Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-10
Des Moines River is on a
Rampage and Threatens
Capital City.
DAMAGE Is. NOW $4,000
Three Times That Amount VIII Be
Lost in Case the Stream Rises
Which Now Seems Inevitable Goth
err Places Are Submerged.

er Places Are Submerged.
Des Moines, July 9.-(SpeciaD-'
A section of the freight bridge of the
Great Western railway over the Des
Moines river in this city was carried
away early this morning by the high
water and damage to the amount OF
$4,000 was done to the Welan arch
bridge being constructed here.
Rain Still Falls.
Rain has continued to fall durink
most of the day throughout the upper
! Des Moines Valley.
River Rises Fast.
The river has continued to rise at
the rate of Two inches an hour. 1t
has rapidly spread out over the low
lands and hundreds have been rescued
from their homes in boats.
Great Damage Threatened.
The property damage already APP
proximates $4,000, with ten times
that amount of damage in prospect.
! In case the leyee gives way or in
case of a rise of two. feet more, which
now seems inevitable.
Situation at Noon.
At noon the Des Moines river was
sixteen and one-half feet above low
! water mrak.
Extra Hard Hit.
The town of Extra is reported to be
half submerged, as is also the nearby
town of Barytown.
Iowa River Up.
The Iowa river has spread out over
miles of lowland near Marshalltowp
and many were driven from their
homes in boats.
B Railway Traffic Suspended.
Railway traffic south from Sioux
& City has been suspended owing to
floods at Onawa and the Northwest
ern, Great Western and Milwaukee
railroads have suffered great delay of
traffic owing to washouts in the Iowa
river bottoms.
Boone Loses.
At Boone the park under the Boone
viaduct is out and the Boone tile fac
tory is under water.
Bridge Reported Out.
1t is reported thar a bridge across
the Des Moines river above here has
gone out.
Flood Situation Serious.
Des Moines, July 9.-(By the Assoc
ciated Press flood situation in
Iowa is more serious than at any time
in ten years. The Des Moines, Iowa,
Racoon, Cedar and Skunk rivers are
Z from seven to fifteen feet above low
water mark The low lands are sub
merged. Hundreds have been made
homeless. In 5Des Moines 200 persons
have been forced to abandon their
homes and have suffered loss of
horses, cattle and hogs. -
RainfalIs Heavy.
Throughout the central section of
the state continuous rain has fallen
for awenty-four hours. Rivers con-
tinue to rise rapidly and are filled with
driftwood.
Des Moines in Peril.
The levees in Des Moines are weak
ening and il break occurs hundreds
of acres of resident property will be
flooded.
Extra in Bad Shape.
1t is reported that the. west half of
4 Extra is inundated and Barrytown is
in a similar condition
cIoudburst at onaWa.
0nowo experienced almost cloud
burst and in consequence trains. can
not enter Sioux City from the. south.
Record Broken at MarshalltoWn.
Marshalltown, July 9.-1(By the iAsso-
ciated Press The river has reached
the highest point: known here. Wash
outs have delayed trains on the North
( western and Great Western. The Des
Moines river is rising two inches hour
~. At noon it was 161A feet above low
water mark.
Twelve Feet Above Normal.
Marshalltown, July ESPECIALLY
3 The water in the Iowa river is still ris
ing. At noon it was over twelve feet
above its normal stage. Two bridges
We're washed out north of town. Linn
creek is away out of it's banks. Gar