The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1902-07-18
FLOODS IN IOWA.
SWOLLEN STREAMS SWEEP WITH
DESTRUCTIVE FURY.
AND GREAT RUIN IS WROUGHT
The Loss in Live Stock, Crops and
Other Property is Assuming I'M
mense Proportions-Streams Are
Turned Into Rivers.

DES MONIES, Ia, July 1O.--The
Des Moines river reahced the highest
water mark of 1892. which was
twenty feet at midnight. At this hour
the levee on the north side of town
broke, flooding a large residence sec
ton. Most of the families removed
earlier in the evening. A small
break occurred in the Raccoon river
levee just after midnight, and a large
force of men is attempting to hold the
flood in check.
The Rock Island east bound pas
senger trains due here last night were
held at Commerce, twenty 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 weak
ening. If it goes out it will endanger
four city bridges and all the railroad
bridges. The false work of the new
Stth aveXnue bridge, which went out,
swept away five spans of the Chicago
& Great Western railroad bridge over
the Des Moines.
South of the junction of the Des
MOines and Raccoon the river is three
miles wide for miles, and is destroy
ing crops and drowning live stock
Communication with the city by wagon
bridges over the streams is being pre-
vented because of the danger.
The continuous rains have forced
nearly all Iowa streams from their
banks and the destruction of crops,
live stock and other property is as
suming immense proportions. 1t is
impossible to estimate the danger
from the indefinite reports received.
The damage is especially extensive in
the central, northern and 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 country
bridges have been destroyed and traffic
between Marshalltown and surround
ing points is practically cut off. Cat
tie and hogs have been drowned in
large numbers in the Iowa valley. At
Cedar Rapids, 5.4 inches of rain have
fallen since July 1. The Cedar river
is out of its banks and many famil
les have been forced from their homes.
Numerous bridges have been swept
away in Linn 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 practi-
cally destroyed.
The continuous rains are paralyzing
business in Fort Dodge and the rail
lUdCS dlS dlLiO0L OuI VI uuSlllCSo.
The west end of the city is under
water and families are moving out.
The Des Moines is up six feet at that
point Because of the soaking of the
insulation of the wires, electric power
has been shut off and the town is
dark.
Near Oxford, in Johnson county, il
a wind storm, Jacob Burkhardt was
crushed to death by the falling of
barn on the farm of Wesley Prush.
Half a dozen barns were destroyed in
the same neighborhood. Near North
Liberty, the residence Of Jacob Neid-
hiser was wrecked and the family had
a narrow escape. All over Johnson
county the storm destroyed wind
mills and barns. The damage in the
is estimated at $4,000.