Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-10
LINCOLN GETS A DEUCE
People in Low Lying Sections Warned, but
Neglect TO Move in Time.
RAILROAD YARDS ARE ALL UNDER WATER
Beatrice and other Towns Along the
Blue and Nemaba Rivers suffer
Severely from over
flows.

LINCOLN. July Especial Telegram.)-
Great waves Of water, rushing all the way
from s%altillo, ten miles southwest OF Lin
coin. spread with terrific force over the
western portion OF the city tonight, driving
hundreds Of people from their homes, sur
rounding a majority OF the manufacturing
plants and warehouses of the city and en-
dangering both life and property.
The iood-swept district at 3 o'clock to-
night included nearly all territory west
OF Eighth street, bounded on the north
by o street and on the south by J street.
But beyond these lines the waves kept
spreading In Jagged lines. On the north
side OF o street the water covers nearly
all Of the Burlington and Union Pacific
freight yards. At $50 a stream found its
way through the labyrinth Of tracks and
warehouses and ran down Seventh street
in front of the Burlington passenger depot.
About this time a notice was posted on the
entrance to the depot basement CLOSED on
account OF the food"
The water lies in an unbroken sheet from
First street west for a distance Of at least
two miles.
Tracks Under Water.
Telegraph poles, railroad ties, boards and
rubbish are floating around through the
streets, over the roads and across the rail-
road tracks. The main line track Of the
Burlington west is covered with water to a
point within two blocks of the passenger
depot platform. The Union Pacific road
south is similarly covered. In some places
the water reaching a height Of FIVE feet.
The outgoing Burlington passenger train,
which left at 1880. had Its platforms sub
merged before 1t reached the city boundary
line.
The deluge came from saltillo and be-
yond. At Hickman there was a downpour
OF rain at noon and a cloudburst is re-
ported to have occurred at Saltillo at
noon. At $3.50 this afternoon a man rode
q horse up to the entrance OF the police
station and gave notice Of the oncoming
flood. He anne from saltillo at the top Of
the horses speed to warn the city of the
approaching danger. Chief OF Police Hoag-
land summoned the police force and gave
orders to have the warning conveyed with
all possible haste to the inhabitants Of the
endangered district. About 4 o'clock the
FIRST signs Of the flood were seen in a light
wave, which spread over the water in the
lower bottoms. With increasing force the
water kept coming, and at 6 o'clock was
speeding at the rate of Ave or six miles
an hour and rising a foot an hour.
Move Out of Bottoms.
The inhabitants Of the bottoms paid but
little heed to the first warning, but when
they saw the water approaching with such
terrific force they began to move. but many
of them were too late to save anything
but their own lives. All along the border
line OF the water are crowds of terror
stricken women and children, some crying,
some hysterical and some ~fainting. One
sick woman. living with four children in a
small shack near the Burlington depot, was
driven out with only the night clothes
about herself and her children. Carrying
the two smallest In her arms, with the
other two coming along behind her, she
~aded through two feet of water and
sought refuge In an almost unconscious
condition In a nearby restaurant. and from
there was taken with her children to the
home of a friend up town.
Near Sixth and ] streets a 4-year-old
child was saved from drowning by Bert
Brooks. a young man who had been assist
ing the refugees. He swan a distance OF
200 yards and took the child from its father
and swan with 1t back to dry land. The
father came later in a floating wagon
drawn by a team Of horses swimming and
laundering in the water and floating rub
bish.
Oh nfbuNu blT0eL Dc-Netn n ana M
100 barrels OF lime packed in a shed anC
belonging to Searle & Chaplin, were mum
dated at 9 o'clock and soon after the water
reached the lime 1t began to slack. Grea'
volumes Of smoke arose from the building
and then flames were seen. The fire de
partment responded and soon had i've
streams Of water playing on the shed from
above. In this block is a big lumber yard
and numerous small buildings we'll stocked
with building material. For a time 1
looked as II the flames would spread, bu
the fremen held them In check In tn,
building In which they originated. Anothe
IRE started from the same cause In a she
in the Dierks lumber yard at Seventh ant
N streets.
Firms Affected by Flood.
some of the principal buildings in tn
manufacturing district that are surrounde,
by water are those owaed or occupied b.
these Arms; Curtis & Bartlett. sash an,
door factory: Western Mattress company
J. ]. Case Manufacturing company, Hedge
Iron works. searle q Chaplin. lumber
schaupp & Hurd. coal; Hutchins & Hyatt
coal; Lincoln Gas and Electric company
works, Wisconsin Furniture and Conl
company. Whitebreast Coal and Lime com
pany, Dierks Lumber company, The +
w. Brown Lumber company Is PARTIAL
surrounded. The big grain elevator Q
the Central Granaries, at Fifth and
streets and the Lincoln Ice company
houses standing near by are in the center Q
an immense lake, with all dry approache
cut on.
The people living in the flooded distriC
are OF the poorer class. Only a few {
them saved their furniture and many
them we're driven bare-footed in front
the waves. From the reservation came
mob OF women. all thinly clad. wading
water up to their knees.
The police force gave all the asslstanC
It could In removing people and ~furnituI
from the houses in the flooded distric
Firemen were kept busy several hours an
citizens gave valuable assistance whereas
they could.
The water ceased rising at midnight.
Eighth street is impossible between