Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-07-26

0GNSIc O1ASoJ ASoNAJ 'ASA
bolts and ruinous with torrential rains,
have wrought millions Of dollars OF dam
age through the Western States. Five
persons are known to have been killed
by lightning in Illinois and Iowa alone,
while many of the outlying districts ire
entirely cut off from communication and
the results of the storm in them cannot
be fully told.
Heavy storms, with extraordinary dam
age by cloudbursts, wind and lightning,
were reported Friday from western and
southern Illinois, central Iowa, Nebras-
ka and Colorado. In the rivers the wat
or has risen rapidly, and much further
damage may be done by floods. Wash
outs, the demolition of buildings and the
destruction of crops are among the forms
of havoc wrought by the storms. At all
points from which reports have been re-
ceived the downpour of rain was excess
siye, and at some it amounted to a cloud
burst.
In Iowa especially the rains which fell
have led to flood conditions which it Is
feared will cause more damage on the up
per Mississippi than has been known in
several decades. The foods Of last week
had brought the Mississippi and its trib-
utaries to their danger point and many
thousands Of acres were not yet free
from water when Fridays storm occur
ring has rendered the danger tenfold
greater and indeed has made it certain
that incalculable loss must result.
Joliet Again Flooded.
In Illinois, Joliet, which also suffered
from floods recently, is again rendered
a heavy sufferer by the rise Of the Des-
PLANES river, while from all through the
State reports are received showing the
destruction which has been done to the
crops by the hail and the rain, causing
serious losses among the farmers. The
crops, many Of them just ripe for cut
ting, are beaten down to the earth, and
where the grain has been stacked the
rain has beaten in and is rotting the
stacks.
In Indiana and Wisconsin the storm
also made it's appearance, but with less
force than in Iowa. The previous con-
ditions were not as bad, and it is hoped
that the rise in the creeks and rivers
will pass by without causing very great
losses. One death by lightning, how
ever, is reported in Indiana.
Nebraska and Colorado did not escape
the deluge Of rain which prevailed Fri
day. From two to five inches is reported
in many towns in these two States, and,
perhaps the only welcome result Of the
foods, the water famine in Denver, which
for time threatened to cripple the in
dustries of the city, is relieved.
While the West was thus suffering
from storms, intolerable weather condi-
tons elsewhere were caused by the ex-
IRENE heat Several prostrations were
reported in Maryland and Ohio.
Loss May Be Millions.
Heavy rains in central Iowa are send
Ing a flood down upon prosperous Mis-
souri, farmers which will ruin many of
them and cause losses aggregating, at a
conservative estimate, $2,5OO,OOO. Dis
patches from Keokuk state that there
seems to be no hope for the country be-
tween the Mississippi river and its Mis-
souri, bluffs between Keokuk and Han
nibal, 300 square miles, mostly corn laid
by, with some thousands Of acres Of
wheat in the shock. The water@had
touched the danger line the first Of the
week and had begun to recede when
heavy floods started again in the Des
Moines, Skunk and Iowa rivers. With a
stage in the Des Moines river only three
feet below the tops of the great levees,
the river began to rise three inches an
til tn factor Of safety was wiped out.
The corn crop is all made and wheat
Is in the shock, entaiIing a total loss Of
he
finer and the yield promised to be i'm
mense. Grain men say the above esti
mate of value is too low and put the
figures Of the loss from the overflow at
nearer $4,000,O00 between Keokuk ind
Hannibal. 1t is believed the Illinois
levees will hold and the damage is likely
to be only $4,000 to $4,000 between
Keokuk and Quincy. Lowland farmers,
river men and the weather bureau OBJ
server alike predict the greatest damage
ever known from floods on the upper Mis-
sissippi.
Reports showed half the country for
distance of thirty miles between La
grange and Hannibal already under wat
er, long before the crest of the flood ar
rived. Points up the Des Moines river
reported water flowing through the
towns.
Near Des Moines upward of two inches
of rain fell in many localities, and near
Eddyville it amounted to a cloudburst,
nearly five inches being reported. The
Des Moines river is rising rapidly.
Near Millstadt, ST. Clair County, H.,
Fred Weickbrod, 30 years old, and a son
and daughter OF Jacob P. Muskopf, aged |
IA and Is years respectively, were struck |
by lightning and instantly killed. The |
same stroke killed two horses hitched to |
wagon in which they were riding.
A severe electrical storm passed |
through the eastern part Of Tippecanoe
County. Indiana, doing great damage to |
growing crops. Harvey Reeser's gran
airy was struck by lightning and 500 |