The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-07-12
SITUATION ALARMING
FLOODS THE WORST EVER KNOWN
IN DIFFERENT STATES.
Various Towns Inundated-Thous-
ands of Residences Surrounded
by Water-Crops Destroy
ed and Live Stock
Drowned.


ed and Live Stock
Drowned.
Des Moines, July 9.-The con.
tinued rains forced nearly all Iowa s
streams from their banks and the
destruction is assuming immense
proportions. 1t is impossible to es-
innate the damage from the inde-
finite reports received. The dam
age is especially extensive in the
Central, Northern, Western and
Southwestern parts of the state The
valleys of the Sioux and Maple riv.
ers are flooded and Woodbury. and
Monona counties are under water.
The Iowa river at Marshalltown is
the highest since 1881. Many coun.
ty bridges have been destroyed.
Cattle and hogs have been drowned
in large numbers in the Iowa val
ley.
At Cedar Rapid, "a inches of
rain has fallen since July 1. The
Cedar Rapids river is out of its
banks, and many families have
been forced from their homes.
Numerous bridges have been swept
away in Lynn county. The Skunk
river and Squaw creek are out of
their banks and near the confluence
in Story county, thousands of acres
are flooded and crops practically
destroyed.
The continuous rains are paralyz-
ing business in Fort Dodge, and the
railroads are almost out of business.
The west end of the city is inundat.
ed and families are moving out.
The Des Moines river is up six feet
at that point. Because Of the sat
uration of all the insulation on the
pires, electric power has been shut
c IF and the town is in darkness.
Near Oxford, in johnson county,
in wind storm last night, Jacob
Burkhart was crushed to death by
the falling Oh barn on the farm of
Wesley Prush. Halfa dozen barns
were destroyed in the same neigh
borhood. Near North Liberty, the
residence of Jacob Neiaheiser was
wrecked and the family had mar.
row escape. All over johnson coun-
ty the storm destroyed windmills
and barns. The damage in the
county is estimated at $4,000.
A deluge visited the town of Ex-
cia last night and trains on the Au-
dubon branch of the Rock Island
could not pass that point today.
The town is under four feet of wa
ter. The Raccoon river at Alden,
after being stationary all day began
to rise rapidly tonight. It shuts
off the electric plant and is doing
great damage.
The levee on the Raccoon river,
near Murray and Railroad streets,
commenced to weaken this after
noon and at 3 o'clock water was
flowing over and through it in ma
ny places. Heroic efforts were made
to strengthen it, while nearly loo
residents of the district endangered
fed for their lives, many leaving
their household goods behind them.
Des Moines, Ia, July 9.-The
Des Moines river reach the high
water mark Of 1892, which was 20
feet at midnight. At this hour the
levee on the north side of town
broke, flooding a large residence
section. Most of the families re-
moved in the evening. A small
break occurred in the Raccoon riv-
er levee just after midnight and a
large force of men is attempting to
hold the food in check. Two Rock
Island east-bound passenger trains,
due here tonight, are held at Com
merce., 20 miles west of here,
where the tracks are covered with
water. Trains on other roads,
though late keep in motion. The
Des Moines river dam is weakening.
IF it goes out it will endanger
four city bridges and all the rail-
road bridges. The false work of the
new Sixth-avenue bridge, which
went out last night, today swept a
way five spans Of the Chicago Great
Western bridge over the Des Moines.
South of the junction of the Des
Moines and Raccoon, the river is
three miles wide for many miles,
and is destroying crops and drown.
ing live stock.
Omaha, Neb., July 9.-The rain
that began falling last evening con-
tinued today. Reports received
show the conditions in the flooded