Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-15
RAGING RIVER MAKES TROUBLE
IN OTTUMWA.
Continued From Page ~

hus street water backed up through
the sewer leading from the old Inskep
slough to the river and although some
of the families were caused much un-
easiness no damage was done except
to little garden stuff.
Church street, across which in 1897
the water was running at Moore street
is dry thus far this time, although the
north ends of Moore, Davis and Ran
som streets are miniature lakes, the
water backing up from the south
through the sewers. This causes no
damage to the property, however.
Two Streets impossible.
Madison avenue for a block south
OF w. l.. Peck's grocery store, and Fin.
ley avenue for distance of nearly a
block west of Madison are impossible,
the ground having settled owing to the
heavy rain and the backed water,
over the line of sewer pipe recently in
stalled there. This makes the places
doubly dangerous, and more trouble
right there is being experienced than
in 1897 although the water is not so
! high One house is affected on Wa
bash avenue and several back yards
are under water on Wabash and Fin
| ley avenues, while on Madison avenue,
across the Wabash tracks, garden
stuffs are washed away and some wa
ter is in the cellars.
| SchickviIIe Isolated.
! Schickyille, which, when there is no
high water, is located across the river
from the tract of land between the
Milwaukee railroad bridge and the
first dam, cannot be reached today ex.
cept by boat. Several feet of water
cover the road leading from Black.
hawk street bridge, while the road
coming from South Ottumwa by way
OF Richmond avenue, is submerged
under some ten or fifteen feet Of wa
ter, according to the distance from
the river. The residents of Schick-
vile were warned of the rise in time
and took to the tall timber and the
highlands in time to save their eff
fects, but their gardens and corn
fields are ruined.
New Park Has Beach.
| In the West End Caldwell's pasture
where several games of ball have been
played during the summer, and where
also the Wallace and Nickel Plate cir.
cuses exhibited, is now lake, only a
very few acres of the tract being out
of the water. Several boats have
been placed there and it has been dub
bed the Caldwell beach" by some OF
the citizens who are intent upon Civ.
| Ing Caldwell's park all the credit ii
deserves.
Boatmen Are Busy.
| At the boat house, just west of the
city, everything is floating. The own.
ers of boats have been tying the paint
ers higher and higher on the trees as
the water has risen. No losses of any
considerable amount have been suffer.
| ed there, although there are some ex.
pensive launches and houses for them
located near the boat house. Nothing
but constant watching, however, has
made it possible to bring about this
happy state of affairs.
Levee Was Unsafe.
At the Sage ice house on Black.
hawk street, the levee which keeps
the water from rushing down through
Mill street threatened to give away
this morning, but city employees soon
repaired the damage.
Factories Surrounded,
The Ottumwa Box Car Loader Co.
and the McCarroll Co., the plants of
both Of which firms are located on
West Second street near where the
Milwauee tracks cross that thorough
fare, are affected by the water. the lat
ter concern being the harder hit of the
two. However, little damage is ex-
pected at either plant.
Central Addition a Sea.
Central addition is all under water
except where the Milwaukee railroad
yards are built up higher than the ma
ltural land. The residents of that por-