the high water. Most
of that part Of the city is high and
dry although there is one place, or
rather a pair of places, where the wa
ter is in the street. AT the corner of
West Vine street and Sheridan avenue,
the tracks on which the street cars
run to Waabsh avenue were under wa
ter this morning, and there is coIsid-
| oil cyh
none is in any Of the houses in the en-
tire addition, and short distance west
of the Wabash roundhouse, the build
j ings of the Penn Oil & Renfning Co.
4 are located. This concerns loss has
4 been $500. Agent Theodore Stoessel
|: has been working with might and main
and although there is considerable
, loss he expects to be able to continue
same may be said of the Ottumwa Oil
Co., whose barns and store houses are
: located on Church street just wset
of Hartman's blacksmith shop.
The Wabash round house has been
entered by the water and three or four
feet of the muddy liquid stands upon
the side tracks in the vicinity of the
house today Little damage however
, VIII result. lle Ollg trouble HGllP thG
inconvenience attendant upon the
blocking of the side tracks.
f People Moved.
i Along Bashaw and Myrtle streets
on the east side of Cau-ch street the
Presidents suffered riore than in any
, other part of South Ottumwa. On
both of these streets the water enter
3 ed the houses standing at depths
! ranging from three inches to as many
!. feet on the first story foors. On Bur.