Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-13
HIGHEST SINCE |Sg|
Iowa River Flood Lacks But One
Foot OF Equalling the
Record.
Much Live Stock Caught in the
Waters North of the City
and Drowned.
Bridges and Roads Washed Out
Rise OF Four Feet in
the Night.

1 49,
their path.
All approaches to the city from the
north and east have been impossible
since midnight, the water covering the
wide expanse of bottom lands east of
the city and extending from bluff to
bluff north and west of the city. The
expanse of water east of town is four
miles wide in places, and all highways
in that direction are flooded. Fears are
! entertained that the sewage plant will
be damaged, as only the walls of the
| filter beds and septic tanks are above
water.
The most rapid rise in the river was
between the hours of midnight and s
o'clock a. M, during which time the
water rose three feet. All day Thurs
day the river showed a gradual in
crease in the volume of water, and ugly
rumors of the rapid approach of wall
of water two feet high were circulated
during the evening. These reports We're
of course exaggerated but not to the
extent that might be ina gined. Be-
tween p. m. and 6 a. M. there was a
rise of four feet.
The water has been at least twelve
feet above normal, and considerable loss
of property and livestock may reason
ably be expected from points below the
city, where the'water was much higher
than here on Thursday because of the
floods from Linn and Timber Creeks
Considerable stock loss along the river
north of the city is reported. Mr. II. j.
Benson has received word that about
fifty heads of hogs Were drowned on his
farm near the Union mills, at which
point the river is higher than at any
time during the last forty years.
Stock on the bottom lands was res
cued or driven to higher ground Thurs
day afternoon. Mr.. Hughes, who re-
sides on the North Center street road
just north of the mill, moved his family
out Thursday night, Mr. Cation whose
residence is further north and stands on
{. small knoll. did not think the waters
would reach him, but at 5 o'clock this
morning he moved his younger chill
dren by means of a boat. His livestock
is still on his farm, but 80 far as known
he has suffered no loss, in this respect.
The water is sweeping across his farm
lands. as well as those of l. n. Long, the
Asher creek farm of G. 7. l,aPlant and
the lower grounds on the Estel and Will
III. Wilson farms, and the crops reached
by the current will probably be ruined.
Cut Thru the Levee.
The flood struck the North Center
levee road with great force. The river
channel and the four channels north
being inadequate to carry the water
away as fast as 1t accumulated. The
result was that the water overfowed
the levee In several places, and the
age. At the fourth bridge across the
bayou north of the river bridge the
approaches were washed out at $50
this morning, altho men with teams
hauled bricks and rock and attempted
to stop the wash. This bridge is at
the foot of the hill this side of the
Will H. Wilson farm. and the current
sweeping across the Asher creek bot
tom from the river is quite strong at
that point. The levee has been roped
off just north of the bridge, to pre-
vent teams from crossing the levee.
East of the city the Powell and adj
joining farms are under water, which
has backed from the river and there
fore the current is not strong. The
grounds Of the Country Club are en-
tirely covered and the club house Is
surrounded. The Marion street and
East Main stree. roads are submerged
and impossible, but whether they are
washed out in places can not be de-
termined until the water recedes. Tho
c. & N. w. tracks across the bottom
lands were above the hig water.
Cause of the Rise.
The cause Of the rapid rise of the
river during the night was the storm
in the vicinity Of Steamboat Rock
Wednesday night The T.-R. CORE
spondent at that point reports a cloud
burst, with a precipitation of inches
during the storm. This is the storm
that passed over Marshalltown the
same night and which followed down
the Iowa valley until this city was
reached. The flood from Steamboat
Rock reached the city at midnight and
brought With 1t an an additional three
feet of water.
The water at the highest stage was
within one foot of the high mark of
June, 1881. During the Hood of that
year the water reached the steel grid
ers of the bridge, but since that time
new bridge has been built and the
floor of the present structure is two feet
higher than at that time. The water
reached the top of the stone abutment
just below the bridge.
Extensive Damage North.
Few people living in the city realize
the damage that the water of the last
few days has done to points north of
this place. Fields of standing grain in
the vicinity of Albion, Liscomb and IN
ion are in many places entirely sub
some of them being under sew
eral feet of water. The loss to farm
ers in these vicinities will be great, All
crops being partially or entirely des-
troyed. A great many have lost live
stock, that, having been caught in the
flood was washed away. Reports of
losses of cattle and hogs are constant
ly coming In, and shows that first re-
ports from these district were not ex-
aggerated.'
1t has only been by the greatest eff
forts that Iowa Central trains have
been gotten thru at all. Work and
gravel trains were. sent north Thurs
day and have been working at various
points as far north as Steamboat Rock
The Iowa Central pile driver was sent |
north last night and is working on
bridges and culverts in the vicinity of |
Passengers who arrived on the south |