Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-17
YOUNG Man BROWNS
Was Caughtin Torrent of the North
Skunk River.
TERRIFIC RAINS VISIT SlGOURNEY
Amount Of Damage Done by the High
Water Cannot Be misunderstanding
Had to Be Suspended on the Rock
4 Island.

Slgourney, July 15.-Another death
by drowning occurred in this county
yesterday when Mr.. Stephenson, a
young man living near What Cheer,
and who is a brother of Mrs. Lee Nc
Cam of this place, was drowned in
North Skunk river. He had probably
ventured too much in sight seeing as
the river was exceedingly high and an
object of much curiosity to hundreds.
No particulars have as yet reached
this place.
Terrific Storm Sunday Night.
Terrific rains and electrical storms
beset this region on Sunday night and
early Monday morning. The water
TALL was three and one-half inches. All
the creeks and gullies in the county
We're booming, the rivers raised the
high water mark and flooded the bot
tom lands. 100000 is conservative
estimate of damage done to small
grain and lowland fields. Bridges
were washed away from creeks. The
east creek was quarter of a mile
wide in places. One of the Rentfu
boys, residing four miles northwest,
came almost to town over pasture
lands in boat yesterday morning.
Great Damage in What Cheer.
The damage in What Cheer was
great. Coal Creek passing through
the heart of the town was raging tor
rent, which swept away buildings in
its way and flooded half the lower part
of the business town. Two livery sta
bles were swept from their places.
Crows and Lalley's business houses
We're entirely carried Off Ed. Lalley,
the barber, found only pair of clip
pers. as the vestiges of his shop next
morning. The flood extended up to
the town pump. The water stood
twenty-one inches in the drug store
north of Henry Valerin's saloon. There
are two bridges out in town. AS a re-
suit OF the flood the walls and founda.
ton or VIM. Noodles hardware store
have started to crumble. A saloon be-
tween the two livery barns has sunk
six feet. The building used as laun-
dry is considerably lowered. The
street, south of the creek, presented
the appearance of lake and in sever
al of the business houses the water
for time stood four feet The Stand.
ard Oil plant lost 600 gallons of gaso
line by the oyerturning of one of the
large tanks, and the flood was strong.
!y odorized by the evaporating oil
Sidewalks were foated away, severa
cottages, and many families were fore
ed to flee from their houses Only a
slight account ofthe extent of the dam.
age can be ascertained at this time.
Notes of the Flood.
Lightning struck the residence of G
Rleinschmidt, tearing out an entirs
window casing. A tree nearby was
struck three times.
A shed near A. M. Meas house was
set afire by a lightning stroke, but Mr.
Meas bravely turned on the hose dur.
ing the rain and extinguished the
flames.
All traffic was suspended on the
Rock Island railroad through here yes.
terday. Six hundred feet of track
west of town, was washed out of place
and several bridges were unsafe and
in need of repair.
Mrs. losbaker Inferred.
Mrs. Christina Iosbaker, who died al
her home here on Saturday evening
was inferred with appropriate funeral
services yesterday.
Personals.
Charlie Brewer and G. H. White
went to What Cheer to view the ruins
yesterday afternoon.
Joe Bensmiller is again taking a va
cation at his home in Sigourney.
Robert Blaise will lose 81 900 in val
ue of crops as result of the floods
Born, to Mr.. and Mrs. S. A. Lesan
on July 10, a daughter.
Mrs. Ross Wheeler went to Keokuk
to spend Sunday with her husband.
Miss Eva B. Fisher, former Sigour
ney girl, now of Monroe, has recently
graduated from the College of Physi
clans and Surgeons of Chicago, and
passed the Illinois state examination
for practitioners. She expects to To-
cate in Minneapolis. Miss Fisher has
been visiting at the Brunt home in this
city.
w. H. Brunt attended the funeral OF
his cousin, William Brunt, of Eddy
vile.
Mr.. and Mrs. T. e. Johns and Stella
Porter of Des Moines were Sigourney
visitors.
Howard Wertz has returned from
southern Illinois and has been stricken
with typhoid fever.
Harry e. Jennings of Company B
Sixteenth United States infantry, has
received orders with his regiment to
San Francisco. Mr.. Jennings has
served continuously in the army since
the outbreak of the Spanish-American
war. He has made two trips to the
Philippines.
Frank Wertz went to Hedrick this
morning.
keosauqua.
Keosauqua, July 16.-The Des
Moines river at this place has fallen
about two and half feet since 2 p. m
yesterday 1t is not falling very much
this morning but is staying at about
the same mark.
Mrs. Georgia Knight of Pennington
returned to her home last evening af.
ter a several days visit in Keosauqua
with relatives and friends. Mr.
Knight also visited over Sunday here
but returned to Pennington Monday
morning.
Mrs. Carey A. Wilkin and little sor