The Iola register., 1902-06-13

rivers above here. The river has been
high for several days but Saturday
night 1t began to rise rapidly and yes
terday came up at the rate of an inch
m hour all day. From O'Clock that
night till 8 O'Clock next morning it
showed raise OF IL inches.
The cars had to stop running to u o
river sSunday morning. The water
broke through up above the Missouri
Pacific bridge and came down this side
of the power house leaving it on an is
land. There is over half mile OF
water this side OF the power house and
the electric line ran down TO the wat
er's edge all day Sunday and was
met there by men in boats who ferried
people down to the bridge for a nickle
apiece. Hundreds walked down on
the Missouri: Pacific track and there
was steady procession going and
coming all day The number of peo-
pie who went down could be counted
by the thousand.
The river kept up its steady creep
ing over the land Sunday and was
still rising at the rate of about an
inch and hour Monday. Travel on the
river road stopped Saturday and Sun
day boatmen are said to have made
800 ferrying people across the river
and from town to the high ground at
the waterworks.
Quite number OF people rode the
rapids over the dam, rather an excit-
ing undertaking, but not really dan
gerous. One young lady made the
trip without tremor, the swift
progress of the boat being exhilarat-
ing.
No loss of stock has been reported
so far as the rise was so gradual that
people had warning and opportunity
TO get their cattle and hogs on higher
ground. The great damage will be to
the crops. Thousands of acres in AL
len county will be Hooded and the
wheat fields just now beginning to turn
a beautiful golden color and promis-
ing such a rich return for the farmers
will be a dreary waste There are sew
eral hundred acres of rich bottom
land near lola planted in garden truck
potatoes, berries, ETC., which will be
total loss. The prospects were never
better for things OF this kind and it
hardly seems possible that the many
acres of rich verdant growth and rep
resenting thousands of dollars could
be completely destroyed in so short a
time. From the power house the wat
er extended as far west as can be seen
and everything was under water. The
twelve acre small fruit farm
bought this spring of Mr.. Northrup
by an Iowa man was under water. He
had 5000 strawberry plants set out
besides lot of other truck and it is
a total loss. People living about the
dam have all moved out for safety.
The Missouri Pacific had a gang of
twenty-five men hard at work piling
retorts, rock and earth on the north
east of the river bridge. The
water above the track was nearly a
foot higher than that below and the
food began creeping across the top
Monday afternoon.
finders and loose earth willgInot last
an hour and the terrific .pressure be-
hind will force away. a quarter of mile
of track.
The pest house was completely sur
rounded. The water got in the first
floor although it is built several feet
off the ground. THE inmates all
moved up stairs and there is no dan
ger of the current becoming strong
enough to carry the house off its foun-
dation. The fair grounds were all un-
derwater and it wasimpossible toget to
the grand stand Monday. The
horses were all taken out of their
stalls that night.
The back water in Elm Creek
caused trouble in the southwest part
of town. Mrs. Turner who Lives on
south State had to go up to the rail-
road bridge to get into town and her
house was completely surrounded. In
the street north olherIhouse the water
was six feet deep. The families living
east of her on the creek :were prepar-
ing to move out Mondaymorning. The
water was up over south Washington
Just north of the Elmk Creek bridge
five feet deep.
A REGISTER reporter went to Piqua
Sunday evening on the plug to inter-
view the Katy conductor lon the juno
ton City branch in regard to the sit
uation up above. Their train was uu-
able to get any :farther than Neosho
Falls Sunday Imorning and had to
Law there all.Rday returning in the